Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1866-07-26
Tennessee In the Union.

In the admission of Tennessee, Congress
has given proof Of its sincere desire to re.
store their forfeited privileges 20 the Rebel
States, the moment il Is convinced Of their
loyalty. Thefact silences countless sianderers
Because Of its steadast determination to ad
nit no represe entatives from Southern States
which refuse TO comply With the very mvder-
ate conditions imposed BY the loyal people,
Congress has been persistently accused ofa
desire to prevent the restoration ofthe Union.
Those who have affirmed the falsehood,
who have declared that the Rebel States,
by the mere act of laying down their arms,
resumed all the legal rights they repudiated
when they rebelled, are responsible for all
our present troubles. Though Congress has
not taken the boldest and best position, its
policy. had 1t not been interfered with,
would long before this have had frem other
Southern States the same Endorsement Ten
nessee has SO gloriously given. One year
ago the great difficulty ofreconstruction was
simpli6ed by the submission OF Rebels to the
Government; now the North is threatened
with the loss of everything it fought for,
solely because Northern treachery has en-.
couraged the South to defy and despise its
conquerors The people may we'll be sick
at heart when they think of what they have
lost.
But the Congressional integrity has not
been in vain; some light breaks in upon
this gloom. 1t has constrained, by the pure
force of its purpose, Tennessee to accent the
conditions it presented Constrained, we
say, not that the loyal men Of Tennessee
were opposed to the Constitutional Amend
ment, for they, on the contrary, held it's
adoption indispensable to the honor of their
State, but that powerful minority, aided
by the influence of the President of the
United States, tried with every energy to
make Tennessee stand side by side with
South Carolina. Alllegislation was stopped,
that the want OF quorum might prevent
action on the Amendment. 1t was in vain.
The resolution of Congress to submit to no
further compromise, and the indignation of
the loyal people, have proved irresistible,
and if Congress remains true to itself, its
moral force must act in the end with equal
success upon every Southern State.
| The prompt admission ofTenn essee is the
strongest possible assurance to the South,
that Congress- is ready to redeem its pledges.
Had Mr.: Bingha,n's resolution been reject.
ed. the loyal people of Tennessee, who Sc
ardeDtly desire representation, would have
had reason to complain OF bad faith. Ii
was well understood that in the case of Ten
| HeSsec thc duUpIlOn Vi tne hmeDument I'm
piled admission to Congress That was the
last proof of her loyalty that could fairly be
required. The conviction appears to have
disarmed the opposition in the House, and
even Mr.. Stevens, who on Thursday so stub
bornly used all his parliamentary resources
to defeat the resolution, changed his mind
and voted for it on Friday. The twelve
votes against ii are merely scattering, aud
have no party significance, only stern de.
voton to principle; and when We consider
the ferocious opposition the Congressiona
plan of reconstruction has met, we can hard
| ly rejoice too much in this triumph. A,
last, one of the States that actually secedec
in 1861. has been fully and houorabIy restor
ed to its position in the Union.
Thus, while every day brings new proc
that the policy of the President leads tc
nothing but confusion and tr,uble. We see
in the peaceful admission of Tennessee thu
natural results Of the principles which Con
gress would enforce. N. Y. Tribune.