Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1866-12-11

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: ton, are maintaining their governments in.
aetivitysand complete operation. 1.-The
Tceaieat of the laws is no longer '.obS
State by combinations too
Oressed by the lordinary
sdings;;l aud the AMI!
Leeware are rapidly
lnhuences of our
kindly effects of
cialintercouFsey
feeling must
lotto heart;
lestsnational
sad geVents
ply their ins
onward ca
ited people,
OF December,
the measures
with d view 90 the s,.,.o.d restoration of the
: Suites IN which the insurrection occurred to
their atoms With the General Government.
ProylsSonil Governors had been appointed,
Gpyentlops called, Governors elected, Legis,
!atuTes assembled, aud Senator'S aud Repre-
: se1tauyes chosen to the Congress of the Uni
ted States; Courts had been opened for the
enforcement OF laws long in abeyance. J he
blockade had been removed, custom houses
re established, aud the internal revenue laws
put in force, IN order that the people might
contribute to the national income Postal
operations. had been renewed, aud efforts
we're being made to restore them TO their for.
meE5 condition; OF efficiency. The States
themselves had been asked to take part ia
the high function of amending the C0ustitu-
ton, and of thus sanciiouing the extinction
of African slavery as one of the legitimate
results of our iRternecine struggle.
Having progressed thus far, the Executive
Department found that it had accomplished
nearly all that was within the scope of its
casstitutioual authority. One thing, however.
yet remained to be done before the work of
restoration could be com peted and that was
the admission TO Congress of loyal Senators
aud Representatives from the States whose
people had rebeled against the lawful author
1ty OF the general government. This queS-
tien deyOlyed upon, the respective Houses,
which, by the Constitution, are made the
Judges Ofthe elections. returns, aud gua!ifica-
tions of their own members and its cGnsidera>
tI2a at once at once engaged the attention OF
Congress.
Erccmic@ Egarls.
In the meantime, The Executive Depart
ncn;-7no other plan hayiug heen proposed by
Congress- Continued its efforts to periec,, as
far as was practicable, the restoration OF the
proper relatieus between the citizens oil the re-
specliye States. the States aud the Federal
Government, extending from time to ii ,le as
the public interests seemed to require, the
Judicial, revenue, and postal systems of
the country. With the advice aud consent
of the Senate, the necessary officers were APP
pointed and appropriations made by Congress
Tor the payment of their Salaries. The pro-
position to amend the Federal Constitution,
so as to prevent the existence Of slavery with.
in the United States any place subject to
their jurisdiction, was ratified by the reduic
site number of States and on the 18th day
of December, 1865. 1t was officially declared
to have become valid as a part of the Consti>
tuition of the United States All of the
States in which the insurrection had existed
promptly amended their constitutions so as to
make them conform to the great change thus
effected in the organic law of the law de-
clared null and void all ordinances aud laws
; of secession; repudiated all pretended debts
and Obligations created for the revolutionary
purposes of the insurrection; and proceeded,
faith, to the enactment of measures
rotectinR< and amelioration of the
,or the colored race. Congress,
l0eeyer, yet besitated to admit any of these
States to representation and. = was not until
towards the close of the eighth month of the
session that an exception was made in favor
81 Tennessee, by the admission of her Sena-
tors and Representatives. s.
Ip,PortdHce Of admission of JfFsSoutherR Rep
- septaticcs.
Ideem it subject of profound regret that
pgress has thus far failed to admit to seats
al Senators aud Representatives from the
other States. whose inhabitants, with those of
Iennessee, had engaged nsthe rebellion
Ten Siates more tt1an one fourth of the
whole nnmber- -retilaiA without representa-
ion the seats of fifty members in the House
of ~ rresentatiyes and 1T twenty members
In thg Senate are Jet vaeant-not by their
orn. consent, not by a failure Of election. but
bg the refusal of Congress to accept their
credentials. Their admission, lit is believed,
would have accomplished much towards the
renewal and strengthening of our relations as
one people, and removed serious cause for dis
content on the part of the Inhabitants of those
States. 1t would have accorded with the
great principle eDtinciated in the Declaration
Of American Independence, that no people
oGght.to bear the burden of taxation, and vet
be denied the right of representation. 1t
would have been in consonance with the ex-
press provisions of the COnsti utian. that
teach State shall have at least one Represen-
tatiEe," aud Fthat no State without its con-
sent, shall be deprived Of its equal suffrage
insthe Senate" These provisions were in
tended to secure to every State, and to the
people of every State, the right of represen-
tation in each House of Congress; and so
important was it deemed by tie trainers of the
Constitution that the equality of the States
IN the Senate should be preserved that not
even By an amendment of the Constitution
can any State, without its consent, be denied
voice IN that braDchof the National Lesis>
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