Year: 1866

/


power. Should | be mistaken il
this view of the question, the con


struction put upon the second CLAUSE


by Secretary Seward should have


dispelled the fears Of the people oi


Mississippi on that score, inasmucll


that the construction he places upon


it showed that no abuse ofthat clause


would probably take place, at least


during the present administration


But if the neutrality-suspicious. should
succeed in defeating the policy oI


President Johnson, all the abuses
that could arise, under that clause
of the amendment, in their hands,


would fade into shadows in compar-


ison with the grosser expressions
they would practice, in the gratifi'
cation of their thirst for the further


punishment of the South, under 9th
er grants, or without any grant OF
power in the constitution.


1t is needful that the people of the
South should recognize and under
stand the true nature of the Gov
ernment under which they now live,
before ti"y can judge correctly of
the expediency or sound policy of
many things that appear to them,
at this time, to be uncalled for, or
carrying with them a degree of hu


initiation they ought not to submit
to. They may not be disposed TO
think or talk so independently after
they shall have considered well the
further question. What doubt is
there, at this moment, if no change
has taken place within a few days,
in some Of the States, that the whole
South are subject to military rule,
or, in other words, live under a des-
potic Government, and that, when
ever civil authority is at any time
exercised, it is by the courtesy or
permission of the military authori-
ties?


AS justification for this state of
things it is alleged that the war is
not ended. For the same reason,
the suspension of the writ of habeas
corpus is still continued over the
South. Let me illustrate further
the true character of the Govern
ment under which we live in the
South For any offense committed
against the United States, or for
anything done which the military
authorities may regard as an Of
fence, the citizen may be arrested,
imprisoned, tried, and punished by
q military commission, organized
under the direction of the comman-
der of the military division Or de-
partment in which the supposed
culprit resides, without any appeal
orredress by any civil authority eX-
cept the President, as Commander
in Chief of the Army.


The people of the South, it is true,
may be said to have a choice of
evils; for the present they may Sc
lect one or many for their rulers;
they may take the President or the
radical majority of Congress for
their deposits, but it is certain that
until the issue that is now made be-
tween the radical Republicans and
the President on the subject of res
toraton is decided in favor of the
President, the people of the South
should bear in mind that they can
have no permanent relief. The form
Of Government is isdespotic, undoubt-
edly, and in some localities it is, !
believe, oppressive and calling,
while in others it is milder and more
tolerable but that is not the most
serious and forcible view of the sub
ject for consideration. They are
now in the possession and employ
ment of many rights and privileges
by which they may be able, Grip
pied as they are in their resources,
to make a comfortable living for
their families. Have they ever re-
flected how loug these privileges
may be continued to them q? Or how
soon they may be withdrawn p
Have they ever reflected that they
have no security or guarantee for
their continuance, even for a day?
They know perfectly well that they
are utterly helpless; that they have
no means, in their own hands, of
redressing any wrongs or injuries,
however small, that may be inflicted
upon them. 1t is, moreover, quite
certain that, if the radical Repub-
licans, now said to be two-thirds
majority in both Houses of Congress
to be dominant in that de-
gree, they will be the dominant
power in the Government, and, by
every rational conclusion that can
be deduced from the spirit and de-
signs manifested in the speeches and
writings of the leaders of that par
ty, in and out of Congress, the States
of the South, once in rebellion, will
be governed for an indefinite period
for ten or twenty years, or for gen.
erations, as conquered provinces, as
Territories of the United States
with such liberties or privileges, as
citizens of the Territories, as a ma
r al - -. .....- 49, 4ts,,lr