The Daily empire. (Dayton, Ohio) 1865-1867, 1866-12-04
Commencement of the Second Session,
Thirty ninth Congress.

United Statae re- eAtnlcs it, annual legisla-
tive labors. An all-Wise aud ulcriiul Troy
idehce las abated the lpstilpncC which vis-
tied Our shores. leaving ~ catamiious
traces titon aOme portions OF our country.
Peace. order. tranquility. and civil author
ity have been formally declared to exist
throughout the whole OF the United States.
In all of the States civil authority Inns su-
pprsefcti the coercion Of arms. and the pnO-
ule by their voluntary action are main
iainiug their governments in full activity
:uId complete operation The enforcemeni
of the laws is no longer "obstrlrfefi In any
state hy combinations too powerful 10 br
suppressed hy The ordinary cnprse ur Judi
cial pfoeeeyIing4;" and The animosiiies en-
gcndcred by the war are rapidly yielding
10 the bmieucent influences of our free in
stitutinns. and IN the Kindly effects ol uh-
restricted social aud commercial inter
cuurse. An entire restoration OF iraternal
feeling must be the earnest wish Of every
patriotic heart; and We will have acc0nl-
plished our gmndest national achievement
when. forgetting the sad events of the past
and remembering only their instructive
lessons. we resume uiir onward career o. q
free, prosperous. and united people.
Ia my message Of the ith Of December,
1850. Congress was informed Of the mcag-
urrs which had been instituted by thr
Executive Nitlra view IN the gradual res
rcction occurred 90 their relations with the
General Government. Provisional Cover
nOrs had been appointed, Conventions
called, Governors elected. Legislatures ns-
sembicd. and senators and Representative
chosen to the Congress of the United States.
Courts had been opened for the rnforce-
meut of laws long Ia allegiance. The block
ade hal been removed, custom houses re-
established, and the internal revenue laws
put in forces in order that the people might
contribute to tile nationai incoint. Postal
operations had been renewed. and efforts
were being made tO restore them tO their
former condition of efficiency. The States
themselves had been asked 10 take part in
tln high function of amending the ConSti-
tuition, and of thus sanctioning the eN-
tinction of African slavery as one Of the
legitimate results of our intcrTenC Strrg-
gle.
Having progressed thus far the ENccu-
tive Department found that it had ac-
complished nearly all chat was within the
scope of its constitutional authority. One
thing. however. yct remained To be done
before the work of restoration could be
completed, and that was the admission 10
Congress Of loyal senators aud Repre-
sentatiVes from the States whose people
had rebelled against the lawful authority
of the General Government. This ques-
ton deNolved upon the respective Houses.
which, by tile Constitution, are made the
Judges of the elections, returns. and quali-
GcationS of their own members and it,
consideration at once engaged the atten-
tiOn of Congress.
In the meantime, the Executive Depart
mcnt--no other plan having been proposed
by Congress-continucd its efforts TO per-
feet, rs far as was practicable the reStura-
tion of the proper relations between the
citizens OF the respective States, the STATES.
and the Federal Government, extending,
from time 10 time, as the public interests
seemed to require the judicial. revenue,
and postal systems of the country. With
the advice and consent Of the Senate, the
necessary officers were appointed, and ap-
prOpriatons made by Congress for the pay
mcnt of their salaries. The proposition %
amend the Federal Constitution, SO as to
prevent the existence of slavery within the
United States or any place subject 10 their
jurisdiction, was ratified by the requisite
number of States; and onthc 18th day qt
December 1865, il was officially declared to
have become valid as a part of the ConSti-
tuition of tile United States. All of the
States in which the heiuslwrectiOn had existed
promptly amended their Constitutions 50 as
10 make them conform 10 the great change
thus effected in the organic hlw OF the l,nrd (:
declared null and void all ordinances and
laws of secession; rrpudialpd all pretended
debts and obligations created for the reyo-
lutionary purposes of the insmrection and
proceeded, IN good faith. TO the enactment
OF measures for the projection and ameliora-
tiOn of the condition of the cOlOred race.
Congress, however, yet hcsitated TO ad-
init any of these States 10 representation
aud it was near the close of the eighth
month of the session that an exception was
made in favor of Tennessee. by the admis-
sion of her Senators and Representatives.
I deem il n subject of profound regret
fltuf fna. l,af fif..lf
seats the loyal Senators and Representa-
tives from the other States, wherein the in
habitantS, with those of tennessee, had en-
ragged in rebellion; ten States. more than
0ne-iourth OF the whole number. remain
without representation. The seats of fifty
members ofthc House and twenty of the
Senate are vet vacant. not by their own
consent, not by Il failure oi election, but by
The refusal of Congress 10 accept their ere
dentials.
Their admission. it is believed would
have accomplished much towarit the re-
newal and strengthening of oar relations a~
one people. and removed serious cause for
discOntent on tile part of the people oi
those States. 1t would have accorded with
the great principle enumerated in the Dec
laration of American Independence that
no people ought to bear the burden of tax
alton and yet be denied representation. 10
would have been in cOnSonunce with ths.
express provisions Of the Constitution, that
each state shall have at least one Repre-
sentative, aud that no State, withont its
consent, shall be deprived Of equal Suffrage
in the Senate. E ".
These provisions were intended to Sc
cure 10 every State the right of representa-
tion In Congress, and 50 Important was it
deemed by the trainers of the Constitution
that the equality of States shall be preserv-
ed in the Senate, thatnot even by an amend-
ment of the Constitution can any State,
without Its conseut, be denied a voice in
that branch of the National Legislature.
II Is true, IL has been assumed that the
existence of the States was terminated by
the rehelliOus acts of their inhabitants, aud
that the nsurrcctiOn having been sup
pressed, they we're thence1orNartl 10 be-
considered merely rs conquered territories
The Legislative, Executive and Judicial
Departments Of the Government have,
however, with great distinctness aud uni-
form consistency, refused 10 sanction an as
sumption so incompatible with the nature
Of our republican system, anu with the
prOfessed objects of the war. Throughout
the recent legislation of Congress the un-
deniable fact makes itself apparent tnai
these ten political communities are nothing
less than States OF this Union. AT the
very commemorative the rebellion, each