Year: 1864

the business Of this viewl0f the sub
ject though before reflection, ] had
diferentip.p There must bs


social responsibility somewhere ant
it can only be found in the forfeitur,


Of their social rights Of selEgovern.


ment Their de facto condition


brings them within the scope OF this
part of the law of nations, and they


must meet the consequences.


/ This view of the question justi-


ties the action ofth general govern


ment IN treating loysl and disloyal


alike. 1t also places the rebel States


under its absolute control with the


right of governing them as freely as


the States themselves possessed that


right. Nor can constitutions stand
in the way of the exercise OF this


paramount authority 1t would


seem too that no power but Con-


gress, as the law making power, can


provide for a State government is
the creation of Congress; or the
people of the States. Unless this is
the true doctrine, the States
still exist, and the people alone have
the power to organize their govern
ments. This would result in leav-
ing the State governments in rebel
hands, since majority Of the peo-
pie in them is composed of rebels;
and they would control this recog-
milton and elect the men to execute
the same. This strange result cannot
be the true one; it must spring from
views. But this result is
correct, or the State governments
must be forfeited as penalty of
uniting their action in the re-
bellion.


If the rightof self government Is
forfeited, then the President cannot
re-organize a new government AS
commander he can govern
them until Congress shall provide
by law for their government, and
this is all he can do. He seems to
admit by the saving declaration, that
Congress may yet refuse to receive
their senators and Representatives.
If however, the President has pow
er 10 re-organize them as States,
then being States, Congress is bound
to receive their Representatives.
This plan too brings on necessarily
a conflict between Congress and the
President, since Congress has right
as he admits, to refuse to admit them
to be States in q constitutional
ssnse. Sach o aeonfiet wii be very.
and hence Congress
ought to to anticipate and prevent it
by legislating on this whole subject.
There arG numerous questions grow
ing out of this reorganization
Are their States to be entitled to the
full number of representatives, which
the present law Of Congress allows
them? This apporhonment is based
ON the census of 1850. Are the few
loyal men engaged in the reorgani-
zation to elect the full quota ofrepre-
sentatiyes? If so, loyal man in d
rebel State viii have ten fold more
influence in the government than q
loyal man in Ohio or Massachusetts,
does. Is this rightS Ought It TO be
Are Southern men to
gain political influence, because they
have lived with traitors, and under a
of traitors7 1t would
seem that the propounding of these
questions ought to be sufficient an
swer to them. Congress can alone.
provide an adequate remedy for the,
present condition of these States. It..
and it alone, has power to settle these
questions on equitable principles
and give to the States OF the proper
time the due amount Of representa-,
ton, to which they are justly entf-
tied. l


My apology for the length Of this
letter must be found in the vital i'm
portanee of the questions discussed.
and the deep interest l feel in theis
correct solution. The rebellion
brought the irreprssss6ls conflict to the
test of force; and force now must
put an end to it, or we make this war
a failure; for, if this conflict Is suf-
fered to go on, any peace we may
conquer will prove but hollow truce,
The rebels have given US constitu-
tional right to settle this conflict in
favor of freedom, and We are bound
to do it or prove recreant to the great
trial imposed upon this generation.


The future Of this great nation rests


upon the settlement Of this question,


rightfully settled as it may be, and


our future promises growth and


prosperity far outruhning all the ex-


perience of the past. Let every
true man; every patriot enter
cordially in the great work and see


to it, that in lieu Of conflict we shall


have harmony; and in lieu of of .ear


peace and good viii pervading all


our future Yours,


SIMEON NASH.


EEGeneraI Mcclellan Is said to