The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1866-08-18
conditions specified in the proclama.

conditions specified in the proclama-
tions. s... -
Ipurposely waive the, inquiry how
far these State Governments were mere
ly provisional, depending on the ap-
to discuss any of the mooted questions
on that subject. In the absence of
Congress the President felt himself
authorized and required to invite the
people of the insurgent States to reor-
ganizei their local governments, in
which, as a member of the Cabinet, I
concurred. But there is nothing in the
proclamations, nor in the circumstan-
ices under which they were issued, nor
any declared purpose for their being Is
sued, nor any subsequent Executive
declaration or act in support of them,
intended to restrain or understood to
operate in restraint of Congress deter
mining for itself, whether such Govern
ments, when organized, were Republi-
can in form, within the true meaning
OF the Constitution, and, above ali,
nothing to prevent or even ennbarrass
Congress deciding when and upon what
terms members from those States
should be admitted to seats in Con-
gress. The declaration of Mr.. Lincoln
In his last speech, a few days before his
assassination; when he gave his reasons
for having encouraged the people Of
Louisiana to form a State Government,
that he chad never claimed the right to
say when or whether the members
should be admitted TO seats in Congress
from the rebellious States" was recog-
nized as the corner stone of the Execu-
tive policy in respect to the reconstruc-
ton, of those States. In his annual
message, President Johnson did not
controvert this proposition, but admit
ted that the Executive had nothing to
do with Determining the question of the
admission of members to seats in Com
'gress; but that its consideration and
decision belonged exclusively to Com
,gress.
s 1t was under such circumstances that
Congress met In, December last. 1t
found the local governments of all the
Einsprgent States organized under the
ception of Texas. 1t found marked,
differences in the proceedings of the
several conventions and legislatures of
those States in respect to their mRnifes-
tations of loyalty to the Federal Gov
ernment. 1t found, or thoughtit found,
an almost universal purpose among
them to deny to their coIored poplla1
ton any of the essential securities to
their civil rights, and determination
to perpetuate the incidents of slavery
to their fullest possible extent. 1t dis
covered, or believed it discovered, from
the evidences 1t received of the brutal
treatment of the freedmen and of Union
men, and the disloyal utteFance of. the
press and of prominent citizens OF the
lrebellious States, that there was little
true loyalty to the General Govern
ment among the people of those States,
and, that although defeated in their
armed treason against the eGovernment,
they were not prepared, consistently
with the safety of the nation, to imne-
6fntnIU nntnP and inHffFtHy oil k1a,
rights and privileges of Federal citi-
zenship.
i do not inquire whether Congress
was right in their suspicious or.conclu-
sions. 1t is sufficient they had the
suspicious and had formed such con-
illusions. 1t was the law-making pow
er of the Government charged with the
constitutional duty of not permitting
any State to be represented in its body,
whose government was not, in its judg-
lnent, fully republican in form, nor the
recognition OF whose full rights, as a
State, would imperil the safety of the
nation. OF all such matters, Congress
vas alone the judge. AS no appeal
could be made from it's decision but to
the people, so no other authority had
the right to direct or embarrass it in its
deliberations or determinations, save
the president by his qualified negative
upon its decisions. se
In any discussion of the differences
between the President and Congress on
the subject of Reconstruction, it is of the
first Importance that their respective
duties should be borne in mind. 1t
should not be overlooked that the Pres
tdent had virtually exhausted his pow
of Congress, which alone, after that,
was authorized to act In the premises,
subject only to the Presidentis mega
tive already referred to.
My purpose in dwelling at such
length on the subject of reconstruction
Is, in part, to assert for Congress the
exclusive control over it, and to deny
to the Executive branch ofthe Govern
mentany power to interfere with the
exercise of such control save through
the qualified negative of the President
in matters of legislation. have one
other object, which Is to vlndicate Com
gress from the charge of hasty or intem-
perate legislation, and to express the
opinion which i now do, that it wns
the duty of the President, as we'll in
view Of his responsibilities as the Ex-
eoutive of the Government, as his Ohli-
CATION to the Union Republican party,
to have approved the Constitutional
Amendment, as IL finally passed Con-
gress, and to have given the influence
Of his administration for its ratification
by the State Legislatures.
Itcannot be overlooked that iu the
controversy between the President and
Congress on the subject of reconstruc-
ton, Congress has displayed the more
conciliatory spirit. Indeed the conces-
fsions have been wholly on its part.
The President has yielded nothing
from the position.h he assumed in his first
veto OF, the Freedmenis Bureau Bill in
opposition to Congress legislating on
any matter affecting the, insurgent
States until they were represented in
both branches of Congress. The ma
1ortty in Congress, on the other hand,
waived the urging of several questions
regarded by prominent members of
either House as of almost vital impoF-
tance. Among them were the follow
First. That the insurgent States had
by tho act of rebel lion, ;divested them
selves of all the rights and privileges
OF StatesS and should be treated as Ter
rttortes until their State organizations
were renewed, upon such conditions as
Congress should prescribe.
Second. That in view of the enormity
of thecrfme oftEebellion, and as a pro-
lection against its recurrence as we'll
as TO meet the demands of Justice; the
estates of leading traitors should be
conHscated and appropriated to the
use Of the loyal freedmen, Union citi-.
zens of the South who had been Gies-
potled OF their property by the rebel
government, and to the payment of the
public debt: and = 'fFEiss'' =
Third. That for the protection of the
colored population against oppression
and Injustice from the old master class
otlthe South and TO secure them in the
fnu enjoyment oflall their civil rights.
universal, or at least impartial suE-
lrage should be permanently establish