The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1866-07-28
: Taie Admissaea sryeiassssssss |

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;. Tue Admissaon erTeassssssss ~
:. MESSAGE FROM zHR, fRhsrsSA1s -
Fhefollowing message was reessygd
by the House of Reptesensatissas on
Wednesday, hona,she Pfesidehs:
TO the Hoase Of Representations:
The following <jnint resolution
restoring Tennessee to her relations
to the Union." was last evening pre-
seHted for my approva1: =. :,
Whereas, in the year 1861, the Co
yernment of the State of Tennessee
was seized upon and taken possession
-ofby persons In hostility to- the United
States. and The inhabitants of said
State, In pursuance Of Gn,Act of Con-
gress, were declared to be in a state
Of insnrrection, neainst the United
States; and whereas, the said State
Government can only be restored to
its former political relations IN the
Union by the consent Of the. law
making power Of the United Strtes;
and whereas, the peepIe OF the said
State did, on the 22d day. of Februa-
ry, 1885, by Q large popular votas
oNOk~-o11A AdbAf u OOASGktutlOu ouQ
Government whereby slavery was
abolished, and the ordinances and
laws of secession, and debts contract
ed under the same, were declared null
and void; and whereas, State Go
vernment has been organized under
said Constitution, which has ratified
the amendment to the Constitution of
the United States abolshing slavery,
and also the amendment proposed by
the Thirty-ninth Congress, and has
done other acts .ljroolaiming and de-
noting loyalty; therefore,
BE 1t enacted by the Senate and House
Of Representatives Of the United States,
M Congress assembled, That the State
of Tennessee is hereby restored to
her former practical relations to the
Union, and is again entitled to be
represented by Senators and Repre-
sentatives in Congress-.
The preamble simply consists of
statements-some of which are as
sumed-while the resolution is
merely declaration of opinion. 1t
comprises no legislation, nor does it
confer any power which is binding
upon the respective Houses, the Exc
cutive or the States. It does not ad-
NIT to their seats in Congress the
Senators and Representatives from
the State of Tennessee; for, notwith-
standing the passage of the resolu-
ton, each House, in the exercise of
the constitutional right to Judge for
itself of the elections, returns and
qualifications of its members, may, at
its discretion, admit them, or CONT
nue. to exclude them. If joint reso-
luton of this character were necessa-
ry and binding as condition
precedent to the admission of mem
bcrs of Congress, it would happen, in
the event of a veto by the Executive,
that Senators and Representatives
could only be admitted to the halls
of legislation by a thirds vote of
each of the two Houses.
Among other reasons rccited in the
preamble for the declarations con-
tanned in the resolution, is the ratifi-
cation, by the State Government of
Tennessee, of ''theamendment to the
Constitution Of the United States
abolishing slavery, and also the
amendment proposed by the thirty
ninth Congress. If, as is also de-
clared in the preamble, ''said State
Government can only be restored to
its former political relations in the
Union by the consent of the law
making power of the United States, -
it would really seem to follow that
the joint reso 'ution which, at this late
day, has received the sanction of
Congress, should have been passed,
approved and placed on the statute
books before any amendment to the
| Constitution was submitted to the
Legislature of Tennessee for ratifica-
tion. Otherwise, the inference is
plainly deducible, that while, i'm the
opinion of Congress, the people of a
State may be too strongly disloyal to
be entitled to representation, they
may, nevertheless, during the suspen-
sion OF their ''former practical rela-
tions to the Union" have an equally
potent voice with other and loyal
States in propositions to amend the
Constitution, upon which so essen
TALLY depend the ability, prosperity
and very existence of the nation.
A brief reference TO nv annual
message of the 4th of December last.
will show the steps taken by the Ex-
ecutlve for the restoration to their
constitutional relations to the Union
of fhn Sk1% L L