Daily Davenport Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1864-1874, 1866-12-04

NESSAGk!
Fellow citizens Of the Senate and House Of
Representatives: -,
Afisr brief interval. the Congress Of the
United States returns TO 10 annual leg'ss-
tive labors. An all-wisc and mercifu' Prov
,dcnce he's abated the pestilsnce which VS.
ited our shores, leaving its calamitous traces
upoo some portions Of our country. Peace,
order, tranquility and civil authority have
been formally declared to exist Throughout
the whole Of the United Sta,es In oil the
states civil authority has superseded the
coercion Of arms, and the people " their
voluntary action are maintaining their gov
ernments in full setivity and complete oper
atjsn. The enforcement Of the laws 10 no |
longer obstructed in any state BY combina
tons too powerful TO be suppressed ~ the
ordinary course Of judicial proceedings, and
the an;mosities engcndcred by the wsr are
rspidly yielding to the benificent influences
Of our free instit utions, and TO the kindly
olY.,e q unrestricted social and commercial
intercourse. Al entire restoration Of fra
tesnal feeling must be the earnest wisA Of
every ps,rio ic heart; and We shall have 90
complished our grandest Maternal achieve
msnt, wseo, forgetting the sad events OF tue
poss, end RI membering emily their instruct
| i've lessons. we resume our onwaid course ~
free, psGspereOs and omitted people.
RESTORATION o. THE STATES.
In my message Of the 4th OF December.
| 1865, congress was informed OF tho meas
urea which had been instituted by the exec
ulive, with . view 10 the gradua! res,o' alton
IL the state, in which the instruction &c.
cu,ssd, % their relations With the gcne'ai
government. Provisional governors had
been appointed, conventions allied. govern
ors elected, legislatures asse "bled. and sen
atora and representatives, chosen to the con
eress II the United States. Courts hal
been opened for the enforcement of Laws
long In allegiance. The blockade had b. en-
| :, moved, custom houses re-esab' shcd ana
,rs w.,~vs.ml revenue lAws put ~ iOsce IN or
DIR that the people might contribute 10 the
national in ONE. Postal o. ctationS had
been renewed, and Efforts we're being made
TO restore them TO th,ir former condition and
ffjcrency. The states themselves had been
ASK. 10 take part in the high functions Of
amending the cOnstituti,n. aud Of thus sanc.
tiouing the extinction Of African slavery a.
ure III the legitimate results Of our intern,c-
,ae struggle. llsv NJ progressed thus far.
the executive dcpaf tincnt iOu..d thatt bad
accomplished nearly all at was within the
scope Of its constitutional authority.
Uns thing. however. yet remained to DC
one betors the work Of restoration could DC
. ccmplsted, and that was tho adm, ssion to
congress Of loyal senators aud representa-
. nves from the states whose people had re-
bsllsd aUsiass the lawful authority Of th,
general government. THE question devolv'
I'd upon the respective HOUSES. which " tht
constitution ars made the judges Of the cleo
! tim returns and qualifications Q: their owl
. membsss; aid ito consideration at once en-
! gagsA the attention Of c0ngreas.
!: 10 tbs meantime, the executive depart
, meat, 10 other plan having been propose,
2 b. c0ngree, contin ned IN ita efforts to per
!! feet, % far % We practicable, the rssiora
: sin Of the proper relations between the cit
) liens of Il he respective states. The state
\ aad he & dssai misunderstanding fron
time v time, - the public interest seemed Il
! require, the Judicial, reuenus and postal o. .
: : tsns Of The country. With che advice aud
, senssat Of ths senate, the necessary officers
9 we're appointed. and appropriations made b!
: congress for the payment Of their salaries
. Tus AHfi-sLAvsRH AMENDMENT
The proposition to amend the FEEDERS
constitution 50 o. prevent the existence q
. slavery within the United States, in an,
place subject TO their jurisdiction, was rat
iRed BY the requisite number Of StaIes, an,
!. or the 18th day Of December, 1868, It va
! officially declared TO have become void as
4 part OF the constitution Of the United States
:, All Of the states in which the insurrectio
: had existed promptly amended their const
, tuition SO ~ to make them CONFORM to III
3 great change thus effected in the organ
3 lsw Of the land-declared null aud void al
9 ordinances and laws Of secession reduda
i ted all pretended debts and obligation crea
ted for the revolutionary purposes OF III
: iusurrection, and proceeded in good faith 4
( the enactment Of measures for the protec
! ton and stneioratiOn Of the c0lored race
. Congress yet hesitated 10 init any Of thcs
, states 70 representation, end it wss not un
: iii towards the .lose Of the eighth mouth 0
session that On exception was mad in fnvo
|; of Tennessee by the ADMISSION Of her Sena
tors and Representatives.
rms ExCLUsioN OF LovAL sOUrnEnN SENATORS
AND RgPAEs ssSArivHs.
deem il . subjecs Vi protound fccrc
that congress has thus Ter failed to admit e
seats loyal senators and representatives from
the other states, whose Inhabitants. with
shoss of Tennessee. has engaged in the re
bel;i0n. len states nr,re than one lou, II
II the whole tumber, remain without rep,
rcsentalion. The seats Of 50 msmbs o
the house Of representatives, and Of 20 mem
be,s in the senate, ere yet vacant, not by
their own consent. but by the refusal al
OF congress TO accept their credentials. -
Their adsi,!ssion. il Is believed, would l,Av,
accomplished much towards the renewal aud
strcna theHi.g VI our relations as one people
aud removed SERIOUS Cause tor discomfort on
the part Of the inhabitants Of these states
II would have . corded with { .e g,ca,
principle enuncia'ed in the declaration 81
American independence, that no people ought
" Oess the burden OF taxation, and DO dc
med the rirht Of representation. II would
have been Il. cOnsonance with the express
provisions IL the constitution, that each,
<sats shall have 1t least one representative,
and that no state without its cUnsent shall
be deprived Of rs equal suffrage in tie SEN
ate. These provisions were in'ended Ia
secure TO every state. aud to the people Of
every state, the right Of representation IL,
each house Of congress; and 20 important
cas- Il deemed By the trainers of the consti-
tasaon' that the equality Of the states in The
senate shoald br preserved, that, net even
~ % ansndnent o. the c0nstitutian, can
sny state. without ito consent, 10 denied Z
.. veics in that branch Of the national lee,sla
ture.
II lNr40uIrY or fuE STATES.
u 10 true, u be- been assumed that the
existencs Of The statss vas terminated by
} the rses1lioUs octs Of heir inhabitants, and
that ths insussec'ion having been suppressed
they were thsncssOrward to be considered
merely - conquered territories.
The legislative. executive end judicial and
departments Of the government have. how
I ever, With great unifosa consistency. re-
fused 70 sanction a. assumption, 40 ineom
i patible With the nseuss efour republican sy,
tenn. and the ps"tsssed objects Of tile var
Throughout he sscsnt Legislation Of coo
\ | esess, Tire undeniabls fAct makes itself %
parent that the ten political cormunitie
are nothiag lees than stAass OF this Uaiou
Al the very commencement Of he rebel
Z l'ou, soeh heaes, With . uaaainity . re-
markable - Il was significant, that the ~