Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1866-08-04
GENERAL ENTELLEGENCE
Message OF The President in Regard TO
the Admission of Tennessee.

the Admission of Tennessee.
The following Is the message of the
President referring to the admission Of
Tennessee, which was mentioned III the
Congressional report of Tuesday:
The following joint resolution restor-
ing Tennessee to her relations to the
Union was last evening presented fer
my approval:
WHEREAS, In the year 1861, the government
of the State of Tennessee was seized upon and
taken possession of by persons in hostility to
the United States, and the inhabitants of said
State, in pursuance of an act of Congress,
were declared to be in state of lnsurrectlon
against the United States; and
WHEREAS, Said State Government can only
be restored to its former political relations III
the Union BY the consent of the law making
power OF the United States; and
WHEREAS, The people of said State did, on
the I'D day of February, 1865, by large pop
ular vote, adopt and Tatify constitution and
Government whereby slavery was abolished.
aud all laws and ordinances of secession and
debts contracted under the same were declaT-
ed pull and void; and
WHEREAS, A State Government has been
organized under said constitution, which has
ratified the amendment to the Constitution of
the United States abOliehing slavery, aud also
the amendment proposed by the ThlTty-ninth
Congress, and has done other acts proclaim
ing and denOtmg loyalty; therefore, be 1t,
E.sOiUed, By che Senate and House OF Rep
resentatiyes of the United States in Congress
assembled, That the State OF Tennessee is
hereby restored to her former practical Iela-
tions To the Union, and il again entitled to
hs represented ny Senators and Representa-
tives IN Congress.
The preamble consists simply of
statements, some of which are assumed,
while the resolution is merely a decla-
ration of opinion. 1t comprises no leg
islation, nor does it confer any power
which is binding upon the respective
Houses, the Executive or the States. 1t
does not admit to their seats in Con
gress the Senators and Representatives
from the State of Tennessee, for not
withstanding the passage of the resOlu-
ton, each House. in the exercise of the
constitutional right to judge for itself
of the election returns and qualifications
of it's members, may, at its discretion,
admit them or continue to exclude
them. If joint resolution of the char
acter were necessary and binding as a
condition precedent to the admission
of members of Congress, it would
happen in the event of a veto
by the Executive that Senators and
Representatives could only be admitted
to the Halls of Congress by twO-thirds
vote of each of the two Houses.
Among other reasons recited in the
preamble for the declaration contained
in the resolution, is the ratification by
the state government of Tennessee, of
the amendment to the Constitution of
the United States, abohshing slavery,
and also the amendment proposed by
the thirty ninth Congress. If, as is al
so declared in the preamble. said state
government can only be restored to its
former political relations in the Union,
by the consent of the law-making pow
or of the United States, it would really
seem to follow that the joint resolution
which at this late day has received the
sanction of Congress, should have been
passed, approved and placed in the
statute book before any amendment to
the Constitution was submitted to the
Legislature of Tennessee for ratification.
The inference is plainly deducable, that
while in the opinion of Congress the
people of state may be too strongly
dislOyal to be entitled to representation,
they may nevertheless, during the sus-
tiOns to the Union, have an equally po-
tent voice with other loyal states, in
proposition to amend the Constitution
upon which so essentially depend the
stability, prosperity and very existence
of the nation. E
A brief reference to my annual mes
sage of the 4th of December last will
show that steps were taken by the Exc
cutive for the restoration to their Con-
stitutional relations of the states that
had been affected by the rebellion. Up
on the cessation of actual hostilities
Provisional Governors were appointed,
Conventions called, Governors elected
by the people, Legislatures assembled
and Senators and Representative chos-
en- to the Congress of the United
States. at tho same time the Courts of
the United States-were re-opened, the
blockade removed, the Custom House
re-established, and postal operations re-
sumed. The amendment to the Con-
stitution, abolishing slavery forever
within the limits of the country, was
also submitted to the states, and they
were thus invited to and did partici-
pate in a ratification, thus exercising
the highest functions pertaining to a
state. In addition, nearly all of these
states, through their constitutions and
Legislatures, had adopted and ratified
constitutions of Government whereby
slavery was abolished, and all ordinan-
ces and laws of secession, and debts
contracted under the same, were de-
clared null and void.
So far, then, the political existence of
the States, and their relations to the
Federal Government, had been fully
and completely recognized and ac-
knowledged by the Executive Depart
ment of the Government, and the COM
pletion of the work of restoration, which
had progressed so favorably, was sub
mitted to Congress, upon which de-
volved all questions pertaining to the
admission TO their seals of the Senators
and Representatives chosen from the
States whose people had engaged in the
rebellion. All these steps had been
taken, when, ON the 4th day of Decem-
Der, 1866, the Thirty-ninth Congress
Nearly eight months have
elapsed since that time, and no other