Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1868-10-01

with thorough knowledge of their pow
ers at discrimination we would not charge
them with that. As to population, there
arc perhaps, some as old people in Kan
sas as in South Carolina, and some as
young people in South Carolina as can
possibly be found in Kansas So they
have utterly failed on two propositions out
of three; and as to the remaining PROPOSE
lion, viz: which has the Oldest State Gov
ernmen., they fail again, because the
Southern States at the close of the war
twas deprived of all civil government
they were without any civil government
whatever; while the State of Kansas re-
mained loyal during the war, and was in
possession of Government. Then they
have here failed again;-they are are a
party of failures; their propositions go to
the four winds, just where the entire party
root and branch will go this fall. Again,
it can make no difference, certainly, with
this power of Congress, whether State
has never had Government, or whether
il has had a government which has been
destroyed. If there should be any differ
cnce in its application, utterly fail TO
make the discovery.
Sec. 4 OF Art. of the Constitution says:
The United States shall guarantee TO ev-
cry State in the Union Republican form
Of government. Now ii makes no differ
ence in the application Of this clause of
the Constitution, whether the Southern
States were States IN the Union, or States
Out of the Union. The fact did exist that
they were without any civil government,
without Republican form ofgovernment.
and the Constitution makes it duty of
Congress TO form Republican State Gov
ernment in all the States lately in rebellion.
and Congress is bound to accept none 9th
er than a Republican form of government,
If, even by a unanimous vote, the citizens
should adopt any other kind of Govern
ment. Suppose our own State should
throw aside her present State Government
and form monarchy. 1t is clear that
Congress by this clause of the Constiiu-
tion, would have the right, not only the
right but it would be her bounded duty 10
see that Indiana should lay aside her mon
archy and adopt again government, Re
publican in form. before being represented
in Congress. This clause imposes this du-
ty on the United States without stating
which particular department has the right.
| But Sec. of Art lst declares, 1T is the
duty of Congress TO make all laws which
shall be necessary 10 carry into execution
all powers vested by this constitution in
the Government of the United States or
any Office thereof" These arguments are
enough to convince any candid thinking
man, as to the constitutlonality of Congress
lately in rebellion, and that this legislation
is not in the language of the Democratic
platform, usurpations unconditional, revo-
lutionary and void.
The constitutionality of Congressional
legislation upon the subject, having been
partly proven, we next enquire hOW has
Congress acted upon the subject, and to
what Democrats so bitterly object. Con-
grcss bases its reconstruction policy upon
the ith Article of amendment to the Con
stiiuiion, basis OF reconstruction unpar-
allelcd in the history of the nations of
the earth for its mild and lcnient terms TO
rebels That amendment embraces the
following points:
lst. All persons born or naturalized 10
the United States and subject TO its juris-
dction are citizens thereof.
2nd. Equal representation, so that no
State in tho Union shall have the advan-
tage over any other State in this respect.
2d. No person having taken an oath to
support the Constitution of the United
States and attcrward engaged in insurrec-
tion or rebellion, or given aid and comfort
to the enemy can hold an Office under the
United States.
4th. The Government debt shall be paid
and never repudiated; while the rebel debt
shall be illegal and void. This basis of re-
construction, then, according to Mr.. Blair's
letter, and the New York platform, is in
fringing upon the rights of rebels. Con-
gress only demands ofthem guarantee of
loyalty, excluding leading rebels from of
fee, and providing that the debt created
by the rebels, to destroy the nation shall
never be paid by the Government. There
is nothing contained in this amendment
that any loyal man could object to, yet we
find party declaring that these terms are
a usurpation Of power, and that they in
fringe upon the rights of rebels. The
rights of rebels? Have these men who
fought four years to destroy this govern
ment any rights? say they have no
rights that whac man or loyal negro is
bound to respect.
We heard the cry all along during the
progress of the war. When cur soldiers
wee sent TO the front, to stand between
the Government and ruin, we heard the
same cry from our men. at the North
''you are invading the rights of the South.
When it became a necessity to issue the
emancipation proclamation, we heard tie
old cry: "You are infringing upon the
rights of HE South" And so we have
heard il even 10 the end Of the war; nay,
more. after these rebels had done all the
wicked and rebellious acts they could do.
and were forced to yield, Congress says 10
them, we will not require rebels to be
punished, but will require that they give
US guarantee of their future loyalty and
good conduct Nay, but we have heard
the Kissing cry eInanating from tho North,
saying. MY Southern brethren, don't ac-
cept these tefms from the radicals; we