New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1866-02-21
NUMBER 1862

psovvs 3 ana energy Of her injured and outraged
lion th.1 e1ore the war was Brought to termina
the Gene,.I 10 ciassed themselves in relation with
Government X II. saannent; had estabshed'a State
by their n y sns stnancip prociamation thew
ton 80 a. ID afsals nave amended their ConatitIt
their State kncr, S ~ 81 Within the limits al
Tennessee, for example should n KY hs State Of
s r., Unsd' ssoy her
country in somewhat different sssis a Yards the
of any member of Congress chosen 60 rom that
district or State. The Preaident II chss sh9e |
the people OF all the States. Eleven ssa ~
are not now represented In Congress. mi 4.
weuld seem to be his duty on all proper occssssss
to present their just claims to Congress Thar
always will be difference Of opinion in the CON.
munity and individuals may be guilty Of Hi
fraction of the law. but these do not constitute
valid objections against the right Of State Il
representation. ] would in no wise interior,
with the discretion of Congress with regar,
to the qualifications of members, but i hold !
my duty to recommend to you in the interest
Of peace, and in the interests of the Union
the admission Of every State to its share in pub
lie legislation, however insub0rdinate, insurgen
or rebelhons its people may have been. Wher
it presents itself not only in an attitude Of 10y
atty and harmony, but in the persons of represen
tatives, whose loyalty cannot be questioned under
the existing Constitutional legal test it is plain
that an indefinite or permanent exclusion Of any
part OF the country from representation must be
Is unwise and dangerous ito pursue course Of
measures which will unite any large section Of the
country against another secfion--io matter how
much the latter may predominant. The course Of
Immigration, the development of industry and
business. and natural causes, viii raise up al
the South people devoted to the Union a. those
OF any other part of the land but if they are still
excluded from Congress, if by permanent statute
they are declared not to be in full constitutional
relations TO the country, they may think they have
cause TO become alienated in feeling and senti.
ment from the government. Under the politi
cal education Of the American people the idea il
inherent and ineradicable, that the consent Of the
majority Of the whole il necessary to will
Ing acquiesence in legislation. The bill under con.
sideration refers to certain Of the States
as though they had not been fully
restored to TIE United States and # they have not
end at the earliest possible moment. II is hardly
necessary for me TO inform Congress, that in my
own Judgment, most of the States, so far as de-
pends On their own action, have been fully res.
tored to the enjoyment Of their constitutional
rights AZ members Of the Union. Reasoning from
the nsttution itself and from the actual situa-
tion q the country, feel not only entitled, but
bound TO assume that, with the Federal courts
restored IN the several States, and in the full
exercise of their functions, the rights and in
terests of all classes Of people, with the aid of
the military in cases of resistance to the
law, will be essentially protected against uncon-
stitntional Infringement and violation Should
this expectation nnhappily fail, which 4 do not
anticipate, then the Executive is armed with the
power of March, 1865, establishing freedmens
bureau; and hereafter as heretofore he can employ
the land and naval forces Of the country to sur
press insnrrection and to overcome distractions
to the law. l return the bill to the Senate in
the earnest hope that measure involving quess
tons and interests SO important to the country
will not become a law unless upon deliberate CON
sderation of the people it shall receive the sane
ton ofenlightened public Judgment. G4g sH5
(Signed1 ANDREW JOHNSON. ~
f5S42H a4;s3'2!t f}t843 n Fs S4 President. II