The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-02-27

What, then, Ia the fault Of the majority in
Congress, that it should be hkened to Sfdelf and
.Toofnbs and Jeif. Davis, and ACCUSED Of kindred
treasonY Is IL not clearly assumed that Con
gress has right to pause, 70 consider to In yes
tipate, but is bound to admit or reject delega-
irons as the President shall dctate-to "extend
TO them the right hard Of fellowship at what
ever moment he shall indicate-to receive his
word as law, and defer to him as the sole auto
Surely II must be obvious that Congress can.
not so act Without abdcating its functions and
stultfylng its past record. For there Is O. law
on the statute-book which expressly excludes
from either House any and every person who
has voluntarily aided the Rebellion, and exacts
of each solemn aduration that he has never
done so. This must be repealed II ex-RebelS are
to be admitted; gnd Il Is absurd 70 talk OF ad-
even beginning of restoration To admit
tlese, while excluding Others will nowise pacify,
nor satisfy, no placate "the South;" on the con-
trary, il will intensity her discomfort. The vital
question concerns the admission Of ex-Rebels;
this she demands, and this she Will have or all
goes Tor nothing or worse.
And, not only does law stand in. its way,
but the Constituton-which those who lately
renounced now profess to adore-seems to us TO
present an embarrassment IL not q positive OBJ
stacle. We are quite aware that Art. XIII
(Amendment), though adopted by twothirds of
both Houses OF CONGRESS, and printed in many
editions OF the Constitution, was ratified by
twelve States Only, al time when we had
eighteen, and therefore is not, in words, part
OF the FUNDAMENTAL AWs III H. were, the case
would be decided, since 1t provides that
"If any citizen OF the United States shall accept,
CLAIM receive retain any title Of nobility honor,
or shall, without the consent of Congress, accept
and retain any present pension Office or emotttent
OF dny kind 1hseeUef, from any emperor king,
price or Foreign Rosoer such person shall cease to
pable Of holding any office of trust or profit under
| them, or either ol them"
We say this is not in terms the fundament tai
law, but its spirit Is there. Article /, section 2,
nrfh hat No hall ho
| iative who shall not have been seven
years q citizen of the United States;" and section
| 3, 'No person shall be a Senator who shall not
haye been fSr nine years cltizen OF
| the United States.n Now, we will assent that o
liberal, generous construction may allow those
| who have been for years fighting to divide and
| overthrow the United States to have been ''citi
| zens" all the times but all this is matter of in
| quiry and adjudication; and ne is not necessa-
rily traitor disunionlst who holds tn st those
| who-like Judge Monroe, of Kentucky, or Gus
tavus W. Smith, of this city--renounced theil
| country, and became voluntary subjects oil 8
| foreign, hostile power, should undergo some
sort OF probation, If not purgation, to qualify
| them to sit in Congress- and vote to pay or repu
diate the national war debt.
| We reprobate, therefore, as the whole country
has already reprobated, the terms wherein the
President saw tit to characterize leading mem
bers of Congress, who derive their main import
ance from the TACT that they are in substantial
accord with large majority OF either House
The public press, with scarcely whisper o
dissent, reproved Mr.. sumner when he spok'
of decorous message from the President as
embarrassing" document Such was not d.
language wherein to characterize a respectful
communication from the National Executive.
In the same spirit, the country deplores anC
condemns the terms wherein the President SPOKE
last Thursday of eminent memoers of Congress
Whoever is right, whoever is wrong, on th'
main points at issue, Congress is an lntegta
and very important portion of the Government
and is acting within its proper sphere in care
fully investigating the condition of the State
lately in revolt before admitting their represen
tatlves TO seats.
We shall be very glad to chronicle an earl!
conclusion of the scrutiny and an early admis
sion of loyal members to seats provided alway
that satisfactory guarantees are given tor thu
treatment of the freedmen as citizens, entitled
TO all the rights of manhood. On this point, thu
nations faith is pledged and it must not b.
broken. To leave the blacks at the mercy 0
those who hate them because they we're Union
lists, and were victorious, would be treacher,
and base ingratitude. We cannot afford to trus
the vague promises Of those who deny them evel
the unqualified right to testify in courts o
Justice, and who scout every suggestion thai
blacks as well as whites are entitled to the bene
ut OF the principle, "No taxation without repre-
sentation.n General amnesty, impartial sutfrag
such are the true, equable bases of benet
cert enduring State restoration and nationa
| reconstruction. I.