Year: 1866

y
fore the Philadelphia
Convention.


The following is synopsis of Henry J.
Raymond's address to the Philadelphia
Convention


It demands the universal ac-
acknowledgement of the legitimate
consequences Of the war, which are
the perpetual maintenance Of the
Union and the destruction of sla-
very.


It asserts next that the Govern
ment acquired no new rights or
powers by the war; that it acted
only on .hv ueIensive: congress
had passed a resolution, that when
the war closed, all the powers and
dignity of the States should remain
unimpaired and intact. The power
assumed by the Government in the
States, since the war closed, was
in violation Of the Constitution
The Constitution declares that no
State shall, without it's own con-
| sent be deprived of it's equal repre-
sentation in the Senate. The ac-
tion Of Congress denying represcn-
tation to the Southern States, ap-
pears to be as great an effort to
overthrow the Government as was
that by armed rebellion.


If one Congress can exclude on
one pretext another Congress may
exclude other States on another.
There is no warrant for this in the
Constitution. Not only cannot rep
resentation be excluded from Con-
gress, but no State without it's own
consent can be deprived of equal
representation in the Senate even
by an amendment in the Constitu-
tion. The only pretext for the ac-
tion in Congress is that the States
lately in rebellion have lost their
right to representation which the SUI
perior government only can restore,
but it is principle that no right
can be forfeited nor can the right or
duty Of a State being represented in
Congress be impaired by rebellion.
Only it's enjoyment Of that privilege
can be obstructed.


The address further asserts that
the position of congress in the
matter is not warranted by
the constitution and is
not compatible with the public safe
ty. 1t is also argued that three
fourths of the loyal States can pot
change the fundamental law effect
ing tho others, and that we have
no right to pass judgment upon the
motives of citizen of the United
States when his acts are loyal. No
where are the laws better obeyed
than in the States lately in rebel
lion. The disturbances that have
occurred were due as much to injudic-
ious political movements as any pur-
pose hostile to the Government. If
the people of the South show less
disposition than formerly to acqui-
esce in the new order of affairs, it is
because congress has Withheld their
rights from them. If they felt 9TH
erwise they would be degenerated
sons of their sires. No people ever
existed whose loyalty would not have
been impaired by such treatment.
The people of the South are not wor-
thy to be trusted in the exercise Of
their right if they were willing to
submit to such humiliation. These
men acted as they did, either from
a conviction Of right or because they
were under compulsion. For this
they have suffered tenfold more than
those who remain in allegiance.
The address pledges them to future
obedience to the laws. 1t adds that
the war has swept away slavery, the
cause Of sectional variances and hos
tilities; and has revealed and disci-
plined our power. The address ad-
dress adverts to the fact that new
Congress is soon to be elected, and
that if the present policy be pursued
Civil War may be renewed, and calls
upon every congressional district to
return only members who are favora-
bic to the policy of restoration.