The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1866-03-13
@(aalwllle &5luiou.
ID Tennessee Question.

The Tennessee Question.
The JOINT resolutions reported last
week by Mr. Bingham, from the Gen
trail Directory" provided for the re-
admission Of Tennessee into the Union
upon certain conditions. The resolu-
tons were put through two readings and
recommitted They can be reported any
day and adopted under the previous
question, and without debate, if a ma
jority can be prevailed upon to vote for
them. Some persons, who ear see very
far into a grindstone, profess to have
discovered in them a concession TO the
President Quite q concessioni Some
what like that of the officer who gave
his victim the choice Of dying by
swinging or having his throat cut The
radicals, however, do not see anything
ike concession in them. The Ants
Slavery Standard, Of New York, says
they may more accurately be described
SIS resolutions for he exclusion Of Tsnnss-
see, OF al least for the indefinite post
ponement Of it's claims The Stan
dsrd continues, "They assert ia the
most explicit terms the complete power
Of Congress over the question Of Re
construction. They declare Tennessee
a State out of the Union, requiring
the assent Of Congress for its re-
admission. They impose terms and
conditions, upon a compliance with
which, and not otherwise, that assent
may be had. Is there any probable
chance hat such resolutions can be
passed by both Houses, and signed by
the President ? They fatty contradict
the known opinion Of the latter in every
particular. The President insists that
tennessee is in the Union, and never
was out that Of cOurse the assent Of
Congress to its readmission cannot be
required and that it is not competent
Tor this body to impose any conditions
precedent TO the admission of Repre-
sgutatiyes 10 their seats. He goes fur
tAer and holds that Congress, as such,
has no jurisdiction v 6 any part of the
subject matter, but that each House
must Judge for itself Of the qualitica-
tons Of those claimieg seats in it, and
that 10 cannot inquire whether they
come from q rebel or from aloyal State
How can he sign these resolutions If
Ls signs them, he |renounces every fea-
ture of his policy, and recauts his re-
peated declarations. If he withholds
ms signature, it is he, and 10 longer
Congress, who must take the response
blity OF excluding the Tennessee claim
ants. The dilmema is one in which We
are content to leave him"
And this is the dilemma, the Gen
trai Directory contemplated But it
is not likely to occur. The resolutions
can scarcely command a majority OF
tine House "But says the Standard
suppose they pass Congress and get
signed by the President there remain
certain conditions 10 be complied with
hy TENNESSEE herself Her Legislature
must maintain and enforce their exist
ing Constitution and laws for the dis
reimbursement of rebels, which the
r Ntgs C-4trgl Committees haze recent
r.. declared to be impoSs.5l BE-. GLOW arsyon,
Immortal Dozsn2) In a remarkable
document. of which we gave some &C
count al the time, the representatives
of all the loyalty there is in Tennessee
av9ved that their State government
rested wholly on military power that
ID would 20 60 pieces If that power were
Withdrawn. that either with or without
the troops. the Acknowledgement law
would prove inefficient and that the
State. If admitted IN the Union, would
inevitably pass under the control of the
rebel msiority. How, then, is it posi-
bIe for the Tennessee Legislature to
comply with the conditions required by
these resolutions We regard the terms
demanded boy the Reconstruction Com
m.ttee as equivalent to an absolute ex-
clusion for the pE"sent
The Standard IS right in its conolu
saus. But il mustuot assume yet that
tho p e-ident's policy Is dead beat