The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1866-06-21
Final Report of the Reconstruc-
ton Committee.

bat the concludlng porCioI VI Cne rePoi
in which the Committee recapitulate all
the alleged facts and principles applicable
to the late "so-called Confederate States,
is herewith published. The entire report
which is the most important public paper
issued in this country since President
Johnson's first proclamation, fills I'VE
closely printed columns OF the largest
New York dailies:
We now propose to restate, as briefly
as possible, the general facts and princi-
pless applicable to all the States recently
an rebellion:
First: The seats of Senators and Rep
resentatives from the so-called Confede-
rate States became vacant in the year
1861, during the second session of the
Thirty-sixth Congress, by the voluntary
withdrawal of their incumbents, with the
sanction and by the direction of their re-
Spective States. This was done as a hos
tile act against the Constitution and the
Government of the United States, with
the declared intent to overthrow the same
BY forming Southern Confederation.
This act of declared hostility was speedily
followed by an organization of the same
States with q Confederacy, which lived
and waged war by sea and land against
the United States. This war continued
more than four years, within which peri
cd the rebel armies besiegsd the National
Capitol, invaded the loyal States, burned
their towns and cities, robbed their citi-
.sens, destroyed more than 350,OOO loyal
eoldiers, and imposed an increased nation
al burden of not less than $500, ,0O0,O 600,
of which seven or eight hundred mil
lions have already been met and paid.
From the time these confederated States
thus withdrew from their representation
in Congress and levied war against the
United States, the great mass of their
people became and were insurgents, trait,
ors, and all of them assumed and occupied
the political, legal and practical relation
of enemies of the United States. This
position is established byscts of Congress
and judicial decisions, and is recognized
repeatedly by the President in public
proclamations, documents and speeches.
Second: The States thus confederated
prosecuted their war against the United
States to final arbitrament, and did not
cease until all their armies were captured,
their military power destroyed, their civil
oficers-State and Confederate-taken
prisoners or put to fight, every vestige
of State and Confederate Government
obliterated, their territory overrun and
occupied by the Federal armies, and their
neople reduced to the condition of enc
mics conquered in war, entitled only by
public law TO such rights, privileges and
conditions as might be vouchsafed by the
conquerors.
This position is also established by ju-
dicisl decisions aid is recognized by the
President in public proclamations, docu-
ments and speeches.
Third: Having voluntary deprived
themselves Of representation in Congress
for the criminal purpose Of destroying the
Federal Union, and having reduced them
D., es by the act of levying war to the
condition of public enemies, they have no
right to complain of temporary exclusion
from Congress; but, on the contrary,
having voluntarily renounced their right
to representation, and disqualified them
selves by crime from participation in the
Government, the burden now rests upon
them, before claiming to be reinstated in
their former condition, to show that
they are qualified to resume Federal
relations. In order to do this they must
prove that they have established, with
the consent of the people, republican
forms of government in harmony with
tha Constitution and laws of the United
States; that all hostile purposes have
ceased, and should give adequate guaran-
tees against future treason and rebellion,
which will prove satisfactory to the Gov
ernment against which they rebel!ed, and
by whose arms they were subdued.
Fourth Having by this reasonable
withdrawal from Congress, and by fla
Grant rebellion and war, forfeited all civil
and political rights and privileges under
the Federal Constitution, they can only
be restored thereto by the permission and
authority. of that constitutional power
against which they rebelled, and by which
they were subdued.
Fifth: These rebellious armies were
conquered by the people of the United
States, acting through all the coordinate
branches of the Government, and not by
the Executive Department alone. The
powers of Congress are not vested in the
President that he can fix and regulate the
terms of settlement, and confer Congress
sional representation, nor can he in any
way qualify the enemies of the Govern
ment to exercise its law-making powers
The authority to restore rebels to politl
cal power in the Federal Government car
only be exercised with the concurrence O.
all the Departments in which politica
power is vested, and hence the severa
proclamations of the President to tht
people of the Confederate States canno
be considered as extending beyond thu
-Aoaoa daolornd and nan only be rarar