Weekly Calaveras chronicle. (Mokelumne Hill, Calaveras County, Cal.) 18??-1874, 1866-08-18
Johnson on the Admission of Tennessee,

and against Congress, in his message to the
House OF Representatives, approving the
joint resolution restoring Tennessee to he,
relations to the Union. He says that the
preamble consists merely of statements, some
OF which are assumed, while the resolution is
merely declaration of opinion. The taste Of
the Executive. in telling the Legislative De-
partment of the Government, in an official
paper, that they have lied in the preamble to
an act of public legislation, is very question
able, and is as surprising as the assertion that
the act itself is merely declaration of opin-
ion. The preamble consists of a statement
of the political status of the State of Tennes-
see, contained in four propositions or heads,
the truth of each of which is undeniable by
any fair mind, and will be maintained by ev-
cry loyal citizen of the nation Those prop
ositions are, First: Whereas, in the year
1861, the Government of the State of Ten
nessee was seized upon and taken possession
of by persons IN hostility to the United
States, and the lima bitants of said State, in
pursuance of an Act of Congress were de-
clared to be in a state of instruction to the
United States" If this is an assumption, it
has received the endorsement of Lincoln,
when President, with that of the Congress of
which Johnson was then a member. The
second proposition is, that Whereas said
State Government can only be restored to its
former political relations in the Union Dy the
consent If the law-making power of the
United States" Doubtless this is one of the
assumptions of Congress to which johnson
takes serious objections. as it conflicts with
his theories of lone man power" and is cal
culated to defeat the accomplishment of his
policy There are two theories held as to
the status of conquered rebellious States,
both of which have at one time or another
been patronized by Johnson. LIST. that by
their rebellion they destroyed their civil gov
ernments and their relations to the Union,
which only can be restored by the consent
and Act of Congress, and I'd, that their civil
government and relations to the Union were
only in allegiance during the rebellion, and
when war ceased the rebel States at once
took their former station in the Government
by unquestionable right. A year ago, when
johnson was recognizing the rebel States. by
the appointment of Military Provisional Gov
ernors, he held the first of the theories, and
told the rebels his work was incomplete until
1t had received the sanction of Congress-
Such was his sober opinion then, before he
was intoxicated by Southern fattery, and
corn whisky. Now he holds to the other
theory, and that the two Houses of Congress
can only rise the credentials of members from
the rebel States, the same as those from ad-
mitted loyal States which never have been in
rebellion, and that present professions of 10y
atty and his pardon are all that are necessary
to make rebel as loyal as any man who has
fought rebellion for four years. 1t will not
puzzle any loyal man, in choosing from the
Presidents two positions, to select the true
one. If We must appeal from the President
" tiiO iSsidCAit, 4Cl IL NC itOlll uTuHk
to Johnson sober. The third proposition of
the preamble reads: "Whereas, the people
of said State did, on the 22d of February,
1866. by large and popular vote adopt and
ratify Constitution and Government where
by slavery was abolished and all ordinances
and laws of secession and debts contracted
flo Jo, IL. j .,
This is matter of history too recent to be
contradictcd even by the President, and may
be taken as a statement" not assumed"
The fourth and last proposition reads:
Whereas, State Government has been or
ganized under said Constitution which has
ratified the amendment to the Constitution
of the United States abolishing slavery, and
also the amendment proposed by the Thirty
Ninth Congress, and has done other acts
proclaiming and denoting loyalty" The first
section of this proposition the President will
hardly deny, as he has recognized its verify
by his official proclamation. The second
section goes hard with johnson, as, upon the
authority of his private secretary, it defeats
all his political plans. He says in the latter
part of the message that no official notice of
the ratification of the last amendment to the
Constitution by the Legislature of Tennessee
''has been received by the Executive or filed
in the Department of State. On the contrary
official information from the most reliable
sources induces the belief that the amend
ment has not yet been constitutionally sane
toned by the Legislature of Tennessee
The Presidents 'official information" must
have been derived from some of the rebel
subordinate officers in the State, and he must
be pursuing in Tennessee the same policy
as in Louisiana; else he could not hove ig-
nored Gov. Brownlow's message to the 'dead
dog in the White House, which certainly
was received in Washington before the date
of the message. The Presidents assertion
that the resolution itself is only declaration
of opinion, is most unwarrantable. The
resolution is legislative act, and does confer
power which is binding upon the respective
Houses of Congress, the Executive and the
States. The constitutional provision, which
makes each House of Congress the judge of
the elections and qualifications of its own
members cannot be construed so as to admit
Illegal members. else the majority of either
House could admit enough bogus members
to increase at pleasure their bare majority to
two-thirds vote; and either House might
as well admit members from England or the
Sandwich Islands as from States or Terrific
rioc NOT in III ,,ol,t,oal ralo+ioo Al. TT.