collected articles-第5部分

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largest　majorities；　while　the　timid　and　doubtful　are　sent　by　lean　majorities；

or　else　left　at　home。　　The　strange　controversy　between　the　President

and　the　Congress；　at　one　time　so　threatening；　is　disposed　of　by　the　people。

The　high　reconstructive　powers　which　he　so　confidently；　ostentatiously；

and　haughtily　claimed；　have　been　disallowed；　denounced；　and　utterly　repudiated；

while　those　claimed　by　Congress　have　been　confirmed。



Of　the　spirit　and　magnitude　of　the　canvass　nothing　need　be　said。

The　appeal　was　to　the　people；　and　the　verdict　was　worthy　of　the　tribunal。

Upon　an　occasion　of　his　own　selection；　with　the　advice　and　approval

of　his　astute　Secretary；　soon　after　the　members　of　the　Congress　had　returned

to　their　constituents；　the　President　quitted　the　executive　mansion；

sandwiched　himself　between　two　recognized　heroes；men　whom　the　whole　country

delighted　to　honor；and；　with　all　the　advantage　which　such　company

could　give　him；　stumped　the　country　from　the　Atlantic　to　the　Mississippi；

advocating　everywhere　his　policy　as　against　that　of　Congress。

It　was　a　strange　sight；　and　perhaps　the　most　disgraceful　exhibition

ever　made　by　any　President；　but；　as　no　evil　is　entirely　unmixed；

good　has　come　of　this；　as　from　many　others。　　Ambitious；　unscrupulous；

energetic；　indefatigable；　voluble；　and　plausible；a　political　gladiator；

ready　for　a　〃set…to〃　in　any　crowd；he　is　beaten　in　his　own　chosen　field；

and　stands　to…day　before　the　country　as　a　convicted　usurper；

a　political　criminal；　guilty　of　a　bold　and　persistent　attempt

to　possess　himself　of　the　legislative　powers　solemnly　secured　to　Congress

by　the　Constitution。　　No　vindication　could　be　more　complete；

no　condemnation　could　be　more　absolute　and　humiliating。

Unless　reopened　by　the　sword；　as　recklessly　threatened　in　some　circles；

this　question　is　now　closed　for　all　time。



Without　attempting　to　settle　here　the　metaphysical　and　somewhat

theological　question　（about　which　so　much　has　already　been　said　and　written）；

whether　once　in　the　Union　means　always　in　the　Union；agreeably　to　the　formula；

Once　in　grace　always　in　grace；　it　is　obvious　to　common　sense　that　the

rebellious　States　stand　to…　day；　in　point　of　law；　precisely　where

they　stood　when；　exhausted；　beaten；　conquered；　they　fell　powerless

at　the　feet　of　Federal　authority。　　Their　State　governments　were　overthrown；

and　the　lives　and　property　of　the　leaders　of　the　Rebellion　were　forfeited。

In　reconstructing　the　institutions　of　these　shattered　and　overthrown　States；

Congress　should　begin　with　a　clean　slate；　and　make　clean　work　of　it。

Let　there　be　no　hesitation。　　It　would　be　a　cowardly　deference

to　a　defeated　and　treacherous　President；　if　any　account　were　made　of

the　illegitimate；　one…sided；　sham　governments　hurried　into　existence

for　a　malign　purpose　in　the　absence　of　Congress。　　These　pretended　governments；

which　were　never　submitted　to　the　people；　and　from　participation　in　which

four　millions　of　the　loyal　people　were　excluded　by　Presidential　order；

should　now　be　treated　according　to　their　true　character；　as　shams

and　impositions；　and　supplanted　by　true　and　legitimate　governments；

in　the　formation　of　which　loyal　men；　black　and　white；　shall　participate。



It　is　not；　however；　within　the　scope　of　this　paper　to　point　out

the　precise　steps　to　be　taken；　and　the　means　to　be　employed。

The　people　are　less　concerned　about　these　than　the　grand　end　to　be　attained。

They　demand　such　a　reconstruction　as　shall　put　an　end　to　the　present　anarchical

state　of　things　in　the　late　rebellious　States；where　frightful　murders　and

wholesale　massacres　are　perpetrated　in　the　very　presence　of　Federal　soldiers。

This　horrible　business　they　require　shall　cease。　　They　want　a　reconstruction

such　as　will　protect　loyal　men；　black　and　white；　in　their　persons　and　property；

such　a　one　as　will　cause　Northern　industry；　Northern　capital；　and　Northern

civilization　to　flow　into　the　South；　and　make　a　man　from　New　England

as　much　at　home　in　Carolina　as　elsewhere　in　the　Republic。

No　Chinese　wall　can　now　be　tolerated。　　The　South　must　be　opened

to　the　light　of　law　and　liberty；　and　this　session　of　Congress

is　relied　upon　to　accomplish　this　important　work。



The　plain；　common…sense　way　of　doing　this　work；　as　intimated

at　the　beginning；　is　simply　to　establish　in　the　South　one　law；

one　government；　one　administration　of　justice；　one　condition

to　the　exercise　of　the　elective　franchise；　for　men　of　all　races

and　colors　alike。　　This　great　measure　is　sought　as　earnestly

by　loyal　white　men　as　by　loyal　blacks；　and　is　needed　alike　by　both。

Let　sound　political　prescience　but　take　the　place　of　an

unreasoning　prejudice；　and　this　will　be　done。



Men　denounce　the　negro　for　his　prominence　in　this　discussion；

but　it　is　no　fault　of　his　that　in　peace　as　in　war；　that　in

conquering　Rebel　armies　as　in　reconstructing　the　rebellious　States；

the　right　of　the　negro　is　the　true　solution　of　our　national

troubles。　　The　stern　logic　of　events；　which　goes　directly　to　the

point；　disdaining　all　concern　for　the　color　or　features　of　men；

has　determined　the　interests　of　the　country　as　identical　with

and　inseparable　from　those　of　the　negro。



The　policy　that　emancipated　and　armed　the　negronow　seen　to

have　been　wise　and　proper　by　the　dullestwas　not　certainly　more

sternly　demanded　than　is　now　the　policy　of　enfranchisement。

If　with　the　negro　was　success　in　war；　and　without　him　failure；

so　in　peace　it　will　be　found　that　the　nation　must　fall　or　flourish

with　the　negro。



Fortunately；　the　Constitution　of　the　United　States　knows　no　distinction

between　citizens　on　account　of　color。　　Neither　does　it　know　any　difference

between　a　citizen　of　a　State　and　a　citizen　of　the　United　States。

Citizenship　evidently　includes　all　the　rights　of　citizens；

whether　State　or　national。　　If　the　Constitution　knows　none；

it　is　clearly　no　part　of　the　duty　of　a　Republican　Congress

now　to　institute　one。　　The　mistake　of　the　last　session

was　the　attempt　to　do　this　very　thing；　by　a　renunciation

of　its　power　to　secure　political　rights　to　any　class　of　citizens；

with　the　obvious　purpose　to　allow　the　rebellious　States　to　disfranchise；

if　they　should　see　fit；　their　colored　citizens。　　This　unfortunate　blunder

must　now　be　retrieved；　and　the　emasculated　citizenship　given　to　the　negro

supplanted　by　that　contemplated　in　the　Constitution　of　the　United　States；

which　declares　that　the　citizens　of　each　State　shall　enjoy　all　the　rights

and　immunities　of　citizens　of　the　several　States；so　that　a　legal　voter

in　any　State　shall　be　a　legal　voter　in　all　the　States。







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