Clarksville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1865-1867, 1866-12-05
PRE0nDENTsO MESSAGE.
10 THE
Thfrty.Nlnth Congress, Second
Ge0ioA.
Fellcv-Citizens Of the Senate and Horss Of Re
reeeEtatives:
oeNeRAruLAroRY.

After brief interval the Congress o
the United States resumes its annual leg
islative duties. An all-wise and mercifu
Providence has sbsted the pestilenc,
which visited our shores, leaving its ca
lamitious traces upon some portions of oul
country. Peace. order, tranquility, and
civil authority have been formally de-
clared to exist throughout the whole o.
the United States. In all of the States
civil authority has superseded the coercion
of arms, and the people, by their volun.
tary action, are maintaining their govern
nients in full activity and complete opera
ton. The enforcement of the laws is nc
longer ''obsiructed in any State by COM
binations too powerful to be suppressed
by the ordinary course of judicial pro-
ceedings;" and the aniuosjties engendered
by the war are rapidly yielding to the be-
nificent influences of our free institutions,
and to the kindly effects of unrestricted
social and commercial intercourse. An
entire restoration of frasernsl feeling must
be the earnest wish Of every patriotic
heart; and we viii have accomplished our
grandest national achievement when, for
getting the sad events Of the past, and re-
membering only their instructive lessons,
we resume our onward career as free,
prosperous and united people.
RETROSPECTIVE.
In nv message of the 4th of December,
1865 Congress was informed of the meas
ures which had been instituted by the Ex-
ecutiye with q view to the gradual restora-
ton of the Ststes in which the insurrection
occurred to their relations with the General
Government. Provisional Governors have
been appointed, Conventions called, Gov
ernors elected, Legislatures assembled, and
Senators and Representatives chosen TO the
Congress of the United States. Courts
have been opened for the enforcement of
laws long in sbeyance. The blockade has
been removed, custom-houses re-establish-
ed, and the Internal Revenue Laws put in
force, in order that the people might con-
tribute to the national income. 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 to take part in
the high function Of amending the Consti-
tuition, and of thus sanctioning the extinc-
ton of African slavery as one of the legiti-
mate results of our internecine struggle.
TIE ONE THING THAT REMAINED.
Having progressed thus far, the Execu-
tive Department found that it had accom-
plished nearly all that was within the
scope of its constitutional authority, One
thing, however, yet remained to be done
before the work of restoration could be
completed, and that was the admission to
Congress of loyal senators and Represen-
tatives from the States whose people had
rebelled against the lawful authority of the
General Government. This question de-
volved upon the respective Houses, which,
by the Constitution, are made tho judges
OF the elections, returns and qualifications
of their own members; and its considera-
tion at once engaged the attention of Con-
gress.
STEPS TOWARDS RECONSTRUCTION.
In the meantime, the Executive De-
partment-no other plan having been pro-
posed by Congress-continued its efforts
10 perfect, as far as possible, the restora-
ton of the proper relations between the
citizens of the respective States and the
Federal Government extending, from
time 10 time, as the public interests seemed
TO require, the Judicial, revenue, and
postal system of the country. With the
advice and consent Of the Senate, the
necessary officers were appointed, and ap-
preparations made by Congress for the
payment of their salaries. The PROPOSE
Iion TO amend the Federal Constitution,
so as TO prevent the existence Of slavery
within the United States, or any place
subject TO their jurisdiction, was ratified
by the requisite number of States; and
on the 18th day of December, 1865, 1t
was officially declared to have become
valid as a part of the Constitution OF the
United States.
All of the States in which the insurrec-
ton had existed promptly amended their
Constitutions, 50 as to make them conform
10 the great change thus affected in the or
ganic law of the land declared null and
void all ordinances and laws of secession;
repudiated all pretended debts and obliga-
tions created for the revolutionary purpo-
ses of the insurrection; and proceeded in
good faith, TO the enactment of measures
for the protection of the colored race
Congress, however, yet hesitated to admit
any of these States TO representation and
il was not until towards the close of the
eighteenth month of the session that an
exception was made in favor of Tennessee,
by the admission OF her Senators and Rep
Tesentatlyes.
lie gEGRETs THE SoN-ADMIssIoN OF LOYAL
SENATORS AND REPRESENTATIVES, FROM
TUE SOUTH.
/ deem it a subject of profound regret
that Congress has thus far failed TO admit to
seats loyal Senators and Representatives
from the other States, whose inhabitants,
with those of Tennessee, had engaged in
The rebellion. Ten States-more than one
fourth of the whole number-remain with
out representation the seats of fifty
members in the House of Representatives
and of twenty members in the Senate are
vet vacaRt-not by their own consent, not
by failure OF election, but by the refusal
of Congress to accept their credentials
Their admission, it is believed, would have
accomplished much towards the renewal
and strengthening of our relations rs one
people, and removed serious cause for dis
content on the part of the inhabitants OF
those States 1t would have accorded
with the great principle enunciated
in the declaration OF American
Independence, that no people ought
TO bear the burden of taxation. and
Vet be denied the right of representation.
Ii would have been in consonance with the
express provisions of the Constitution, tina,
each State shall have at least one Repre-
sentative" and THAT no State, without III
consent, shall be deprived of its equal suf,
fraCe in the Senate" These provisions
were intended to secure TO every state, and
10 the people of ovcfy State, the right o.
representation In each House OF Congress
and - important was it deemed by the
trainers of the Constitution, that the equal
iiy of the States iii the Senate should bC
gtresorved; that not even by an amend
ment of the Constitution can any State
without its consent, be denied a voice in
that branch in the National Legislature.
NgCOGNITITIoS By CoNGRRss THAT TIL
TEN EXCLUDED STATES ARE STILL PARyi
UF TIE UNION.
Ii is true, il has been assumed that tn,
existence of the States was terminated by
the rebcllious acts of their inhabitants, anC
that the insurrection having been sup
pressed, they were thenceforward to b
considered merely as conquered territories
The Legislative, Executive and Judicis
Departments of the Government have
however. with great distnctness and uni
form consistency, refused TO sanction a
assumption so incompatible with the nstur
Of our Republican system, and with tn
professed objects of war. Throughout tn
recent legislation of Congress, the undenis
hle fact makes itself apparent, thst thes
ten political communities ale nothing les
Than States of this Union