Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1866-02-28

and use them for the attainment of his own
political end. "a
cannot but add another very grayesob-
lection 10 this bill the Constitution apera-
in connsction withtaxatioiS
that each StateJshail lave at least one Rep
rescntativ ve,sanlS fixes the ru1efor the num ber
to which iu future: times each State:shalls sbe
entitled. Sl tSA 80 80
Italsol provides that thesSenate of the
United. States shall besconipbse dot t@o
Senator's from each State and adds, with pc.
culiar force, that no State, without it con-
sents, shalihe deprived of its suffrage in the
Senate. The original act was necessarily
passed, in the absence Of the States, chiefly
because" their people were cohrdnYaciousiy
engaged in rcbelliep. but the ceseiy changed
and somc 1t least. effhe Slatesrare attending
Congress by loyal Representatives soliciting
the allowance of theH Hcoflstisusiohaf git or
representation ~ - ..l,i ..g.ii-I7. !4Q.,
u At the tines however, of the consideration
aud passing Of the bill there was no S:nator.
Of r preventative in Congress fromthe eleven;
States which ere to bos naialy affected by It's.
provisions. The very. fact that reports were
aud are made against the good. disposition Of
the country is aS additional reasonwby.they
need and should hayerepresentatises. of their.
owniin Congress to explain, their condition,
reply esi cciilly lheaccusalons, arl assist, by.
their local knowledge, in perfecting measures
immediately affecting themselves, while the
liberty Of dciihera!ipn wpuldsthen be free,
aid Congress would haye fnll;power 10 decide
according to its Judgment -, s.,.-s-5 -.
There could be 10 objection urged that the.
States most Interested had not, bean permitted.
to BE- heard. The principles is i!aiy fixed in
the minds Of the Americnl pee pie .hai there,
should be notezation without req, esentstiou.
Great burdens arr, now. TO be hsrne by all tha:
-c'ualry, and we may. lest demand that-they
shall be borne without. murmur when they
are voted By majority 'oi thereprcssntatives
of all the people. .,,.-l.es j.
l would not interfere. with,the unquestion-
able right of Congress to judge, each, House
for itself, of the election returns and, auali6
cations ofits own members, but, that author
ity cannot be construed, as including the right
to put out in time OF peace any State. from
the Representatives to- which if is entitled
by the Constitution. At present all the peo-
pile If The eleven States afe- excluded, those
who were most faithfsl, during the, war, not
less than. Others. .:,e7 .s-r-
The State Of Tennessee, for instance, whose
authorities engaged in toe rebellion, was re-.
stored to all her constitutional relations to
the Union by, the patriotism and energy Of.
her-injured: aud betrayed people before the
war was brought to 8 termination. They
had placed themselves in relations with the
general government, had established State
government of. their cwrl, and as they were
not included in the emancipation proclamation
they, by their own act, have amended their
Constitution. SO as to abo,iah slavery within
the limits of their State. -.
/ know no reason why the State of Tennes.s
see, for. example, should notfnlly enjoy her
constitutional relations to the United States.
Tie President Of The United States stands to-,
wards the country in a somewhat different at.
ti;ule from that of any member of Congress
chosen from single district or State. The
President is, chosen by the people of all the
States. Eleven States are not at this time
represented-iu either branch Of Congress. It
would seem to be his duty, On ell proper oc-
cesions, to present their just claims to Com
gress, ~
There always will be differences of opinion
in We country, aad individuals Gay be guilty
of transgressions Of tho law; but these do not
constitute valid objections against the right
of Stateto Representatives, and wculd, in
no wise, interfere with the discretion of Con-
gress with regard to the qualifications of
members; but hold Tiny duty to recon-
mend to You. in the interest of peace, and in
the interest of the Union, the admission of
every State to its share Of public legislation,
when, however insubordinate, insurgent or
s2s5 ssSs9ss is gsS9Rs S may aaEs Rfesp i
aud harmony, but in the persons Of Represeu-
la,ives whose loyalty cannot be questioned
under the existing Constitution or legal test.
It is plain that an Indefinite or permanent
exclusion of any part Of the country from
represent .ton will be attended BIZ species of
d;squiet and complaint. 1t is unwise and
dangerous to pursue course of measures.
which will unite any large section of the coun-
try against another s-ctisn of the country,
no matter how mach the latter may predomi-
nate.
The cause of immigration, the wants of in.
justry and business, and natural causes will
raise UP in the South men as devoted to the
Union as those of any other pnrt of the land
but if they are al excluded from Congress,
if in permanent statute they are declared
not to be in full constitutional relations to tho
country, they may think they have cause to
become unit in feeling and sentiment against
The government.
Under the political education of the Amer
icen people the idea is inherent and iaerad!-
cable, that the consent Of the majority of the
whole people is necessary to secure willing
acquie oence in tho legislation. The bill un-
der consideration refors to certain of the
States as though they had not been fully re-
stored to the United States ;and If they have
not, let US at once act together 10 secure that
desirable end at the earliest practicable mo-
ment. -.
1t is hardly necessary for me to inform Cen.
,gress thatin my own judgment most Of these
States, SO far At least as depends upon their
own actions, have already been fully restored
aud are to be deemed entitled to enjoy their
constitutional rights as members of the Union.
Reasoning from the Constitution itself and
from the actual situation a the country, and
feeling not only entitled butbound to assume
that, with the Federal courts restored in the
several States, and in the full exercise Of their
functions,, the rights and interostsof all cases,
Of the people will, with the aid of +be militia
ry, in cases of resistance to the law, be cs-
sentislly protected against unconstitutional
infringement and violation. Should this ex
pectation unbappily fail, which do not anti
cipate, then the Executive eiS already armed
with the power conferred blythe act of March
1855, establishing the Freedmen's Bureau,
and hereafter, as heretofore, he can employ
the land and naval forces of tho country to
suppress insurrection, and to overcome OBJ
structions to the law. ''-.- /-5'1
retura tho bill to tho Senate in earnest