The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1866-05-02

Aa A eANssf 48sfs
purpose of preserving the States in the I'm.
ion Of our fathers. [Cheers.] 1t was Tor that
tOiled. Not to break the Government
but to put down the rebellion and preserve
the Union of the States. When the rebel
lion in Massachusetts was put down. did
that put Massachusetts, out of the Union
and destroy the States And when the re
bellion in Pennsy lyania was put down, did
that destroy the State and put i, Gu, of the
Union. So when the receat great rebel
lion was put down. and the Constitution
and laws Of the country restored, the States
esgaged in it stood as part Of the Union
The rebellion being crushed, the laws be-
Ing restored, the Constitution being &C
knowledsed, those States stand in the Un
ion, constituting a part Of the glorious and
bright galaxy Of States. Loud cheers.l
In passing through this ordeal what has
been done: 10 Tennessee. under the di-
rection OF my lamented predecessor, we
commenced the work Of restoration. We
had succeeded before came here in reslor,
ing the relations which had existed between
Tennessee and the rest Of the Union, with
one exception, and that was the relation Of
representation. came to Washington.
and under extraordinary circumstances
succeeded to the Presidential chair. then
proceeded, as had done in my own State.
under the direction Of the Government, to
restore the other States, and how did We
begin:
We find that the people had no courts,
and we said to the Jadges. the District At.
torneys, and Marshals. ego down and hold
your courts. The people need the tribu-
mails of justice to be opened"
The courts we're opened. What else :
We looked out and saw the people there
had no mails. They had been interrupted
and cut of BY the operations of the rebel
lion. We said 10 The Postmaster General
lei the people have mail communication,
and let them begin again to understand
what we all feel and thlak; that we are one
people" We loodek out again and saw
there was a blockade--that the custom
houses we're all closed. We said. "open
the doors of the custom houses and remove
the blockade. Let trade, commerce and
the pursuits ef peace be restored" and it
was done. We thus travelled on step by
step, opening up custom houses, appoint
ing collectors, establishing mail facilities
aud restoring all the relations that had been
intercepted by the rebellion. Has there
been anything undertaken 70 be done hers
that was not authorized by the Consti,u.
tion.
What remained TO be dcnes One other
thing remained TO demonstrate TO the civ
i!ized and pagan world that we had passed
successfully through the third ordeal OF our
national existence and proved that our Go
yernment was perpetual. A great prnci-
Pile was to be restored, which was estat-
lished in our Revolution, when our fathers
were contendmg agains. lhe power Of Grea,
Britain. What was their complaint? They
complained Of taxatiOn without representa-.
tipn. Cheers One Of the great princi-
plies laid down By our fathers and which
fred their hearts, was that there should be
no taxation without representation.
How then does the matter stands Who
has been usurplng powerl Who has beer
defeating the operation of the Constitution.
and what now remains Ia be dons TO CON
pleie the restoration Of these States to al
their former relations under the Federal
Government, aud TO finish the great ordeal
through which we have been passingf Il
is to admit representation. TCheers. And
when We say admitting representation yhai
do We mean ! We mean representation
in the constitutional and law abiding sense.
as was intended at the beginning o. the
Government.
And where does The. power lie ! The
Constitution declares. 10 express terms.
that each House, the Senate and House Of
Representatives, each acting frr i,sslf, shalt
be the judge of the returns OF election and
qualification al its own members. Ii "a
for each House TO settle that question IN.
der the Constitution. and under the solemn
s...s.... .F :. ..sk and San ,rn ol.n.. ,k.1