, 1866-06-11

DL14z114z
T., me ,ns % % ss 2, Tho ma; s
noi upeonsstlutonai. at le&t unjuauaaole md
Il is beloved by your committee thst ali ih5ss
psut.ss,uus aEs nol only wholly unlenah!c but, ii
admitted. woula TEND 10 the dest.uc.1on oi ths
Government. II mnst not be fo.yottcn that iii
psop'e o. .acsc statse. without 5n:tlneation ex
ooTciDnnen':. 40 far ~ sh. same connected then
der the Eeos,slu'ion. They deliberately Eenouuece
their alleeiancs TO the Federal Government nuG
p1ocscdcd 70 sersbl'h an Independent eoyernmen
pri.e they eelzed the national forts arscnals doci
ydrd*. ard other pulls. property within ihelr Dor
der. d. dove out from amoDg them those who e
aglna0le Insult ant ln11ry upon the United sia!es
arg arg rs faizens. Finally, ihey opened ho,tlitics
az ao.,,n leylsd 1 nas asanst The GosetaMrnt The,
detetm1ntd and paitgpsu! spin,, kil!Eag in battle
and otherwise, lssge numbers or loyal people, de-
IN hs aeg IL PET S ,Gyol ne
authority. N''AAa@ ~
Whether legally and conztisutional1y O, not. tbev
nid IN TACT. Withdrew from the Union, and made
thcmee]vcs subjects Of another Government ii
teetf OWE creation; md they 01ly 5iaided when,
amer ,ong and bloody md wasting, war. they werc
elsrtnE ,ha1 they y1sldtd because they could no no
pen'anec ior their crime and e1pIe: no reertt
except that they bad no longer The power to cnn-
ttncc Tho desperate struggle. Il capnot we ihink,
tanee yita pnb!ic law that the var thus wassa vas
civil Nal Of The greatest rna.nitude. The people
wagng II were necessarily subject TO ali the rules
Mhic1, y ,ho !aw Or Nalions, control contest OF
ecs iul'o. ing It. Ono of those consequences was
that. Nithin ,he limits prescribed by humanity, ,ho
conquered @ rebels were at the mercy OF the con
qutfess. That Government thus outraged had d
most perfect r'gh1so cxnct indemnify for tha In.
tulcz done. and security nEainst The recurrence Of
euch outraces in The future would seem too clcar
return to al!cgsnce, what time should elapae be.
foEc people Tins dcmoralized should be rc,torcd
IN ~! % thc cpjoymtnt Of politcal rights and
privileges, arc questions for thc law.maktne power
10 dccide, and on that decision grave consIdcra.
lions g. ,he public safesy and tue general welfare
Il il morcoycr commended and vr,,h o,n.n,
gravity thst irou, tho peculiar uaturu md c6aIactcr
OF onr Government no such night on tho paEt of tbe
eon4nelor can exist; that nom the moment when
cease, all political fights of rehellloas commuui-
ta a1c al once rcstortd; that because tho pcnp!e or
state o. tbe union Nelc ones an organ!zed com
munlty III Thin The Union. thus Of necessity 10 re-.
main. and their tight TO be fepcs enttd In Congress
at my and nll ties, aud to uarfcip1te IN the GOV
c1nmcnt 9! the country under gu crcum. tance. nt
mil Of nstther gu. alton nor dlfpute II This il Ii.
deed true. then il The Government Of thc United
States poNesfesB for IT, own protection, apd ia.
grant feellon carried to the extreme oi civil war;
certain thatt can 1ose no,htng III any event, but
may esen he tho rarncr BY dr!ene II ii tails, the
war has been bntEn Of results, and the hatta may
&c stil fought olst ~ tho Legislative h4lls Of Tue
eountry. iFsaeou, defeated il the Held has only 10
fasc Possession OF copg,f ss and lhc EIb,nct, Your
committee dots moi drcm il necessary Or proper 10
dScuse lbc question: whether the late Confederate
ststes are tti Slates Of this Unon or eau cycr be
ofherw'*r. Granting lhi.ptnh1ess Abstraction about
Which 70 many woEdE hare boon wasted, II
by no means follows that tho people OF those
States may rfaco ihcmse!Ves In condition to
sta!e Of 'he Union, and eprye ihen ] .eiyes Of ali
jo{ those prvlIeeee. State within ite unfoa has
nbl,rat!on1 to DISCHARGE as member Of the Unlon,
II must submit to Federal lars and uphold Fed
publican Y form. under aud BY wh!cu it Is con.
nccsed With fhe General Government, and through
WHICH y eau DISCHARGE It's obl:as1ons. Ii IL morc
Llc who have thrown oil their Allegiance desrpyed
ihe local government which bound their sstes 10
ihs uaion us nemtcr. thcreot defed ito authority.
mat gase them l'olAca! rights within lhe Union.
sel retain through all The perfect and entire 1ign
10 is; nc nt thctr oun will and pleasure all theIr
pnslcges ~ The Union. and especially 10 pasffci.
pate IN us Government and 10 control the Conduct
OF u alaus~ To admit such principle, Tor one
moment would be to deelare that rea son Is als1ys
vo,d i!y H. vcEJ nature ana es:encs becau.c Incon
e'sscnt wl'b the theory OF Government and fatal 10
1ls very ellstence.
On t,o contrury we assert that no portion OF tho
people Of this whether IN State or territory
have TIE r1chf, while remaining On It's roll to wi;h.
draw tfom or reject the authority OF the Uaited
states: They must acknowledge tB Jurisdiction.
