Year: 1866

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Address Of the National Union Committee.


FELLOW CrrnxM-very grave differences having
gress and the President who his position to your
votes mpeled TO ask your attention thereto and
TO suggest the duties TO your country which they render


We shall avoid the use Of hard words or these there
have already been too many And that the matters In
first eliminate from the controversy all that has
already been settled or has never been In dispute


within aud s vsV sxsnos
Thirteen States claimed as having withdrawn from
the Union, and werc represented for years In hostile
Congress meeting at Richmond. Ten Of these States
were for time wholly in the power Of hostile con-
federacy, the other three partially The undoubtedly
loyal States repeatedly and formdaby invaded by
rebel armies, which only expelled after obstinate
and bloody battles Through four years Of arduous,
those o The
of that confederacy travcrsed the Civilized world,
seeking allies in their war against the republic.
and melting the rapacious and unprinciped to NJ out
armed corsairs to prey upon her commerce BY State
authority, and In the perverted Of patriotism and
loyalty hundreds Of thousands of countrymen
conscrpted into rebel armies and made fight desper-
atey for our national disruption and ruin. And though,
by the blessing OF God and the vaor and constancy OF
crushed did not succumb until it had caused the des
ruction of than half million OF precious human
lives not to speak OF property to the value Of at least


At length the rebel armies surrendered and the rebel


The claim Of the insurgents that they either now re-
acquired had forfeited their rights
in tho Union, including that Of representation In Con.
gresa stands In pointed antagonsm alike to the require
mcns OF Congress and to those Of the acting President
1t was the Executive alone who, after the rebellion
no moro, appointed Provisional Governors for the
submissive unarmed Southern States the assumption
that the rebellion had been Revolutionary and had de-
pryea tns r people ander . Us sway Q, a ciy
composed Of delegates to be chosen by that portion
Of the people Of said State who loyal TO the United
States and Oherr, for the purpose Of altering and
amend ng the constitution OF said Statan II was
President johnson who 30 late october lastwhen all
that II not enough that state
which had revolted must recognize her ordinance OF
secession as cal and void from the beginning and
slavery evermoro. but she mnst also repudiate


veIy dollar of Indebtedness created to aid in carrying
sion by military force OF any Legislature chosen under
the rebellion which should assume power 10 make laws
70 Congress- all inquiries as 10 the probability Of repre-
sentatives from the States lately in revolt being ad-


itted to seats in either House, and suggested that they
should present their credentials not at the organization
Of Congress- but afterwards. And finally, It was he,
and not Congress, who suggested to his Governor
Shalkey Of Mississippi, that


Of the constn.ton tho United states
who real estate valued less than $3.50 and pay
s sn al s rSs S. % s


IT. then, there be any controversy as TO the right Of the
loyal States to conditions and require guarantees
those which plunled mady into secession and rebellion,
the supporters respectively Of Andrew johnson and OF
Congress cannot be antagonist parties to that contest


Il being thus agreed that conditions Of restoration and
guarantees against future rebellion may be the
States lately 10 revolt The right Of Congress to voice In
anteos y plainly inoontestlbls. whethertt take the
shape Of law Of constitutional amendment, the action
Of Congress 10 vital Even they be settled by
treaty. the ratification Of the Senate by two thirds
vote, would be Indispensable There 10 nothing ln the
coantensnces an Executive monopoly Of this power
What then, 10 the ground OF complaint against Con-
gress is charged that that che action Of the two
Houses tardy and hesitaiings Consider how mo-
mentous the questions involved the issues depend
Ing. Consider how novel and extraordinary was the
tho Federal Constitution touching the treatment OF
insurgent States, whether during their nagrant
slider with how many embarrassmen,s and difcues the
problem s beset and you will not wonder that months
were required 70 devise perfect and pass, by two
construction Yet that plan has been maurcd II has
passed the Senate BY thirty three to eleven, and the
House by one hundred and thirty eight TO thIrty-sr
is now fairly before the country having already been
ratified by the Legislatures OF several States and rejected
by none Under u the State Of Tennessee has been for
rebellion, including representation in either House OF
Congress- And The door thus passed through stands in
vitlngly open to all who still linger without


Are the conditions thus prescribed ntoerable or
humiliatng9 They are in substance these


All pcrsous born naturalized in this country arc
henceforh citizens OF the United States and shall enjoy
all the rights OF citizens evermore; no State shall
have power 70 contravene this most righteous and


II. While the States claim and exefcse the power OF
denying the elective franchise TO part OF their people,
by and based upon Its enTanohised population II any
State shall choose for no crime to deny political rights
to any race or caste must longer that
caste as basis OF political power In the Union.


Ill He who has once held Office the strength Of his
solemn oath 70 support the federal constitution and has
nevertheless orsworn himself and reasonably plotted 10
subvert that constitution. shall henosforh hold poI
ca Office I'LL Congress by twothifds vote shall remove


w. The national deb, shall be uowiss repudated nor
invalidated and no debt incurred In support Of the
shall payment bc made for the loss emancipation Of
any slave; .s


tees by appropriate legislation.


Such, fellow citizens the conditions OF reconstruc
iion proposed BY Congress and already accepted by the
loyal Legislature Of Tennessee Are they harsh de-
gradngf DO you discern therein disposition TO trampe
the prosrate push advantage the uttermosty
Do they embody augh Of vengesnoe or any confscaton
bn that Of slavery We solicit your candid, impartial


What ls intended by the third section is simply to give
the johnson policy the rebels monopolize power and
place even In communities whore they decidedly
eec Of sus %so snG al ss asr
islaures and onHcate shors Not only are the stead
ia.,y loyal proscrocd bat even stay rebels have
vert the Union. When this rebel monopoly Of office
shall have been broken up and loyalty TO tho Union
move The disability and will doubtless make haste
So


we DO not perceive that the justice OF illness OF the
fourth secsion--prcscribns that the Union pubic debt
shall be promptly met but that Of the confederacy
never--is seriously contested


There remains, then, but the second secton, which
prescrbes In substance that political power in the Union
shall htnceforth be based only that portion OF the
people of each State who deemed by lis constitution
NJ repositories of such power In other words, State
which chooses 70 hold part Of its population IN gno-
rance and vassalage powercse, uncincatcd, unfran.
chised shall not count ha, portion 20 balance the edu
Gated intelligent enfranchsed citizens Of other States


We do pot propose 70 argue the iustce Of this pro.
vision AZ well Argue the shape Of cube or the cor
rectness OF the multiplication table He who does not
feel That this simply ard mildly last would not be
persuaded though one rcse from the dead 20 convince
him. That there are those among who would not
have ratified sadly demonstrates thai the good work OF
emancipation IL no, yet complete


but say some, this section h designed 20 coerce
the South into according suffrage her bseka Not So
reply but only 70 notify her ruling that viii
no longer bribe them TO keep their blacks serfom An