Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1868-02-28

taken and subscribed to, the aathofamnesty,
as ser forth in the Presidents proclamation
Of May %, A. d. 1865 ''-Rhich uas issued
onthe same day, and was a part d the same
/ transaction
And Is a voter qualified as prescribed
the Constitution and laws Of The State
North Carolina in force Immediately before
the 10th day Of 5lay, s. ID. 1861.
The persons having the right b vote
must have the right to vote BIZ the laws Of
/ the state, and must, 10 addition 10 that.
/ have taken the oath Of amnesty The
! Prasident dislTaaelsisea in voting for dele
I gates 10 the Conventions from two hundred
and hity thousand 70 three hundred thou
4 sand men. His disfranchisen4ent was by
1 far greater than that which has been done
/ by Congress. In the proclamation Of am
nesty be says:
/ The following class Of persons are excep-
/ ted from the benefits Of this proclamation
4 lie then announced fourteen classes Of
4 persons
| =. All persons who are or shall have
/ been pretended civil or diplomatic officers,
+ or otherwise domestic or foreign agents OF
/ the pretended Confederate Government.
'I3. An persons who have Voluntarily
+ participated 10 said rebellion, and the esti
mated yalUe Of whose taxable property Is
over S20, 600.
And twelve other classes, estimated 10
number at least two hundred and fifty thou
| sand or three hundred thousand men, while
/ the dlsiFanchisement that has been created
/ BY Congress does not extend, perhaps, 10
more than fOrty-hve or fifty thousand per-
sons at the furthest These provisional
I Governors, under the authority Of the Presi-
dent, were to call Conventions; they were
( 20 hold the elections. and they we're 10
/ exercise eli the powers that are being exer-
cised by the military commanders under The
reconstruction acts Of Congress After
these Constitutions we're formed, the Presi-
dent went forward and accepted them as be-
/ ing loyal aud republican 10 their character.
/ He authorized tie voters under them 20
proceed 20 elect Legislatures, members Of
4 Congress, aud Legislatures to elect Senators
TO take their seates in this body. In other
( words, the President launched those State
governments into full life and activity, with
out consultation With, or cooperation en- the
part Of Congress.
Now, sir, when It IS claimed that these
governments are legal, let it be remembered
d at they took their origin under pTocsed
. ing instituted by the President of the Uni-
red States in the execution of this guaranty
when II now stands confessed that he could
not execute the guaranty. Bat even It he
had the power, let il be further borne in
mind that those Constitutions were formed
by Conventions that were elected By less
than one-third Of the white voters in the
States at that time; that the Conventions
were elected by g small minority even Of the
white voters: aud that those Constitutions
thus formed by very small minority have
/ never been submitted to the people OF those
States for ratification They are no more
the Constitutions ofthose States to day than
{ the Constitutions formed by the Conventions
n0w in session would be if we were 70 pro-
claim them % be the Constitutions OF those
, States without having first submitted them
+ 60 the people for ratification. How can it
, be pretended for a moment even admitting
: thar the President had the power % start
: / forward In the work of reconstruction, that
r those State governments are legally formed
by q small minority never ratified by the
p ueonle. the people never having had o
c chance 70 vote for them They stand a,
I i.mere arbitrary Constitutions, established
q nor bv the people OF the several States, bul
Z simply bg force Of executive power.
, And. sir. if We shall admit those States t0
I ( rpprsseutati0n on this fiaar and 10 the other
S I House under those Constitutions, when the
+ thing shall have got beyond oar keeping
e and thew are fully restored 20 their paiitica
4 rights. they viii then rise Up and declare
b that these Constitutions are not binding
d upon them, that they never made them,
b and they viii throw them of, and with them
? viii go those provisions which were incor
I porated therein, declaring that slavery
! should never be restored and that their wal
+ debt was repudiated. Those provision,
p we're nut into those Constitutions, but they
T. never have been sanctioned by the people Of
= those States. and they viii east them out a,
not being their act and deed, as soon as
Il thew shall have been restored 10 p0lltiea
= mower In this Government. Therefore,
O say that even If we concede that the PresI
dent had the power, which he has not, &c
z start forward in the execution Of this guar
aptv. there can still be no preteRse tha
I those governments are legal and authorized
and that We are bound to recognize them
Il The President Of the United States, in hi
- proclamation. declared that chose govern
IS ments we're 70 be formed only by the loya
II neople Of those States; and beg leave {,
/. eaHlhe attention of the Senate to that claus
" in his proclamation OF. reconstruction ID
If says:
IS within the limits of said State, all the pow
!, ers necessary and proper to enable such loya
n neople OF the State of North Carolina TO re
At store said State TO it, conStEtutiQnal relation
] With the Federal GoneTnmen6
D. Again. speaking Of the army;
,e .'And they are eBi0iucG 10 abstain from Il
e. any way hiudering, impeding or dlseuura
le ping the loyal people from the orgauzauo
AZ ola State government as hereiBaathoTiZed.
8 Now. sir, so far from those Safe govern
le meDts having beeu organized By the loya
IL pe0ple. they were organized by the dlslOya
= every Office passed into the hands OF q rebe
IA the Union men had no part or lot IN thos
g. governments; and so far from answering th
Z purpose for which governments arelntende
ke they failed 70 extend protection to the loys
ri men. either white or black The loyal me
were murdered with impunity; and ! vi
$ thank any Senator upon this hooT TO polu
te 70 a single case in any Of the rebel State
IN where a rebel has been tried aud brought
n puuishment by the civil authority Tor To
-l murder of q Union man. Not one case
at A., tod can be found These government
r. utte.lv failed in answering the purpose {
he civil governments; and not only that, bJ
81 they returned the colored people to eond
at ton Of oaqsi slavery; they made them %
rk slaves Of society instead OF being az the
b were before. the slaves Of individuals Ia
o. der various forms Of yagrant laws, they d.
81 prived them Of the rights Of frcemeu, on
l placed them under the power and coutrol (
ID their rebel masters, who were niied WIFE n
ct tired and revenge
X But Mr. President, Gmc passed on. CoI
IT, gress assembled in December, 1868 For
lie time it paused. 1t did net at once ann