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peace and good order within their limits,
true as matter of fact?
It is not denied that the States in question
each of them an actual government, with a 
powers, executive, judicial and legislative,
properly belong to a free State. They are
ized like the other States of the 
and, like them they make, administer
execute the laws which concern their domes
fairs. An existing [[italics]] de facto [[/italics]] government, ex
ing such functions as these, is itself the law
State upon all matters within its jurisdiction
pronounce the supreme law-making power
established State illegal, is to say that law
is unlawful.
The provisions which the e governments
made for the preservation of order, the su
sion of crime, and the redress of private in
are in substance and principle the same as
which prevail in the Northern States and in
civilized countries. They certainly have
ceeded in preventing the commission of all
nor has this been accomplished aywhere
world. There, as well as elsewhere, of
sometimes escape for want of vigorous p
tion, and occasionally, perhaps, by the 
ciency of courts or the prejudice of jurors
undoubtedly true that these evils have bec
increased and aggravated, North and Sou
the demoralizing influences of civil war,
the rancorous passions which the contest
gendered. But that these people are main
local governments for themselves which ha
defeat the object of all government and
their own lives and property insecure, is
utterly improbable, and the averment of
to that effect is not supported by any
which has come to my knowledge. All th
mation I have on the subject convines
the asses of the Southern people and the
control their public acts, while they 
diverse opinions on questions of Federal
are completely united in the effort to reo
their society on the basis of peace, and to
their mutual prosperity as rapidly and
pletely as their circumstances will permit
The bill, however, would seem to show
face that the establishment of peace and go
is not its real object. The firth section
that the preceding sections shall cease to 
in any State where certain events shall ha
pened. These events are, first, the sele
delegates to a State convention by an ele
which negrees shall be allowed to vote.
the formation of a State consititution
State Constitution of a provision which will
the right of voting at all elections to negro