The Potter journal. [volume] (Coudersport, Pa.) 1857-1872, 1866-07-03
TERMS. $3.50 PER AMNUI.

instinct ofsolf- preservation protests against
it. The surrender By Grant to Lee, and
by Sherman TO Johnston, would have been
disasters cfless magnitude; for new armies
could have been raised new battles fought
and the Government saved. The anti
coercive policy which, under the pretence
ofavoiding blood shed allowed the rebellion
to take form aud gather force would be
surpassed in infamy by the matchless
nickedness that would now surrender the
hall Of Congress to these so recently in re.
teIion until proper precautions shall have
been taken to secure the National faith
and the National safety.
s. 1t has beeu shown in this report and
in the evidence submitted no proof has
been afforded to Congress of a constituent
cy in any of the so called Confederate
States, unless we accept the State Of Ten
nessee, qualified to elect Senators and
Representatives 10 Congress No State
Constitution or amendment to a State
Constitution has had the sanction of the
people AL the soc2!led legislation Of
the State Conventions and Legislatures
has been bad under military dictatiOn.-
If the President may at his will aud under
his own authority, whether as military
commander or chief executive, qualify
persons to appoint Senators and elect Rep
resentatlves, and empower others to ap
point aud elect them, he thereby prac.i-
cally controls the organization of the LEG
islat:ve department. The constitutional
forms Of Government are, therefore, prac-
ticaIly destroyed, and its powers absorbed
in the Executive, and while your commit
tee do not for moment impute to the
President any such design, but cheerfully
concade to him the most patriotic motives
they canaot but look with alarm upon a
precedent SO fraught with danger 10 the
Republic.
9. The necessity of providing adequate
safeguards for the future, before restoring
the insurrectionary States to participa
ton in the detection Of public affairs, is
apparent from the bitter hostility to the
Government and people of the united
States yet existing throughout the con,
quered territory, as proved incontestibly
by the testimony of many witnesses, and
by undisputed facts.
10. The conclusion Of your committee,
therefore, is, that the so-called Confeder-
ate States are not at present entitled to
presentation, in the Congress of the
United States, and that before allowing
such representation there must be ade.
quate security for future peace and safety
should be required; that this can only be
found in such changes of the organic law
as shall determine the civil rights and
privileges Of the citizens in all parts Of
the republic; shall place representation
on an equal basis shall FIX stigman upon
treason, and protect the loyal people
against future claims for the expenses in-
CURED in support of toe rebellion and for
manumitted slaves together with an ex-
press grant of power in Congress to en-.
force these provisions. To this end they
offer joint resolution for amending the
Constit ltion of the United States, and
the two several bills designed to carry
the same into effect before referred to-
Before closing this report, your COM
mittee beg leave to state that the specific
submitted by them are
the result Of concession, after q long and
careful comparison ofconficting opinions.
Upon question Of such magnitude, IDf-
nitely important as 1t is to the future of
the Republic, it was not to be expected
that all should think alike. Sensible of
the imperfections of the scheme, your
committee submit to Congress, ,as the best
they could agree upon, in the hope that
is imperfections may be cured and its de-
fciencies supplied by Legislative wisdom,
and that, when finally adopted, it may
tend to restore peace aud harmony to the
whole country, and to place our repubI.
can institutions on a more stable fouuda-
ton.
The report is signed by Mess.rs. W P.
Fesseudon, James W.Grimes, Ira Harris,
J. NJ. Howard, George H. Williams
Taddeus Stevens, justin S Morrill,, Jno.
A Bingham: Roscoe Conkling, George S.
Boutwell,.
The dissentients are Senator Johnson
aud Representatives Grinder sud Rodgers.
a young couple had been married by
Quaker Justice, and after the ceremony,
remarked to the husband "Friend, thou
art now at the end of thy troubles" A
few weeks after, the young man came to
he cnoj mon hoiIipc ovar NTH rooo HI