Fremont journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County [Ohio]) 1853-1866, 1866-04-20

she'll; and il is perfectly clear in nv mind that
every consideration Of policy and justice and
the good Of the whole country require that Con-
gress, without unnecessary delay, should Tecog-
nize the loyal government Of Tennessee by sd
mittiDg her Senators and Representatives into
Congress, aud that that government should be
sustained by all the influence and power of the
national Government. .lss5.s ~
Believing, as | do, the case of Tennessee
ought TO be decided upon its own merits, with
out reference TO any conditions which might be
thought necessary 10 prescribe for any other OF
the States lately in rebellion, have drawn up
resolution which, think, meets the case, and
contains all that is necessary, and which pro-
pose to offer as substitute for the committee s
resolutions if | have an opportunity. 1t re-
cites the facts stated in the resolution of the
committee, and is in strict accordance with the
concurrent resolution Of the two branches OF
Congress, which reads as follows:
RssOped By lks House Of Reprssentatipes 1.-THE Sem
ate coucurrng) That in order 10 close agitation upon
question which seems likely to disturb the action of the
oEernment ss well as TO quiet the uncertainty which
sagtaug the people of the eleven States which have
been declared 70 be in Senator Repre-
sentative shall be admitted into either branch of Con-
gress from any Of the said States until Congress shall
have declared such State entitled to representation"
Now, sir, according to this resolution, all that
is necessary, is for Congress to declare that the
State OF Tennessee is entitled to representation
in the Congress of the United States. Ny res
Olution goes further and recites the facts upon
which that declaration is founded, and declares
that the people of Tennessee are found TO
be in condition to exercise the functions of a
State within this Union. ask that the resolu-
ton may be read. -'
The Clerk read, as follows: Hca
Resolved by the Senate and House of RsprsssnfGtves
of Uated States of america IN C0Hgress assembled
That whereas the people of Tennessee did on the 2d day
af Tah hva rvOta
iy aconstutonof government. republican, in FORM and
not Inconsistent with the Constitution and laws OF the
zed under the provisions thereof and which said pro-
visions aud laws passed In pursuance thereof excluded
those who have been engaged IN reoeon against tne
United States from the exercise Of the elective franchise
for the respective periods Of time therein provided for
and forever prohibit the State of Tennessee from assum
ing paying any debt obligation contracted or In
cared in aid Of the lAte rebellion which said constu
tonAi proVsions and laws passed in pursuance thereof
proclaim and denote loyalty the Union and whereas
the people Of Tennessee have made known to the Con-
gess of the United States their desire thSt the cons
tntional relations heretofore existing between them and
the United States be fully established and said
pie found to bs in condition to exercise the fune
tions Of State within this Union: therefore,
The State of Tennessee is hereby declared entitled to
representation in the Congress Of the United Sttea in
accordance with the Consultation and laws thereof.
Mr.. BUCKLAND. Mr.. Speaker, this is a
Joint resolution, and if passed by Congress will
require the approval of the President, and is
founded upon the principle that il requires the
action of the Legislative power of the Govern
me1t 10 admit representation into the Congress
of the Unite1 States from States which have
been in rebellion against the national Govern
ment. Is not this enough, at least as regards
Tennessee2 1t seems to me that every one
really desirOus of recognizing the present loyal
government of Tennessee by admitting her Sen
ators and Representatives into Congress, ought
to be satisfied with this resolution or something
like it. Those who desire to keep Tennessee
out indefinitely may consistently vote for the
committee resolutions in their present shape,
for whatever the intention of their authors may
have been, the practical effect of the passage OF
these resolutions must be to keep the Tennes-
see representatives. out of Congress during the
present session. If the President should ap-
prove them, they cannot 60 into effect until the
Legislature of Tennessee complies with the re-
gured conditions, and there is no telling how
much time that will require, as there cannot be
a quorum of the Legislature until some time in
April.
We have already declared that Senators and
Representatives shall not be admitted into either
branch from any of the States lately in rebel
lion until Congress shall have declared such
entitled 10 representation. am willing to go
still further and say that the right of represen-
tation must be restored to these States by force
of law, by act of Congress approved by the
President; but in passing such an act am not
willing to raise any unnecessary issues, or pre-
sent to the President for his approval any gem
tleman's theories as to whether these States are
in or out Of the Union, or whether they are
States or Territories, or whether the present
government Of Tennessee, and the acts per-
formed by it, are void for the want of the assent
Of Congress. There is no necessity for present.
ing these issues in the case of Tennessee. Moth
ing can be gained by it, but much may be lost.
ho1i ubaf fhac tbof1 ba
people of Tennessee are found to be in a con-
dition to exercise the functions of State within
this Union, and have organized government
republican in form and not inconsistent with the
Constitution of the United States, which pro-
claims and denotes loyalty TO the Union, and we
have faith in. the loyal people of Tennessee that
they will prove true TO the Union ss they have
done heretofore, then let us pass an act or resO-
luton in plain terms, stripped of all unneces-
sary and useless issues and theories and of all
unnecessary and humiliating conditions, de-
claring the facts, and that the State is entitled
to representation in the Congress of the United
States. If the President refuses his approval
of such measure the responsibility of keeping
Tennessee out will be fairly upon him, aud for
one am willing to go before the country upon
the issue. But sir, l am not willing TO vote
for resolution declaring that the State of Ten
nessee is Territory; that the State is out of
the Union, or that the present State government,
and all acts done by its authority, are null and
void, and do not believe that Congress will be
sustained or justified in unnecessarily present.
ing these issues.
There is much less difficulty in agreeing upon
practical measures than upon particular theo-
ries, and therefore, if harmony among the true
friends Of the Union, is desired, it can be best
promoted by avoiding, in every msasure, all
unnecessary issues, and useless theories, and,
in short, everything not necessary for that par
ticular measure, leaving every measure to stand
or fall upon its own merits. The country wants
less theorising and more practical legislation
Let us try Tennessee first. If she proves faith
less, then we may well doubt all the other
States If we cannot trust such true Union
soldiers as Oolonels Stokes and Hawkins. and
such men as Maynard and Brownlow and others,
who are known to have been true from the be-
ginning to the end of the war, then we may as
well say at once that we will not trust any cit
izen of these States, no matter how faithful he
has been to the national cause, no matter how
faithfully and well he has served in the Union
army.
MIR. Speaker, great pains have been taken to
convince the loyal public that the people of the
South are not acting in good faith toward the
Government of the United States, and that they
are even now preparing TO take advantage of
the first favorable opportunity to renew the
war. That there are some men in all of those
States who entertain such sentiments and pur-
poses have no doubt. 1t would be wonder
ful, indeed, if there were not. 1t would form
an exception in the history of civil wars and in
the history of human nature itself. No doubt
there are men there, as there are everywhere,
whose Importance or prominence in public life
depends upon keeping up civil cOmmotion or
sectional strife, and who Will make use of every
ifu md ovff adj 4
flaming the public mind; but they are compar-
atively few in number. 1 fully believe, sir,
that the great mass of the southern people are
submitting to the Government in good faith,
and desire to live in peace as American citizens,
and to have restored to them the rights and
privileges of American citizens; and l do not
believe they can be driven into another rebel
zion except by such acts of oppression as would
drive any people 10 desperation. Take sir, a
candid survey of the whole southern people and
the circumstances which have brought them 10
their present deplorable condition; the passions