The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1866-12-07

Foffor- cfflzens ~ fhe Sfndfe ana H0Us
oF Representatives.
After brief interval the Congress.
Of tho United States resumes its leg
slaiive labors An all. wise and
mercirul Providence has abated the
pestilence which visited our shores,
leaving its calamitous traces upon
some portions of our country -
Peace, order, tranquility, and civil
authority have been formally declar.
ed to exist throughout The whole oI
the United States. In all of the
States civil authority has supercedcd
the coersion Of arms, aud the people
by their voluntary action. are main
taining their governments in full ac.
tivity and complete operation. The
enforcement of the laws is no Longer
"obstructed in any State hy comb
nations too powerful to he suppress
cd by the ordinary course of Judi
cial prorecdings;' aud the animosi
ties engcndcred bv the war are rep
idly yielding to the bcneiicent in1u.
ence of our free institutions, and to
the kindly effects of unrestricted so
cial and commercial intercourse. -
An entire restoration of fratcrnal
feelings must he the earnest wish OF
every patriotic heart; and we will
have accomplished our grandest ma
tional achievement, when, forgetting
the sad events OF the past, and re
membering only their Instructive
lessons, we resume our onward ca.
recr as free, prosperous and unit
cd people.
In my message of the 4th of De
cembrr, 1865, Congress was inform
c1 Of the measures which had beer
instituted by the Executive with :
view to the gradual restoration o'
the States, in which the insurrectior
occurred, TO their relations with the
General Government. Provisiona
Governors had been appointed, Con
ventions called, Governors elected
Legislatures assembled, and Sena
tors and Representatives chosen tc
the Congress of the United States
Courts had been opened for the en-
forcement of laws long IN allegiance
The blockade had been removed
custom houses re established, and
the internal revenue laws put In
force, in order that the people might
contribute to the national income
Postal operations had been renewed
and efforts were being made to re
store them to their former condition
of efficiency. The States them
selves hal been asked to take part
in the high function of amending the
Constitution, and of thus sanction.
ing the extinction of African slavery
as one of the legitimate results OF
our ernecine struggle.
FxeeutiSc bspSrtmcnt found that |
had accomplished nearly all that wa
within the scope of its constitutions
authority. One thing, however, We
remained to be done before the worl
of restoration could he completed
and that was the admission to Con
gress Of loyal Senators and Repre-
sentativcs from the States wi os
people had rebelled against the law
ful authority OF the General Gov
ernmcnt. This question devolve
upon the respective Houses, whicl
by the Constitution, are made tn
judges of the elections, returns. an
qualifications of their own members
and its consideration at once. engaa
cl the attention of Congress.
In the meantime, the Executiv
Dcpartment--no other plan havin
been proposed by -con,in
ued its efforts TO perfect, ms far q
was practicable, the restoration O
the proper relations between the cit
zens of the respective States, th
States, and the Federal Government
extending, from time to time, as th
public interests seemed to require
the judicial, revenue, and postal sys
tens of the country. With the nd
vice and consent of the Senate, tn
necessary officers were appointed
and appropriations made by Con
gress for the payment of their sala
ries. The proposition to amend til
Federal Constitution, so as to pr,
vent the existence of slavery with
the United States, or anNy Ny1s ratilleI
leettp-41NttlI'1isit number of States
and on the 18th day of December
1860, it was officially declared t,
have become valid as part of tn
Constitution of the United States -
All OF the States in which the insur
rection had existed promptly amend
ed their Constitution, so MS to max,
Them conform to the great chang,
thus effected in the organic law o
the laDd; declared null and void al
ordinances OF secession; repudiatet
all pretended debts and obligation
created fer the revolutionary pur
poses of the insuI rection; aud pro
ceeded, in good faith, TO the enact
ment of measures for the protection
and amelloration ol the colored race
Congress, however, yet hesitated 4
admit any of these States to repre-
sentation; and it was not until nea
the close of the eighth month of II,
session that an exception was mad
IN favor of Tennessee, by the admis
sion o: her Senators and Represer
tatives,
l deem 1t subject of profonn
regret that Congress has thus IA
tailed 10 admit to seats loyal Senl
tors and Representatives from III
other States, whose inhabitants, wit
those OF Tennessee, had engaged h
the rehpllion. Ton Stn1na