Abbeville press. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1860-1869, 1866-12-07

not oy failure of election; but by the
refusal Of Congress TO accept their creden-
tlals. Their admission, it is believed,
would have accomplished much towards
the removal and strengthening Of our re.
latiohs as one people, and removed Sc
rious cause for discomfort on the part of the
inhabitants Of those States. 1t would have
accorded with tho great principles enunc-
ated IN the declaration of American indie.
dendecs-that no people ought to bear the
burden of taxation, aud yet he denied the
right of representation. It would have
been in consonance with the express pro.
vision Of the Constitution-that each State
should haveat least one rspreser tatve and
no State, without Its consent, shall be de
prvsd of its equal suffrage in the Senate.
These provisions were intended TO every
State, and to the people Of every State,
the right of representation in each H Hnse
OF Congress and 50 important was it deem
ed by the trainers Of the Constitution. that
the equality of the States in the Senate
should be preserved, that not even by an
amendment Of the Constitution can any
State, without its consent, be denied a
v"ce in that branch Of the National Leg.
'sature. 1t ls true, it has been assumed
! that the existence of the States was ter
! minated by tho rebrllious acts of their
l"hahitants, and that the insurrection hav-
lnS been suppressed, they were thencefor-
ward to be considered merely az conquered
territories. The legislative, executive, 'and
Judicial departments Of The Government
have, however, with great distnctness and
uniform consistency, refused to ss notion an
assumption SD inc 'mpatble with the ma
ture OF our republican system, and with
the pro!essed objects Of the war, through
out the recent legislation Of Congress,
the un!enah!e fact male itself apparent
that thess ten political communities. are
nothing less than S;s'cs of th;, Uuon.
a the very commencement o! the roho-
lion, each House declared, with unanam>
ity as remarkable as it was significant.
that the war was not waged upon our
part in any spirit of oppression, nor for
any purpose Of conquest and subjngation,
nor purp.'se Of overlhrowiug or inte,fer
ing with the rights or es.aLli ,ed institutions
Of those St alcs, but to defend and MAINTAIN
the supremacy os the Constitution, and
all laws male in Pursuance thereof. and t.,
preserve the Union with all the dignity
equality and the rights of the severyl
States IN impaired and that IS soon IA
these objects were accomplished, the war
ought to cease. In some instances, Sen.
ators were allowed to continue tn ,ir leg
islative functions, while in other instances,
representatives, were elected and admitted
to their seats after their States had for.
mally declared their right to withdraw
from the Union, and were endeevoring to
MAINTAIN that right by force of arma.
All OF the States whose people were in
insurrec,ion as States, were Included in
the apportionment of the direct tax of
s2o'ooo,0oo annually laid upon the Uni
ted States by the Act approved august 5,
1851. Congress by the Act of March 4,
1882, and by the apporlionment Of repre-
sentation Hereunder, also recognized their
presence as States in the Uniou, and they
have for judicial purposes, been divided into
districts as States alone can be divided
The same recognition appears in the re-
cent legislation in reference to Tennessee
which evidently rests upon the fact that the
functions Of the State were not DESTROYED
by the rebellion, but merely suspe udeI; and
that principle is, of course, applicable to
those States which, like Tennessee, attempt
ed to renounce their places 10 the Jaion.
The action of tho Executive Depa rtmeut of
the Government upon this subject has been
equally definite and pnifo,m, and the pur-
pose of the war was: specifically stated iuss
the proclamation issued by my predeces-
sor, on the 22d of September, 1852. 1t
was then solemnly proclaimed and declared
that hereaftes as here ofore, the war, will
be Prosecuted for The objcc. Of practically
restoring the Constitutional relation be-
tween the United States and zach Of the
States, and the people thereof, in which
States abst:relation is, o, may be,; suspen.
dcd or disturbed. The recognition Of the
States bysb Judicial Department of The
Government has also been clear and con
ssasiss 10 all Proceedings affecting them ss
STATE, had in the Supreme Circuit and
Di:tsles ee.itt.,g ID BE 4dmpsiop of ,sSeu;
a.o's and Representatives from any and sil
o. the e'a.eaasaiere gao be no just ground
OF apprehso''on.ssat persons who are dis
loyal riif be- closhea Nth ,ha nove,. oe