Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1866-06-29
Report Of the Committee on
Reconstruction.

for 1t Is us vollminous as the annual mes
sage of long-windcd President. We
therefore, give the latter part of it. which
embodies tbe res,,lt of tho Comr,;,toe..
;avestiuo,io, and ,b /, co,o,,s;o,s 4 a,,.;,.,. u,
- .,'7 -, c.., a.., ':a.:..,
"'' ..'' 'io ''o'' anu p'"'e'p'o'
appiieapie' Ill the estllnate OF the ooinn't
tee, to the States lately in rebellion. We
defer comment: -
If we add to this evidence the fact, Tin,
although peae. has been declared by the
President, he has not. to this day, deemed
it safe to restore the writ Of habcas corpus
to relieve the ihsurrectionary States OF
martial law, nor TO withdraw the troops
from many localities and that the com.
imandinc general deems an increase of the
army INDISPENSABLE to the preservation of
order and the protection of loyal and well
disposed people in the South, the proof of q
condition offcclinr hostile to the Union and
dangerous to the government throughout
the insurreetionary States would seem to
be overwhelming.
With such evidence before them it is the
opinion of vour Committee.
|. That the States lately i'm rebellion
were at the close of the war disorganized
communities, without civil coyernment'and
without constitutions or other forms, i'm yir-
tue of which political relations could legal
" exist between them and the Federal gov
erpnent.
| II. That Congress cannot be expected
to recognize as valid the election Gf men
from disorranized communities, which,
from the very nature of the case, were un-
able to present their claims to representa-
tion under those established and recognized
rules. the observance of which las been
bithnrto' roouiired
III. Tliat Congress- would not he iusti-
fed in admittinr snch communities to n par.
ticipation in the government of the caun-
try without first providing such constitu-
fiona, or other GUARANTEES as will tend to
secure tl,c civil rights of all citizens of the
republ G, n lust eTuality of rcprescntation
prntcction araiust claims fouuhed in rebel
| lion and crime. temporary restriction of
the rirht of suffrage to those who have ac-
tiyely participated in the effort to DESTROY
tbc Truj,,u. and tho exclusion from positions
of nublic trust of mt least n norton o, those
whose crimes had proved them enemies of
tle Union and unworthy of public conf
drnce.
Your COMMITTEES will, perlaps hardly be
deemed cycusable for extending this report
! further hut inasmuch is immediate and up-
conditional representation of tho States
I,telr in r.he,liou is demanded as n matter
of RIGHT, and DELAY and even hesitation is
denounced AS grossly oppressive and unjust,
rs we'll As unwise and ilnpolitic, i, may not
he amiss araip to call attention to a few un
dsnutel and notorious facts, and the pr II.
ciples of rublie law applicable thereto, in
order ,lni the propripty' or that claim may
I o fplly considered and well understood.
The State of Tennessee occupics a posi
tiou distinct from all the other iusurrcction-
arv States. and has been the subject of a
separate report. which vour committee have
not thought expcdient to disturb. Wheth-
or couorc,s shall see fit to make that State
the subicct of separats. action or to include
il in tle same catcrory with all others. so
far rs concern the imposition ofpreliminary
conditions it is not within the province Of
tins committee either to determine or advise
10 ascertain whether all the 80 called
confederate States care entitled to be rep
resented in either house of Courrcss' the
essential inquiry is whether there is in any
one of them a constituency qualified t. be
reprrsrutcl in Congress. The question
how far persons claiming seats IN either
bousc possess the credentials necessary to
.,u,lAei iI.rln T.. rcpr9seut n duly qualified
constituency is one for the consideration of
each house separately after the preliminary
question shall have been finally determined.
Wonow proposc to rcstatc as briefly AS
posslble the general facts and yrinciplcs
npplicable 10 tic States recently in rebellion
First. The seats of the senators and
rcprcseuta,iyes from the so called cou(eder
ate STATES became vacant in the year 1851
durjur the second session of the NNNVIth
CONGRESS-. by the voluntary withdrawal of
their incumhents with the sanction and bv
the direction of the legislature. or conycn-
lions of their respective States, This was
done AS "A hostile act against tic Constitu-
tion and Government of the United States.
Will, Il Il clarel intent to overthrow the
same hy formipr n .San,Lem confederation
.This act of declared hostility WAS snccd
ilv followed hv an organization of the same
States iuto ronfadefacv which levied and
wared war by sea and land and against the
JTnitr1 States. This was continued fo,
more Than four wears, within wIi,ch time tn,
rebel armies hcsicred the national canital
invaded thc loyal States burned th,ir towns
and cities. robbed their citizens, dcstrovrd
n,nr,. tL,u go OOO lnvnI .nld;.rs and mn.
nnSeJ NJ, increased national burden If no
Inss than 81. 400. 600 600. of which seyn,
ar e;rht hundred millions have ALREADY bee,
met and pad. .
4, -, .,