Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1866-08-02

Message from the President o'
the admission OF TENNESSEE.
!, The following message was receive
!, by the House OF Representatives yei
tcrday 2lih ul,, from the President .
10 the House Of Representatives.:
The following "joint resolution re
storing Tennessee to her relations 4
the Union" was last evening presente'
for my approval;
WHEREAS in the year 1861 the government q
the State of Tennessee was seized upon aud ttkc
possession Of by persons in hostility TO the Unite
States, and the inhabitants Of said State, in pur
suapcc of an net Of Congress, were declared 10 b
in astatc OF nsurrcction against the United States
and whereas the said State government can onl
lbc restored to It's former political relations in tn
Union by the consent Of the law-makiDg power o
the United States and whereas the people Of tn
said State did, ON the 22d day of February, 1865
BY large popular vote, adopt and ratify Consti
tuition and government whereby slavery was abol
ished, and the ordinances aud laws Of secession
and debts contracted under the same, we're de
clarcd null and void aud whereas n State gov
ernlnent has been organized under said Constitu
tion, which has ratified the amendment to the Con
stitGtion Of the United States abolishing slavery
and also the amendment proposed by the Thirty
ninth Congress, and has done other acts proclaim.
ing and denohng loyalty therefore
BE il resoi0ed By he Senate and House Of Rep
resentatires Of The United States, in Congress as
sembied, That the State Of Tennessee is hereby re-
stored TO her former proper practical relations e
the Union, and is again entitled TO be represented
by Senators and Representatives in Congress.
The preamble simply consists OF
statements, some Of which are as
sumed while the resolution is merely
a declaration of opinion 1t com
priscs no legislation nor does it con
fer any power which is binding upon
the respective houses, the Executive,
or the States. 1t does not admit to
their seats in Congress the Senators
and Representatives from the State OF
Tennessee; for, Notwithstanding the
passage Of the resolution, each house,
in the exercise of the constitutional
right to judge for itself Of the cleo
tions, returns and qualifications of its
members, may, at its discretion, admit
them, or continue to exclude them.
II a joint resolution of this character
were necessary and binding as con
dition precedent to the admission of
members of Congress, it would hap
pen, in the event OF a veto by the Ex.
ecutive, that Senators and Represen-
tatives could only bo admitted to the
halls Of legislation by two-thirds
vote of each Of tho two houses.
Among other reasons recited in the
preamble for the declarations contain.
ed in the resolution is the ratification,
by the State government of Tennes-
see, Of "the amendment to the Consti-
tuition of the United States abolishing
slavery, and also the amendment pro.
posed by the Thirty-ninth Congress.
If, as is also declared in the pream-
bic, "said State government can only
be restored to its former political re-
lations in the Union by the consent
OF the law-making power Of the Uni
ted States" it would really seem to
follow that the joint resolution which
at this late day has received the sane
tion of Congress, should have been
passed, approved, and placed on the
statute books before any amendment
to the constitution was submitted to
the Legislature of Tennessee for rati-
heation. Otherwise the Inference is
plainly deducible that while, in the
opinion OF Congress, the people of a
State may be too strongly disloyal to
be entitled to representation, they
may, nevertheless, during the suspen-
sion of their "lormer proper practical
to the Union, havean equal
y potent voice with other and loyal
States in propositions TO amend the
constitution, upon which so essentially
depend the stability, prosperity and
very existence of the nation.
A brief reference TO my annual mes
'age Of the 4th of December last, will
show the steps taken by the Exccu.
i've for the restoration to their con-
relations TO the Union of
he States that had been affected bv
.he rebellion. Upon the cessation OF
lctive hostilitics, provisional COVER |
lors were appointed, conventions call 4
I'd, and governors elected by the peo- /
Die, Legislatures assembled, and Sen |
ltors and Representatives chosen to |
he Congress Of the United States. |
At the same time the courts of the
United States were re-opened, the
blockade removed, the custom houses
'e-established, and postal relations .
esumed.
The amendment to the constitution
ibolishing slavery forever within the
limits of the country was also submit
ed to the States, and they were thus
invited to, and did participate in its /
atiiication-tbus exercising the high /,
ST functions pertaining to State. I
n addition, nearly all of these States,
trough their conventions and Iecis.
atures, had adopted and ratified con.
''of government, whereby
lavery was abolished, and all ordi-
ances and laws Of secession and debts