Year: 1866


The undersigned members of the
committee appointed by the Convention
of Southern Loyalists, lately assembled
| in Philadelphia, to visit the tomb of our
martyred President, Abraham Lincoln,
as testimony OF the admiration and
| affection with which the Union men OF
the South remember his single hearted
patriotism, have discharged that duty
The enthusiastic greetings we received
all along our route are sufficient evidence
that the Union party is still intact. We
return our sincere and hearty thanks for
the uniform courtesy and kindness every
where shown us, but before we separate
We desire to warn our countrymen OF
new danger which appears to be looming
up Everywhere that we have been the
loyal people who are sustaining Congress
seem to be united in demanding:


First-That Andrew Johnson shall not
be permitted to usurp and exercise the
powers Of Congress in addition to those
of President.


Second-That disloyal men shall not
be permitted to rule either the whole
country or any part thereof; and,
Third-That the loyal men of the
South, black as well as white, shall be
protected in all their rights as American
citizens.


Unfortunately, however, some Repub-
a NV loose
language they make use OF, and their
frequent declarations that if the non
reconstructed States ratify the. pending
constitutional amendment such of their
oath will be admitted to membership in
that body, are creating the impression
that the ratification of that amendment
will render any further legislation by
Congress in relation to the non recon
structed States unnecessary. If this
conviction is allowed to fasten itself upon
the minds of the people it can only be
removed by long, acrimonious discus
sion, pending which the nation will con
tinue to be affected with the evils which
now render life in a third of the States
almost intolerable.


1t now requires but few moments
reflection to see that such settlement
of the reconstruction problem would
convert the victory now being won at the
polls into a defeat The Constitution of
the United States declares that call
legislative power shall be vested in
Congress- and Legislative power
means simply the power to make laws
The usurpation Of the President consists
in the fact that when at the close of the
war he found ten States deprived of all
civil government being no law
upon the statute book providing how,
under such circumstances, government
might be nstituted-instead of calling
the legislative department together in
extra session to pass the necessary laws,
he assumed the prerogative of Congress,
and prescribed the rules and regulations
Claiming for them all the force and
validity of regularly enacted laws neces-
sary for establishing civil Governments
in the ten States which he declared had
none 1t was in accordance with these
illegal edicts that the tyrannical organiza
tions claiming to be the State Govern
ments of North Carolina, South Carolina,
Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi
and Texas were formed, and to recog
nize their adoption of the constitutional
amendment as valid, is simply to indorse
and legalize the Presidents usurpations.
Are the people willing thus to indorse
the action of President johnson? If
not, they must firmly declare that the
illegally organized tools of an usurper
cannot by their action affect the Consti-
tuition of the country. and that before
the non reconstructed States can ra.ity
the amendment, legal Governments must
be instituted in them.


Again, every one CT the so called
Governments in the ten non reconstruct
ed States are in the hands of and con-
trolled by the men who attempted to
destroy the nation, and are ostentatious-
ly used to make treason honorable and
loyalty odious-(and in the Southern
States impossible If Congress lega-
Lies them it perpetuate. these ex-rebels
in power indefinitely. They will con-
tinue to have absolute control of the
Governments of all or nearly all Of the
late slaveholding States, and will send
up solid delegations to Congress of men
whose sympathies were and are with the
| Confederate cause. Once admit that
they are loyal State Governments. and
Congress cannot thereafter interfere in
those States any more than it can now
| in Illinois, and New York. In short,


legalize those bogus Governments, and


ex-rebels will thereafter have absolute
| political control of nearly one-half the


Union If the loyal people do not wish


such state of affairs, they must never
consent to the Endorsement of Andrew
1 III e <haco