The Sun.
London, England, 1866-12-17 00:00:00

PROGRESS OF RESTORATION.

In my Message of the 4th of December, 1865,
Congress was informed of the measures which had
been instituted by the Executive with a view to the
gradual restoration of the States in which the in-
surrection occurred to their relations with the
General Government. Provisional governors had
been appointed, Conventions called, Governors
elected, Legislatures assembled, and Senators and
Representatives chosen to the Congress of the United
States. Courts bad been opened for the enforce-
ment of laws long in abeyance. The blockade had
been removed, custom-houses re-established, and
the internal revenue laws put in force, in order that
the people might contribute to the national income.
Postal operations had been renewed, and efforts
were being made to restore them to their former
condition of efficiency. The States themselves had
been asked to take part in the high function of
amending the Constitution, and of thus sanctioning
the extinction of African slavery as one of the legi-
timate results of our internecine struggle. Having
progressed thus far, the Executive Department
found that it had accomplished nearly all that was
within the scope of its Constitutional authority.
One thing, however, yet remained to be done before
the work of restoration could be completed, and
that was the admission to Congress of loyal Senators
and Representatives from the States whose people
bad rebelled against the lawful authority of the
General Government. This question devolved upon
the respective Houses, which, by the Constitution,
are made the judges of the elections, returns, and
qualifications of their own members ; and its con-
sideration at once engaged the attention of Congress.
In the meantime the Executive Department--no
other plan having been proposed by Congress—con-
tinued its efforts to perfect, as far as was practic-
able, the restoration of the proper relations between
the citizens of the respective States, and
the Federal Government, extending, from time to
time, as the public interests seemed to require, the
judicial, revenue, and postal systems of the coun-
try. With the advice and consent of the Senate,
the necessary officers were appointed, and appro-
priations made by Congress for the payment of their
salaries. The proposition to amend the Federal
Constitution, so as to prevent the existence of
slavery within the United States or any place
subject to their jurisdiction, was ratified by the re-
quisite number of States ; and on the 18th day of
December, 1865, it was officially declared to have
become valid as a part of the Constitution of the
United States. All of the states in which the in-
surrection had existed promptly amended their Con-
stitutions, so as to make them conform to the great
change thus effected in the organic law of the land ;
declared null and void all ordinances and laws of
secession, repudiated all pretended debts and obli-
gations created for the revolutionary purposes of
the insurrection ; and proceeded, in good faith, to
the enactment of measures for the protection and
amelioration of the condition of the coloured race.
Congress, however, ytt hesitated to admit any of
these States to representation ; and it was not until
towards the close of the eighth month of the session
that an exception was made in favour of Tennessee
by the admission of her senators and representatives.

THE COURSE OF CONGRESS DEPRECATED.
I deem it a subject of profound regret that Con-
gress has thus far failed to admit to seats loyal sena-
tors and representatives from the other States,
whose inhabitants, with those of Tennessee, had
engaged in the rebellion. Ten States—more than
one-fourth of the whole number—remain without
representation. The seats of fifty members in the
House of Representatives and of twenty members in
the Senate are yet vacant—not by their own con-
sent, not by a failure of election, but by the refusal
of Congress to accept their credentials. Their ad-
mission, it is believed, would have accomplished
much toward the renewal and strengthening ~.
of our
and removed serious cause
relations as one people,
for discontent on the part of the inhabitants of those
States. It would have accorded with the great
principle enunciated in the Declaration of American
Independence, that no people ought to bear the
burden of taxation, and yet be denied the right of
representation. It would have been in consonance
with the express provisions of the Constitution that
" each State shall have at least one representative,
and " that no State, without its consent, shall be
deprived of its equal suffrage in the Senate." These
provisions were intended to secure to every State,
and to the people of every State, the right of repre-
sentation in each House of Congress ; and so im-
portant was it deemed by the framers of the Con-
stitution that the equality of the States in the
Senate should be preserved, that not even by the
amendment of the Constitution can any State, with-
out its consent, be denied a voice in that branch of
the National Legislature.