Clarksville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1865-1867, 1866-07-06
RECsssrRUCrIoS.
REPORT OF TIE rrsonrrr OF THE coumrrEr


REPORT or rHB MINORITY OF TUE conMTrEE
The minority Of the Committee Of Fifteen
consisting Of aeverdy johnson, Senator, Re.
preventative Grider of Kentucky, and Rog.
en Of New Jersey, Q day or two since
submitted their report upon the matter en-
trusted 70 the Committee.
We presume Il 10 from the pen of thai pro-
found constitutional lawer Reverdy johnson,
and certainly Is an able and exhaustive re-
view and exposure Of the fallacies Of the
Majority Report published q week or
two ago. The argument against the Radi-
cal position Is SO plain, aud its leading points
have been so often presented within the last
six months, that we have not deemed It noes.
sary to reproduce It as given in this document,
but give only an extract bearing most direc-
ly upon the question Of readmission - Union
and American.
ONCE A STATE, ALWAYS A STATE.
A State once in the Union must abide in
1t forever. She can never withdraw from or
be expelled from 1t. A different principle
would suject the Union to dissolution at
any moment. 1t is, therefore, alike perilous
and unsound. Nor do we see that it has any
support in the measures recommended by the
majority of the committee. The insurrec-
tionary States are by these measures conce-
ded to be States of the Union. The pro-
posed constitutional amendment Is to be sub.
mitted TO them as well as the other States.
In these respects each is placed on the same
ground. To consult a state not In the Un-
ion on the propriety of adopting sensational
amendment to the government Of the Union,
and which is necessarily to effect those
States only comprising the Union, would be
an aLsurdity, and to allow any such an
amendment a. States In the Union might de-
sire, to be defeated by the votes of States not
In the Union, would be alike nosensical and
unjust. The very measure, therefore, of sub
mitting to all the States forming the Union
before the insurection q constitutional
amendment makes the inquiry whether all
at this time are in or out of the Union a
vital one. If they are not all should be
only because they arc.
The very fact, therefore, Of such a sub.
mission comedies that the Southern States are
and never ceased TO be States Of the Union.
Tested, therefore, either by the nature of our
government or by the terms Of the Constitu-
tion, the insurrection now utterly and hap
p.ly suppressed, mas IN no respect cnsnged
.ue Ie'asons o. tne otates wnere prev@ied
~ 'uo Henerai oo,ernment' on tne con-
ua,., .uey s.e 70 al ,h'e9,s anu pu,poses as
comp'e,eiy o'stes OF tne Union as they ever
,'. Muie, anu IN 'ui.ner support Oh .nls ptopo-
o'uoa, neeueu any, We connaenuy aP-
Pea' 70 tne iac' 'hat the very measure re-
co'nneuaeo, cons,'a,ionai amendment 70
oe suoinittsa 10 sucn States, furnishes snch
support. for, looking 10 ana regarding tne
,'en'o Vi ohc o'her states, such SUBMISSION
uas no warrant or foundation except upon
.ne nyPotnesls that they are as ABSOLUTELY
S.a.es ,tno Union US any Oh INC otner
o'ales. IL can never oe, unoer any c;rcum-
s'Ances, = Pron''e:s Aost,acuon' wnetner
Snoer 'ne Oonsu'u'ion, ota'e y OF ~ NOT
oAI Vi 'ne ouion, ~ can heser pe sucn
an .os'iae.'o" wee'ner 'ne P9oP,e o. so!se
once IN 'ne Union can sosen,.riiy OF oy
oon'pu's'on oe Ireeu ,roui ,'e oppga,ons u
enyolnS, OF oe aeLalvee OF 'ne r'gas y con.
iers VI INC profession anorus' n uineIehs
uoctr,ne unnecessarily iea"s W" oisso'uuon VI
Tue UNION.
EQUALITY oF THE srATn.
In its nature the Government Is formed OF
and by States possessing equal rights and
powers. States unequal are not known to
the Constitution. In its original formation
perfect equality was secured They were
granted the same representation in the Sem
ate, and the same right to be represented in
the House of Representatives, the difference
IN the letter being regulated only by differ
ence in population. But every State, how
ever small its population, was secured one
representative in that branch. Each State
was given the right and the same right to
participate in the election of President and
Vice President, and all alike were secured
the benefit Of the judicial department The
Constitution, too, was submitted to the
people of each State, separately, and adopted
by them In that capacity. The convention
which framed II con ,idered, as they were
bound to do, each as a supreme sovereign,
that could not be subjected to the Constitu-
ton except by its own consent. The consent
was consequently asked ana given.
Inc equaiity, therefore, OF rignts was tne
conoition oil the original tnirteen states De-
fore the government was formed, ana sucn
equaiity was not only not interierred win OUT
guaranteed 70 tnem as wei as IN regard 70
the people OF the states. Inc same equality
70 secured 10 those which nave pcen admitted
into Tue Union since the constitution wa;
adopted In each instance tne State ADMIT
ted nas oeeh declared 70 oe one OF tue ohi-
ted states, on an equal iooung with me or
lglnai otates IN all respects Whatever fne
Constitution, 100, 80 lar as most OF the pow