They hare no right to secede, and while they can
des.Foy their State cosesnmt nts, and piaee theE-
selves beyond thu pale Of tho Union, 20 fsr as ihe
exercise Of State privileges Il concerned. they can.
not escape the obligations imposed upon Ihe1 by
the Constitution 4ud The laws Eor lmpalr the erei
c,se Of national authority.
That fa1atlo1 should be levied only with the coz.
sent Of The taxed through their own rspsssenta.
tiyes + cardinal principle OF all frea covelnmenss
mus, go together under Ill circumstances ana At
escsy moment u lime The people OF the DistfIct
o. columbia aod all Of The territories are
hit y true iha. The people Of The so.called Conitd
crate States had no light 10 throI of lhe authority
o. S Inc unMsd M ssaez is equally true that hey arc
menf. They canno', either legally or equft,6iy
refuse to bear til! If Just proporuoa Of these buf
oens sy Voluntarily .h.f right. aod
he represented In the councils Of the natlon, much
iess by rebellinG against national authority aud
e.ese tsas ,yond noIa 'Pa "a sy :: dong they could
1nsntEsciion, to reward instead OF punish tres,ou.
10 bold th.f ~ soon a RoreFnment Is restored 10
cure Itself AGAINST si,las wrongs IN The iutufc, or
else omit the ordinary exercise Of It's conrtirn.
uonal power TO compel equal contribution from ali
reasonable in itselr and unjust 10 the ns'lpu,
Is sufficient 70 reply that The loss OF tepresen-
taslon oy The people OF tho lnsusEecsooasy 5illcs
ss sY5 sy iSsHs RS tSt i
Inc people Of the Unlted siate- arc deylstnr ma.
snses for the public eaety, rcrdered necessary by
ths aus Of tho.e Nho thus dtsltauchfted t1ou-
Of the general burden Of ta1aioa incur
ttd by their xlckcdues5 md folly Ecu aIiy absurd
L ibc pseience that the Legislative auihoriy Of ne
ioet the right s2e % pa1t I'm IL t. Re''' sn.S aads
Eropoet1on carries ts own reta'a,ion On its faee.
committee belscEc are resorted to for the purpose
Of misleading tho people and disfracuas ihelr A.
fenlon @ tom .hs qne::ions at Ism: we freely Nd
Brought ii possible. 10 speedy Termination I!1s
most deslrshle that union OF Ill Tho State. ehou3d
become rerf-e at the catte.t possible moment
hst all the STATES should become inly repre.ented
n The national councils and take the share Of the
a1a,,e1 T. m o. .s county, The po.ses.,on and
'ectinn II nenorat0GE, and such state OF alyiEs
q only TO be io'e!a!ca On the gruund of necessafy
ecnrd TO the pub!lc eafety- a, soon as the .aYety
Is fccured tt should terminate.
TIE RIGHTS OF THE FREEDMEN.
four ensoEn,ttce came to the consideration OF
he tu3cc' referred 10 them with the most anxious
tcesre 10 a:ccrtaIn Wnat Waa the Condition Of tns
oeople Of ihe STA eA recently in iu.urrectlou, aud
s ha1, II anything. was necessary n bc done before
,a hf q ~ 1i
'ar into which they hau PLUNGED the country had
materially a eh1asea ther re;ations to tho loyal
shed BY constitutional amendment A larre |
'ropostion o. the roplla'iou had become. instead !
Il X mere re- ehssties Tree men and cllzeus. Thlouzh
nd Ind ia targa numbcEs fought On the elie Of he
Jrlon. II was Impossible to abandon them WITH
,pt eecur1pg them then rights As men and cllzens.
Ratntt Euch hare tneratude. and the idea Is ot1n-
ive to az right thinking men 4eure It became
teer 70 Mhst soald be done to
TIE nAsls or REPRESENTATION.
1t Nas eE'ncnt 10 -FOUR committee that adeouate |
provisions Of ,he consiiia,len. Ren1e.
cntAt1on Is based on the whole number Of Eee
't1sous IN eaeh State, and three-af Is Of a oiher
u neecs sally follows. ass consequence, The ia.
rs'ahie effect OF the rebellion would be- to tncres.e
he poF'eal poTer Or ihs iuturrec.ion1ry States
oslhons a. hlnles 1n the Union, as representation
:. ~ she Ion Ntltutton. based upon pooulatlon
esa4s I'D TT hDs 1T S Ssaes
: !entesrntatton ntces. AMY resulting IRON The {
oo1'itn Of slavery VIVA considered ths mo.t in {
element n .he questions arising ont OF
ieht Of these persons hy ~som lie b.sis Of
Ep1GtEUNI00 NNQ Neu t1U& 1nEfEA " Fhnn1t lie
ecoen.zed by the General Government. Whii.
lavea, they werr not considered a. having at1
fehts, civil Or pol1ical It did not seem iu.t os
hcit becoming fce should be confined to thelr ior-
Ter masters. VITO ha1 fought usa,nst the Uniet,, !
nd Withheld from themselves, who nad alxays
cen loyal. slavery, by Iuldu4 ap railing and
om'nant clss.. had protuoeda s2!t1t Of oilg1rcny
dyer:e 10 ltep4hlicsn aas.i1ntions. which aual!y
'E the domiuation Of such class by leaving Il in
,e exclusive Feson OF political power would
{ 10 encourage The same eplh. and lei to sfmi-
ongrssg had power, even under The aueuded Con 4
Hinton. 10 provide The qualifications Of voters
Sfs.e, or cnuid act dtsec,ly on the suaiect. Nwu