The Cleveland leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1865-1865, 1865-07-18
DAILY LEADER.
TUESDAY, JULY Is, 1865.
The Next House Of Representatives..
Mr. Kendell Phillins has recantlv. hv

: letters and speeches, been engaged il
= = warning the people Of the great DANCE
, that the rebel States may organize ant
elect members of Congress before the tim,
arrives for its meeting, snd that thes'
Southern delegates, by the, eonnivance o.
the clerk of the House of Representative
may get into Congress without sgresing K
the anti-slAVery amendment or any Other
conditions. Once being in, Mr.. Phillips
argues that they will assume the bslsnce
of power in that body, rule matters with q
high hand, and perhaps repudiste the
National, or assume the Confederate, debt.
"The whole North" says Mr.. Phillips,
"sbOuld be aroused to guard against this
danger" ya.f
Itis well that the North should be
Watchful and vigilsnt in so delicate and
important matter as the reconstruction
of the rebel StHtes, but this feeling will not
justify the raising of false alarms And Mr..
Phillips fears Sre, it seems to us, entirely
groundless. In the first place it will be
utterly impossible for single rebel State
TO hurry up her work of organization, in
accordance with the forms prescribed by
the Presidents reconstruction proelams-'
tions, in time to present representatives
for admission at the opening of the next
Congress. In accordance with the terms
of these proclamstions each Provisional
Governor must issue his proclamation SET
ting day in which an election shall be
held for members of Constitutional Con
v3ntion. The results of that election must
be made known, and the delegates to the
convention convened. The. convention
must amend and modify the State Consti.
tuition, that Constitution must besubmitted !
to the people, time must be given them TO
discuss and consider If, it must be voted on,
and if adopted, the result must be an
nounced and an election for State officers
and members of Congress held under if.
All these steps, each of them requiring
months, for the wheels of our complex sys-
tenn move slowly, must be taken before the
representatives of the reconstructed States
can knock fol. admission at the doors of
Congress. Even when all this is done, as
we understand it, Congress must approve
these new Constitutions before they become
operative just as in the case of new States
But even if this were not SO, the process of
reconstruction which we have marked cut
even in times Of peace, would take twelve
% develop, and it is absolutely impossible
hat 1t should be accomplished in the four
months intervening between this time and
he meeting of the next Congress.
In the second place, even should repre-
from the Southern States, duly
'lected, stand at the door of Congress on
he first Monday of December nA-4, orav-
ng sdmissio,.I-sn set of Congress, ap-
proved July l, 1862, would bar them at /,
he threshold. It is as follows: '"
(" Every person elected or appointed to
ny office of honor or profit under the gov
rnment of the United States, shall, before
Dterlng upon the duties OF such Office, =
ske and subscribe to the foIlowipg, aa4h :
A. D., ~ sUlemnIy swear that l have {
ever voluntarily borne arms against I
be United States since I have been .
citizen thereof; that have vol {
ntsrily given no aid, countenRnce {
ounsel or encouragement TO persons en-
sged in armed hostility thereto that :
ave neither sought nor accepted, nor at
smpted TO exercise the functiors of any :
flee whatever, under any authority or :
authority in hostility to, the :
United States that have not yielded
support TO any pretended gov !
rnment, authority, power or constitution
1ithin the United States, hostile, or inim- !
,sl thereto, 60 help me God
No authority can repeal or suspend Jhss
litigation to take this oath, and itshuts 5
ut every rebel aahersnt from Congress.
wen supposing Mr.. Mcpherson, the clerk
f the House, q devoted and unflinching =
Jnionist and snti-slavery man, capable of s
lsciBg the names of former rebels on the
oils, no one of them could tske this oath,
nd they would be debsrred the rights and
uties of members.
But even should all these forms be gone :
trough with, all these Safeguards broken /
yer, and supposing the representatives of !
he Southern States force themselves into
congress, and sit there solid phalAnx,
pposed to the Govsrnment-they are still ,
owerless. Under the present spportion- I
lent and laws of Congress, the total number {
fmembers in the House of Representatives,
lcluding delegates from the seeded States,
242. OF these, $50 have been elected, :
nd 144 of them belong 20 the Union party. :
Imposing the States of Kentucky and Me-
ada should elect solid opposition delegs-
ons, supposing every Southern State {
hould do the same, and suPPOsing that
hese men were AIl in Congress ami acting |
4 complete harmony with North ern Dem
cats in that body, they would bePowerless
D pass OF prevent the passage of single !
MEASURE, if the Union men are united
heir total strength, even in that case
Tould be only 98, leaving clear majority
or the Union party of 46. Mr.. Phillips
larm is therefore foolish and groundlessl