Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1866-04-24

! In passing through this ordeal what has
| been done? In Tennessee uuder the direc-
ton of my lamented predecessor, we cons
menced the work of restoration. We had
succeeded bef0reSI came here, in restoring
the relations which had existed between Ten
nessee and the rest of the Union, with one
exception, and that was the relation of repre-
1 sentatlon. came to Washington, and, under
/ extraordinary circumstances, succeeded to the
presidential chair. What then The Cou-
! gress Of the United States had adjourned
/ without prescribing any plan | then pro-
I ceeded, as had done IN my own State. under
the direction Of the government, to restore
the other States. And' how did we begin
We found that the people had no courts, and
We sand to the judges, the district attorneys
and the marshals, q Go down and hold your
courts-the people need the tribunals of iuse
tlce to be opened" Was there ANYTHING
wrong in that? The courts were opened
What else? We looked out and saw that the
people had no mails. They had been inter-
TuPted and cut off by the operations of the
rebellion We said to the Postmaster Gen
ercl: g Let the people have facilities for mail
communication, and let them begin again to
understand what we all feel and think, that
we are one people. We looked out again and
saw that there was blockade; that the Gus
tom houses were all closed. Wesaid, "Open
the doors of the custom houses and remove
the blockade. Let trade, commerce, and the
| pursuits of peace be restored and it was
done: We thus travelled on, step by step,
opening up custom houses, appointing collec-
tors, establishing mail facilities, and RESTORING
all the relations that have been interrupted
by the rebellion. Was there anything un.
dertaken to be done here that was not au>
thorIZcd by the constitution, that was not
| Justified by the great necessities of the case.
that has not been clearly concurrent with the
constitution and the genius and theory of our
government? [Cheers.1 What remained to
be done! One thing remained to demon
STRAIT" to the civilized and Pagan world that
we had passed successfully through the third
ordeal Of our national existence and proved
that our government was perpetual
a great principle was to be restored, which
was established in orr revolution. When our
fathers were contonding against the power of
Great Britain, what WAS one Of the principal
causes of their complaint? 1t was that thew
were denied representation. tt ey complain
| ed OF taxation without representation. One
| OF the great principles laid down by our IA
theirs, and which fired their hearts, was that
there should be no taxation without repre-
sentation. How then does the matter stand?
w has been usurping power and who has
been Defeating the operation of the constitu-
ZION ana what now remains to be done to
complete the restoration of these States to all
their former relations under the Federal gov
crnmcnt, and to finish the great ordeal tIro'
which We have been passing? 1t is to admit
| representation (Checrs) And when we saw
admit representation, what do we mean ? We
mean representation in the constitutional and
| lazy abiding sense, rs WAS intended at the be.
! ginning Of the government
And where does that power lie? The cousti
| tuition declares in express terms that each house
the Senate and House Of Representatives each
| acting for ITSELF shall be the Judge of the re.
turns Of election and qualifications of its own
members 1t Is for each house to settle that
| question under the constitution, and Under the
solemn sanction Of an oath and can we. be-
lieve that either house wOul admit any mem
Der into its boly to participate in the legisla-
| ton OF the country, who was not qualified and
fit to sit in that body and participate in lis pro.
ceeeings. They have the power-not the two
! houscs-but each house for itself
The constitution further declares that no
State shal! be deprived Of its equal suffrage in
! the Senate OF the United States without its
| consent. Then where do We stand? All that
Is needed to finish the great work of rcsto-u.
ton is for the two houses respectively to de-
! tcrmnc these questions ''Oh ?' but some
Will say, ~ traitor might come in" The
!
| Judge; ana if traitor presents himself. can
| not either house know that he is traitor.
| Applause and if he is a traitor, cun they
not kick him out of the door and send him back,
saying to the people that sent him, you must
send US loyal man." TCheers, and voice.
! That's the lo5ic."] IS there any difficulty
about that! [Cries of No, not
If 4 traitor presents himself to either house,
cannot that house say to him. ''No, You can
not be admitted into this body. Go back.
We will not deny your people of the right eff
representation, bat they must send loyal
representative" (CheeTs.) And when the
States DO send loyal Representatives, can you
have any better evidence of their fidelity to
the constitution and the laws? There is no
one learned in constitutional law who will say
that If a traitor happens to got into Congress
| the body cannot expel him after he gets in
That makes assurance dOubly sure, and con-
| forms the action ofthe government to the con-
stitution of our fathers. Hence I say, let us
stand by that constitution, and in standing by
1t the covenant will be preserved
While have been contending against trai-
tors and treason and secession, and the disso>
luton Of the Union, I have been contending
at the same time against the consolidation Of
power here. Ceres of good) think the con-
solidation of power here is equally dangerous
| with the separation of the States. (Cheers
The one would weaken US and might run
into anarchy, while the other would concen-
tratc and run into monarchy. CHEERS and
cries of''can't doit.") o, but there is an idea
abroad that one man be despot; that
one man can be usurper, bat that a hundred
: or two hundred men cannot.
Mr.. Jefferson, the apostle of liberty. tells
us, so does common sense, that TYRANNY and
desPotism eau be exercised by many, more
vigorously and more tyrannicalIY than By one.