Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1875-03-18

rcgnum. 30, TOO, the speaker OF the
Forty.fourth House of Representa-
tives. As the disagreement concern
ing the President-elect would doubt
less extend to the Vice President
elect, would the Speaker of the For
ty-fifth House be competent as an
acting President. Should that House
be Democratic to the extent of the
Forty fourth, and the Opposition is
sanguine it will he, its Speaker
would be Democrat; hence his par
ty would have two strings to its bow.
To exclude electoral votes enough to
count out the Republican candidate,
and though the Senate Republican
opposition shall be an even match, to
utilize that opposition so far as to
make the suspense permanent and
the Democratic Speaker an acting ex-
equity Indefinitely; a stubborn bull
of dilemma with two formidable
horns, either one of which will gore
the Republican party if it will not
content itself as an impotent remon-
strant simply to pull at the tail of the
animal,
The lower house would, of course,
wish its bills presented under Section
Z, Article /, to the President, but the
Senate might not and should not rec
ognize his official Legitimacy nor con-
cur IN such bills. An issue would at
once arise as to his own legislative
function TO act upon bills, to the pas
sage Of which, even despite Presi-
dent, his veto at least is a vital con-
dition. Congress would be rent as
sunder, the Democrats of each body
to constitute a new Congress, and
leave to the Republicans the same
sorry resource. The acting Presi-
dent would recognize the Democratic
faction as Congress, sign its bills,
find as commander-in-ch chief a bold
and willing staff-martial by instinct
and eager for revolution-Of rebel
officers, sitting as members in its
halls, and in fact, disclose to the
American people an invasion that,
baffied in '65, had succeeded in II,
when the Southern Democracy mus
tered the Northern to its aid under a
bargain as to the spoils. The Demo
cratic Congress" would under Arti-
Gle | of the Constitution raise and
support armies, provide and main
tain navy, pass repeals and rebel
war claims, establish black peonage,
and accomplish whatever legislation
might gorge its greed or vindictive-
ness, or fivet its power; and it would
then beseen how long before a Re-
publican Congress. when under Sec
ton 5, Article l, as smaller num-
ber than majority, it should adj
iourn from day to day and attempt to
compel the attendance of absent
members, Mould be dispersed by the
armed force created for Democratic
ends.
The White League roster to-day is
an immature muster-roll of the new
army of 1877. Every Southern
State is to be violently captured at
the polls in November, '76, and in the
event of escape then, will find its vote
wither under Democratic exception
to its admission in the Congressional
count. AS the Republican Senate
by its contumacy might quicken q
Wholesome public sentiment against
the Democratic plot, the utility ap-
pears of an armed force to daunt
that sentiment. The Democracy
would affirm itself the custodian OF
the Government, employ every en-
CINE to maintain it's ward, and the
Union would discover that he rebel
lion it stunned in '65 in one section
had leaped to its nimble feet, master
ed both sections, and was sitting in
the legislative and executive chairs
to enact and execute laws against al
loyal recusants as rebels. Nay, it il
gravely charged that in the late wal
the South was guiltless of treason.
The New Orleans Monthly Review
the only magazine in the entire
South, declares in its last mum
Der under the query, "Were the Con
federates guilty Of treason" as fol
lows:
"The act of withdrawal of the sc
ceding States was as solemn, forma
and voluntary, in every respect, a
was their original accession to th'
Union, and, in both instances, wa
accomplished by virtue of their SOY
ereignty, which has never, even T.
this moment, been surrendered. Th
result of their secession was no
only that the Union of the States wa
sundered, but the Government over
thrown, and the Constitution ren
dered imperative and ceased to b
obligatory upon ANY of the States
, Congress could no longer legally con
vene under the provisions of that in
strument, it's war making power, an
all its functions were gone, and n
. United States, with its executive
legislative and judicial department
of government any longer existed
against which treason, the offense III
E der consideration, could be commit
ted.
e "The truth is, the late war was
q war between the masses of peopl
: who composed the Northern State
0 on one side, acting without right an
a without the authority of a legitimat
: ly organized government, and tt
: Confederate States, with a regul:
e government, against which as so
ereign power treason could be con
e mitted on the other side. The obje
: of the war was to overthrow the 30
# ereignty of the Southern States an
/ reduce them to the condition of col
y quered provinces, which the assai
j. ants were able to accomplish again
all principles of American right |
= the force of overwhelming number
IS This was treason to the Southel
e States, and violation of their righ