Nebraska advertiser., 1870-02-17

L ole rate5s
which Is necessary to attain It. DC is
lawful to execute ali the provisions ef
the Constitution 70 save Government:
% ls the sovereignty Of government,
and If 1t is not set forth In STATUTORY or
constitutional form, L exists in this
higher ground, that there Is power
within the Government to secure fts
own self protection and self-peFDetua-
ton, which is 10 the Government as
the right OF self-defense to the indi-
vidual. England has no written con
stitutiOn, but she has a strong Govern
ment. The principle lies at the fouH-
datlOn OF all government, the right to
preserve its own existence, and Ia the
/ absence Of it all governments must
fall. lt IS the common law OfgOvefn-
ment. That gOvernmentrwhieh can
not sustain itself Is a failure. That
/ government which cannot protect the
rights Of its citizens is q mOckerV. 10
If the State fails 10 do this, then the
] United states must enable her to do IL.
or compel her if il is a voluntary fall
ure, for the United States are sovef-
ifthe failure results from wantO fpower
elgn and the State but q constituent
part. In the absence Of this Drincinal
OF the Government the Union hils.
But we are not left to infereutiAP
| grants Of powers. Section eight Of The
/ first article of the Constitution Of the
United States declares that
-, THE Congress shall have pOwerto make
ali laws which shall be necessary and rirOuIlr
for carrying into execution the fOrevoiIi0
powers, ana ali other powers vested by this
COnstltutlon IN tne government Of the lTnie-
oa oaS states or any Department Ohieer thsFf-
The foregoing powers and all other
powers vested in the Governments
must be executeJ, in order to fOrm-a
more perfect union in Virginia. !. in
order to establish justice In virginia.
in order to insure domestic tran0uflit5
in Virginia; in order to provide for
the common defense In Virgins. In
order to promote the general welfare
in Virginia; in order to secure the
blessings Of liberty to the peOple 81
Virginia, and to the POsterfty fOrsvs
er.
If Virginia has not secured these
| objects for her people then the rowers
necessary to secure them must b eR-s
ecuted, and Congress must be uualCe
the law requisite for their execution.
The day of State rights dOgmas has
come to an end. There IS a national
/ Government, q central Government
to which States must yield the an
premacy. 1 claim for the GOvernment
the exercise of this power in the eass
| of q State which has not rpballad
/ How much stronger and more suhsfafl-
/ tial is the claim for its exercise an. the
case of State which has severed "a
| relations with the Union and destroy.
ed all civil governments. lS
/ But there is further authority In the
Constitution for this Intervention
this interpOsitiOn Of Federal Dower
Section four, article four, declares
that -
"The United States shall guarantee IN eve.
| Government"
There can be no dispute on this
proposition, namely, that Congress is
| the power to execute this trust. thia
guarantee and it is equally clear. that
| Congress must determine the mode,
manner OF its execution, what is 10 be-
done, how Is it to be done, and when
IS It to be done? it may be done by
legislation, and it may be by refusing
| representation. It is, OF course, Iefs
to Congress to determine what IL q
Republican form Of Government;
that being determined its duty is
binding TO seethat such governments
is enforced in all the States. Under
this constitutional trust the obligation
rests upon Congress to make sure tna6
| that sucn government is established
in Virginia. A failure to accomplish
this result is failure of war for the
Union. We are charged with high
and responsible trusts; we must see
that they are faithfully executed.
No clamOr for immediate admission
should shut our eyes to the danger Of
such admission. 1t was the command
of the American p'Ople that the re-
construction laws should be complete
ly and effectually executed, to seeors
the rights and liberties of all the citi-
zens of the Republic. Let recOnstrlc-
ton be radical, sure, complete and
perpetual then the war for the Union
will indeed be triumphant.
Mr.. President harbOr no bitterness
toward the people of Virginia or the
people of the South who were IN the
rebellion. am actuated by no vim
dictive feeling toward them. only
ask for equal laws, equal justice and
equal protection. We have shown
the people Of the South that we were
ready to take them by the hand when
they met us with a corresponding
spirit; when they eeinced q DISPOSE
ton to csrry out the reconstruction
acts, and sustain them in good faith
we would receive them with generous
hearts and forget the past. But until
l see that spirit in the people Of Vlr-
ginia l shall withhOlemy vote for her
admission.