The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1866-01-06

M inoton OF ar stevens, of Pa, the
zAouse went into Committee Of the Whole on
~ - S'ate q the Union with Mr. Washburn,
- Alllnes IN tAe chair, on the Presidents
- - aeei message, When Mr. Stevens submit
81 series q resolutions referring the
Yafloils branches az the Message 10 tie ap-
PESpllsle committees and SO much Of it as
eela1es 70 recons iuesion was referred to the
Select Commits.
AR. stevens Of Pa said A candid sxami-
ne5lon OF the power and proper PRINCIPLES
q reconstruction can be offensive to no one,
:.no may possibly be profitable by exciting
.eltts3s yfne of tbs suggestions Of the
message which we are now considering has
spsclal reference to this. Perhaps it is the
principle most interesting to the people ct
tlls tt1ne. The President assumes what ne
one doubts, that the late rebel States have
LOST their constitutional relations to the
Union, and are .incapable Of representation
u Congress- exeept bY permission Of the
I1esStlAaen@ AZ matters but little with
SION whether you call them States
49, &c ehl0h, and now conquered Terri
tories or assert that because the Constitu-
tion forbid them to do what they did do,
that they are, therefore, only dead as to ali
pal and political action, and will re-
nam SO until the Government shall breathe
into them the breath Of life anew, and per-
NIT them to occupy their former position
IN other words that they are not out of the
Union, but only dead earcasses lying within
the Union. In either case it is very plain
thai zs requires the action Of Congress to
enable them to form a State Government,
ana :, send Representatives to Congress.
Eop09yI believe, pretends that with
the1 olQ Constitutions and forms Of Govern
ment, they can be permitted to claim their
old right under the Constitution They
nave torn their Constitutions into atoms.
ana DulIt on their foundations fabrics of a
totally different character. Dead men can
not raise themselves dead States cannot re-
store tnelr own existence as it was. Whose
especial duty IS 1t to do it? In whom does
the Constitution place the power? Not in
tne judicial branch of the Government, for
u only adJudlcates and does not make laws.
Not IN the Chief of the ar
mics, Tor he can only hold them under mill
tary rule until the sovereign Legislative
power OF the conqueror shall give them law
There Is Fortunately no difficulty In solving
the question There are two provisions in
the constitution, under one Of which the
case must fall. The fourth article SAYS,
new States may be admitted by the Con-
gress INTO this Union" In my judgement
this IS the controlling provision In this case.
Unless the law Of nations is a dead letter.
the late war between the two Acknowledged
De1igerents severed their original compacts,
and broke ell ties that bound them together.
The future condition Of the conquered power
depends on the will of the eonqueror. They
must come IN as new States, or remain as
conquered provinces. COngress-the SEN
ate and House Of epresentatiyes-witht the
concurrence OF the President, is the only
power on earth that can act on the matter.
But suppose, as some dreaming theorists i'm
agine, that these States have never been out
OF the Union, but have only destroyed their
state Governments, so as to be incapablesof
political action, then the fourth section of
the fourth article applies, which says the
United States shall guarantee to every State
/, this Union a republican form of govern
Ne, It" Who Is the United States Not
he !. Idioiary, not the President; but the
800, IN power of the people, exercised
,tro'li, their representatives in Congress,
LII fbe a occurrence of the Executive 1t
n,oa,s ~ Official Government, the concur
-ent ecf;c-,F .. both branches of Congress
q nd az F--ac,,, i've. The separate action of
eaoh afsaiI,1ts "a nothing, either in admitting
new States or ON aranteeing republican gov
ernments to Iapsed or outlawed States
whence springs the preposterous idea
tbat either the Presto ent, or the Senate, or
the House of Represeh 'tatives, acting separ-
atelv. can determine the rights OF states TO
send members or Senate 'rs to the Congress
of this Union To prove 5nas tney are ana
have been out OF the Union Tor All legal pur-
roses and are now conquered snbjscts to the
EEbyolute disposal Of Congress- 4 viii suggest
:. few ideas and adduce q few authorities
IF the so-ealled Confederate States Of Amer
lea were an independent belligerent, and
were so acknowledged by the United States
ard by Europe, or had assumed and main
tanned an attitude which entitled them to be
considered and treated as a belligerent then
a Al ---r, r.v..-1 coNrr Traf Eo
condition Of foreign nation with whom we
were at war, nor need their independence as
a nation be acknowledged by us to produce
shat effect.
Mr.. Stevens then quoted from Mr.. Justice
Grier Ia the prize cases all the law on these
sooints After such clear and repeated de-
cisions, he said it is something worso, than
rfdiculous to here men of re-, .,sstable stand.
ing attempting to r1..l,lry tho law of nations
ana deere the Supreme Court OF the
OD..Oed States in error, bncause, as the Con
stitution fOFbids it, the States could not g
out Of the Union de tactO. Alter proceed
ing further in his argument he remarked l
is Obvious that the first duty OF Congress II
70 pass a law declaring the condition o
these outside or defunct States, and pro-, >,
ing1 roper civil government for them 9. SIN,
lie eOubuesb they have been gc,,V L,l !
martial law Military rule = nacassor
despotic, and ought not r., e-l,st LONGER tbss
is absolutely necessary, AS there are I
symptoms sym 1na' ne people of these province
Wiz % PIop 4red to participate in a constit
uonal e'EEernment for some years. know
no e.fangement so proper for them as TIE
tisorlal Governments. There they ca
learn the principles of freedom, and eat tt
fruit of foul rebellion under such govern
ments While eleeting members to the te
ritOrial legislatures, they viii necessari
mingle with those TO whom Congress sha
extend the right of suffrage In the terri
.OIies Congress hxes the qualifications of G
ectors, and l know of no better place {
better occasion-for the conquered rebels an
the eonqueror TO practice justice to all mel
and accGstom themselves to make and ODE
all Jaws As to these famed rebels, the
4 cannot reenter the heaven which they hay
deserted, as flaming swords are set at Il
gates to secure their exclusion. 1t become
important to the nation to inquire when Ii
doors shall be re-opened for their admission
According to my judgment they Ougl
never TO be recognized as capable of actin