The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1866-07-26
TEN N - s s EE,
Message from the President
The Joint Resolution Signed.

| .
dent this morning transmitted the an
nexed message, named:
| To the House, of Representa- dtiVeS :-The
following joint resolution restoring
Tennessee to her relations to the Union
was last evening presented for my Rp-
proval: 'tWhereas, In the year 1861
the Government ofthe State OF Tennest
see was seized upon and taken possess
sion OF by her sons in hostility to the
United States, and the inhabitants of
said State, in pursuance TO an act of
Congress, were declared to be in a state
| OF 1nsurrectiOn against the United
States; and whereas, said State govern
ment can only be restored to its former
political relations in the Union by the
consent of the law making power of the
United States and wheI eas, the people
of said State did, on the 22d day of Feb
ruary, 1865, by large popular vote,
| adopt and ratify a constitution and
government whereby slavery was abol-
ished and all ordinances and laws of
secession, and debts contraSted under
the same, were declared null and void !;
and whereas, a State Government has
been organized under said constitution,
which has ratified the amendment to
the constitution of the United States
| abolishing slavery, and also the amend
ment proposed by the Thirty-ninth Con-
gress, and has done other acts proclaim
ing and declaring loyalty, therefore, be
| 1t sn5f-'-S s-.1t : gd-l,- ar"
"IPesolved, By the Senate and House
of Representatives OF the United States,
In 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 Representatives in
Congress-" -@EIsF
The preamble consists simply of
| statements, some of which are assumed,
while the resolution is merely decla-
| ration of opinion 1t comprises no
Legislation, nor does it confer any pow
er which is binding upon the respect
i've Houses, the Executive, or the
States. 1t does not admit TO their seats
in Congress, the Senators and Repre-
sentatives from the State of Tennessee,
for, notwithstanding the passage ofthe
resolution, each House, in the exercise
| of the constitutional right to Judge for
| itself of the election returns and Quali-
| tications of its members, may, at its
discretion, admit them or continue to
exclude them. 1fa joint resolution of
the character were necessary, and pend
ing as Rprecedent to the admission of
members of Congress, it would happen
In the event ofa veto by the Executive,
that Senators and Representatives
could only be admitted to the halls of
Congress by two-thirds vote OF each
of the two Houses. 7---r.f
ESdSOuS Eeau rGn9
amble for the declarations contained in
the resolution, is the ratification by the
State Government of Tennessee of the
amendment to the Constitution of the
United States abolishing slavery, and
also, the amendment proposed by the
Thirty-ninth Congress. If, as Is also
declared 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 pow-
er of the United States, it would really
seem to follow that the joint resolution,
which. at this late day has received the
sanction of Congress, should have
the statute books before any amend
ment to the Constitution was su omitted
to the Legislature of Tennessee for rabi-
tication, otherwise the inference is
plainly deducible that while in the
opinion of Congress the people of a
State may be too strongly disloyal to
be entitled to representation, they may,
nevertheless, during the suspension OF
their former practical relations to the
Union, have an equally potent voice
with other and loyal States in propo-
sition to amend the Constitution upon
which so essentially depend the stabili-
ty, prosperity and very existence of the
nation. IDS f..,.,r,.
A brief reference to my annual mes
sage of the 4th of December last, will
show the steps taken by the Executive
for the restoration to their constitution
alrelations of the States that had been
affected by the rebellion. Upon the
cessation of active hostilities, provis-
ional governors were appointed, con-
ventions called, governors elected by
the people, legislatures assembled, and
senators and representatives chosen to
the Congress of the United States. AT
the same time the Courts of the United
States were re-opened, the blockade re-
moved, the Custom Houses re-estab-
lished, and postal operations resumed.
The amendment to the. constitution
| abolishing slavery forever within the
limits of the United States was also
submitted to the States. and they were
thus invited to, and did, participate in
a ratification, thus exercising the high
est functions pertaining to State. In
addition, nearly all of these States,
through their conventions and Legisla-
tures, had adopted and ratified consti-
tuttons of government whereby slavery
was abolished, and all ordinances and
laws of secession, and debts contracted
under the same, were declared
null and void. So far, then,
the political existence of the States,
and their relations to the Fed
eral Government had been fully
and completely, recognized and ac-
knowledged by the Executive Depart
ment of the Government, and the COM
| pletion of the work of restoration which
had progressed SO favorably, was sub
mitted to Congress, upon which de-
volyed all questions pertaining to the
admission to their seats'of the Senators
and Representatives chosen from the
States, whose people were engaged in
therebellion. All these steps had been
taken when, on the fourth day of De-
cember, 1866, the Sgth Congress assem-
bled. Nearly eight months have
elapsed since that time, and no other
plan having been proposed by Congress
for the measures instituted by the Ex-
ecutive, 1t is now declared in the Joint
resolution submitted for my approval
that the State of Tennessee is hereby
restored to her former political reIa-
tions to the Union, and Is again enti-
tied to be represented by Senators and
Representatives in Congress-. 20
Thus, after the lapse of nearly eight
months, Congress proposes to pave the
way 70 the admission of the Represen
tativeS of one of the eleven States
rebellion against the Constitutional au-
thorfty of.the Federal government.
| Earnestly desiring to relieve every.
cause OF further delay, whether real or
| imaginary cnithe part OF Congress, to
the admission to seats ofloyal Senators
and Representatives from the State of
Tennessee, ! have, Notwithstanding
the anomalous character of this pro.
ceeding, afaxed my signature to the
resolution. My approval, however, is
not to be construed as an RcknoWIedg-
ment of the right of Congress to pass
laws preliminary to the admission of
duly qualified RepTessntatlyes from
any OF the States. Neither Is II to be