Year: 1865

really find fault, not because they think he
has exercised too much authority but be-
cause he has exercised too little. Their
real ground of complaint is, that he has
not dictated that in all elections to be held
i'll the disorganized States preparatory to
reorganization, negroes shall be allowed
an equal right with white citizens to vote,
They say that if he has authority to dictate
who shall not vote, he must have equal
power to dictate who shall vote. That if he
can limit the right Of suffrage, as it existed
prior to the rebellion, he can ertend it; that
to prohiJHa white citizen from voting, who
has been conticted Of no disqual1ying crime
is just as inconsistent with his theory as it
would be to conttr the right upon a class of
citizens who were disqualified under the
laws which have been suspended or rem
dered imperative by the rebellion


We do not think this a fair course Of
reasoning The President believes, as we
understand his theory, that the loyal peo-
pie of the disorganized States have pre-
cisely the same rights, under their respect
i've State Governments and under the Con-
stitution Of the United States, that they
had when the rebellion broke out, except
in so far as those rights have been modified
by the laws Of the land, and by valid mill
tary orders issued in aid Of the prosecution
Of the war. He believes that they have
lost the right of property in their slaves by
virtue of the Presidents proclamations and
mil ltary orders, issued as q means of put
ting down the rebellion, and 50 being valid
Hence, IN taking care that the laws be
faithfully executed, he is bound to take
care that the emancipated negroes shall
not be rc-enslaved. But as to all rights
which have not been thus modified, he
holds that it is his duty to restore those
rights to the people as they existed prior
to the rebellion. He holds, as we under
stand his theory, that it is his duty to ex-
ercise such powers as may be found neces-
sary to revivify institutions and laws which
are now in a state of suspended animation,
but not to establish new institutions or ell
act new laws. When the disorganized
State shall be thus reorganized, it must be
left to the people of those States to adopt
such reforms as change Of circumstances
may indicate and render necessary To
assume to confer the right of suffrage upon
class Of citizens disqualified to vote under
the laws III existence when the rebellion
broke out, would be to assume the power
OF eRdctlng netr i0,rs, and would be mani
testly Inconsistent with the theory above
attempted to be explained, Is it equally
clear that it is inconsistent with this theory
to prescribe that notorious and incorrigible
rebels shall be prohibited from voting? 1t
must be remembered that the now dsor-
gained States have been for four years
past maintaining governments de tacto in
direct opposition and hostility to the Gen
eral Government These spurious govern
ments have been suppressed by the mill
tary power of the United States. To au-
thorize the people of those States, without
any discrimination, to reorganize their
State Governments, would be simply to
authorize them to recstabish the rebel
Government which we have been fighting
for four years to overthrow In order to
reinstate the loyal people in their constitu-
uonal rights, the power to participate in
the work OF reorganization must be limited
to the loyal not, necessarily to those who
have at1cays been loyal to the Union and the
Constitution, but to those who are nOac 10y
al, and who are willing to give an earnest
of their loyalty, Hence, the President, in
all his procamations authorizing the peo-
pie OF rebellious States to rcorganize their
State Governments, has prescribed that
none shall participate therein without first
taking an cath of fidelity to the Union and
the Constitution, and of submission to the
lawful authority Of the General Govern
ment. This, instead of being inconsistent
with his theory that the loyal people of
those States have been deprived of none of
their constitutional rights by the rebellion
Of their fellowcitizens, is a precaution alb
soutely necessary to restore them to the
enjoyment of those rights. 1t is as much
the duty Of the President to prevent incor-
rigiblc rebels from controlling the action of
the people in the work of reorganization, as
it was to put them down when in open re-
bellion against the Government