The Tiffin weekly tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1859-1868, 1866-04-12
Remarks Of Hon. r. P. Buokland
On the Admission Of N, Tennessee Repre-.

OF the remarks oil Hon ~. H. Due
land, representative in Congress fro
this district, on the joint resolutic
for the admission Of Tennessee rcpr,
tatives delivered March oath, 1856
The joint resolution reads follow
"Resolrcd By The Senate and Hou
Of Pepreseatatircs Of the United Stat
Of America in Cbnore@ assemble
That whereas the people Of Tennessc
did on the ed day Of February, SO
by large popular vote adopt an
ratiiy constitution Of government
republican in form and not ineopsist
ent with tho constitution and laws o
the United States, and State gov
ernment has been organized under
the provision thereof and which sale
proyision and laws passed in pur
suancc thereof exclude those whC
have been engaged in rebellion against
the United States from the exercise oI
the elective franchise f,r the respect.
i've periods Of time therein provided
for. and forever prohibit the State OF
Tennessee from assuming or paying
nny debt or obligation contracted or
incurred in aid of the late rebellion,
which said constitutional provision,
and laws passed in pursuance thereof,
proclaim aud denote loyalty to the
Union and whereas the people of
Tennessee have made known to the
Congress Of the United States their
desire that the constitutional relation
heretofore existing between them and
the United States may be fully ca.
tablishcd, and said people are fonud
TO be in q condition TO exercise the
functions of the State with the Union,
therefore,
The State Of Tennessee is hereby
declared entitled to representatives in
the Congress of the United States ia
accordance with the Constitution aud
laws thereof
Mr.. Buckland said;
Mr.. Speaker, this is joint rosolu
ton, and if passed by Congress will
require the approval of the President,
and is found upon tho principle that
il requires the action of the legisla-
tive power of the Government TO ad-
nit representation into the Congress
of the United States from States which |
have been in rebellion against the
national Government. Is not this
enough, at least asregards Tennessee ?
II seems to me that every one really !
dcsirous Of recognizing the present
loyal government Of Tennessee by
admitting her Senators aud Reprosen-
tativcs into Congress, ought TO be
satisfied with this resolution or some.
thing like it, Those who desire. to
keep Tennessee out indefinitely may
consistently vote for the commlttic
resolutions in their presen shape, for
whatever the intention of their au
thors may have been, the practical
effect Of the passage of those resolu-
tions must be to keep the Tennessee
Representatives out Of Congress dur ,
ing tho present session. 1.-THE Presi i
dent should approve them, they can {
not 90 into effect until the legislature :
of Tennessee complies with tho re- n
quired conditions, and there is no Z
telling how much time that will re- a
quiro as there caunot be quorum of a
the Legislature until some time in i
April, o
We have already declared that b
Senators and Representatives shall h
not be admitted into either branch T.
from any of the States lately in re- &
belion until Congress shall have de. a
clared suth State entitled TO repre-. 1
sentatiou. am willing to 90 still 5
further, and say that the right of i
representation must be restored TO G
these States by force of law, by act 7
of Congress, approved by the Presi. 4
dent, but in passing such an act ] am u
not willing TO raise any unnecessary I
issue, or present to the President for |
his approval any gontleman's theories t
Us to whether these States are in or /
out Of the Union, or whether they I
'ro States or Territories, OF the pres !
-nt government of Tennessee, and II
IhO acts performed by it, are void for
The assent of Congress There is 70
necessity for prosenting these issues
in the case of Tennessee. Nothing
can be gained by it, but much may
be lost. If wo believe what the com
mittee say, that "tho people Of Ten
nsssec are TO be found in condition
10 exercise the functions of State
within the Union and have organ
lied government republican in form
and not inconsistant with the Consti'
tuition Of the United States, which
proelaims and denotes loyalty to the
Union, and we have faith in tho loyal
people Of Tennessee that they will
prove true to the Union az they have
done heretofore, then let us PASS an
act or resolution in plain terms,
stripped of all unnecessary aud use.
less issue and theories, aud of all un-
necessary andhumiliatiug conditions,
declaring the facts, and that the
State is entitled TO representation in
the Congress of the United States. III
the President refuses his approval eff
such measure the responsibility of
keeping Tennessee out will be fairly /
upon him, and for Que | am willing /
10 60 before the country upon the is.
sue. But, sir, am not willing to |
vote for resolution declaring that
the State of Tennessee is Territory
that the State is out of the Union, or
that the present State government,
and all acts done by its authority, are
null and void, aud | do not believe
that Congress will be sustained or
justice in unnecessarily presenting
these issues.
There is much less difficulty In
agreeing upon practical measures than
upon particular theories, aud there
fore, in harmony among the true
friends Of the Union is desirable, il
every measure, all unnecessary issues
aud, in short, everything not neoos
sary in that measure, leaving ever,
measure TO stand or fall on its owl
merits. The country wants less theor