The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1865-02-14

TUESDAY. FEBRUARY a 1865
Reorganlzslion.


fdent it VIII not discourage the loyal
Ct linens Of the State in the earnest and
active efforts they are now making to
reorgaDizc the State Government They
are determined to do their duty, and
viii insist upon their rights until they
are recrganized By the National Gov
eminent
WAsBNoToy, Feb. 6, 1865.
To len Eorsc: Mqynqrd:
Ny DEAR Sir: Iou will have observed
by the proceedings OF Congress that the
electoral votes Of Tennessee and Lou
isiaua viii be excluded Dext Wednes-
day. upon the grounds set forth in the
preamble Of the resolution II is a for
tunste circumstance that the exclusion
Is made by the political friends Of those
In whose favor the votes would have
been cast, and still more fortunate that
the exclusion does not change the re-
suit But for this last named fact IL
20 cht have become q serious aiiair; or,
more probably, bat for that not have
been done
Having voted against those candi-
day55 (popEiarly speaking) for whom
the electoral votes Of those two States
would have been cast, yet deeply re
greet the action Of Congress in the mqt-
ter FOR the last three years have
given moro thought to the mode and
means Of political restoration than 10
any other feature or element Cf our IN
1r1~.r--r rvDf. F.F1a D ~. -. 49, Z $500.
convinced that such restoration must in
the end be the willing action Of those
that have been, and those that are now
willing TO become loyal I would, IN
every way posslb bic, encourage such to
organize OF r3assume the functions Of
g. loyal state government ] cannot see
that this D. done by refusing to count
L4eir votes p Presidential election.
II remains so be seen whether the same
gentlemen sill equally insist on exclud-
iug the votes Of Tennessee and Louisi-
ana iu the ratification Of the proposed
amendment 20 the Constitution in pro
curing theTcQuirod threefoUrths Of the
States.
You may remember, when we served
together 10 the last session Of the
Thirty. seventh Congress, the earnest
part ! took IN trying to secure the pas
sage Of a law providing for Congress
siolal elections in Tennessee, and nv
efforts in favor Of the admission Of the
Louisiana delegation have seen
nothing 10 change my mind, or cause
me toreEret the position then assumed
il d. that, II a majority Of the people
of the State 20 into rebellion, it is
their wrong, and does not disiranchise
the loyal minority; tLatif the majority
sulleu.y sta % of and take no part in
elections aud in the State governments,
&c is their igches, and the loyal minority
arc. agUrs nd dJzct0, the government
This position cannot be successfully
agsallgd, and 10 assume any other viii
involve MS in endless difficulty. N
0ceu, 1t ls I'D be feared that those who
give as q reason for this exclusion that
there msy have been military inter
ference al the elections, would not
hesitate 10 use Congressional interfer-
euca by the establishment of territorial
IN such States, and i'm
peratively requiring those States to be
organized On given policy.
In lieu Of the resolution that passed,
I offered the following as q substitute:
b Il resolved Jyths Senate ana House Of
BsDrcgeHtztivcs Of the United States If
America IN Congress A5scu5leG That the
votes Of the Presidential electors Of any
Esate she'll DO counted when presented
and verified in the ordinary and legal
method and il is incompetent and i'm
material for Congress TO 20 behind such
veriticatiou, and inquire whether a part
of the citizens Of such State may have
been in rebellion; and all laws and
parts of laws and joint resolutions in
compatible with this are hereby re-
p5aie3
This ls not the case Of a claim TO a
seat, CT "a contested election, where the
House may, IN determining the returns
and qualifications of members, go behind
the certificate and inquire into the
facts This resolution expresses the
law and the sound policy Of this case.
IF we 20 outside the record 20 find
fact upon which % base the exclusion
of the electoral vote of a State, we open
a wide door 10 dangerous and destru0-
tive errors. Mon might differ very
widely as 20 what facts would be suti-
cient 10 justify such a rejection OF the
official and duly verified vote of a State
aud surely nothing in the wide range
of political action could be found bet
ter calculated TO cause strife and blood
shed than such an exclusion, were 10
done under circumstances rendering it
al all material TO the result, or exaspe-
rating TO the feelings Of the people or
party disfranch.5ed. Happily for all
concerned, this instance has none Of
these elements Of disturbance in it,
and the loyal people OF your State
ought not to feel discouraged Though
they may be a little indignantly, bat 20
steadily forward in the great labor of
restoration.
What an anomaly that the vote Of
Tennessee should be excluded upon the
ground that the people of that State,
and the State as such, were at war with
the General Government that therefore
no valid election could be held, and yet
that the electoral vote Of about twenty
other states shOu'j be cast for citizen
OF that State Ii Andrew Johnson is
eligible 10 the Office Of Wee President,
was be not eligible to vote on the 6th
Of November, 1862 and if he we're
eligible 20 vote were not ble thousands
of Others who voted for him and Mr.
Lincoln equally eligible? And if eli
glble and loyal and their votes duly
given, who shall say shat the electors
OF their choice shall not act for them,
though forty thousand Of the sons Of
Tennessee may be ia che ranks of the
COnlederacy2
II there be a doubt about the law Of
the case, ! would give all The benefit Of
thst doubt 10 the Government to the
loyal people of the State, and 10 the
sound policy OF the earliest possible re-
stOraton OF tine State 20 harmonious re-
lstlons with the Union. I would solve
the doubt by adopting the principles of
your llustrious usmesSke in English
history, who was reported the best law
yer Ia hls time certainly the best then
IA the House OF Commons, When he
said that people in q wilderness must
not cry out that they would not travel
except in the kings highway and, IA
the midst of a revolution, We must take
the Furest and best road
Very truly, your friend,
Gro. H. YEAM4N