The Cadiz sentinel. [volume] (Cadiz, Ohio) 1864-1911, 1866-08-08
NEW SERIES---VOLUME 2, NO. 2

ernment can only he restored to its former
! political relations in the Union by the con-
| sent of the law making power OF ;te 'ssitteI
| States, il would really seem to follow that
| the Joint reso ution which at this late day
has received the santion Of Congress should
| have been passed, approved and placed on
| the statute ho0l before any amendment to
the Constitution was submitted to the Leg
| stature Of Tennessee for ratification, other
wise the inference is plainly deduclble that
while in the opinion of Congress, the people
of a State may be too strongly disloyal to DC
entitled to representation, they may, never
theless. during the suspension of their for
mer practical relations to the Union. have
an equally potent voice with other and loyel
States in propositions to amend the Cons;i,
tuition, upon which so essentially depend
the stability, prosperity and very existence
of the nation. A brief reference to my rnan.
gural message OF December a, 1865, Will
show the steps taken by the Executive for
the restoration to their constitutional reia-
tions of the States that had been affected
by the rebellion.
Upon the cessation Of active hostilities
! Provisional Governors were appointed
Conventions called, Governors elected by
the people, Legislatures asse mtled, and
E)tHdIDIS anu hStTtScUldllNc ClOocu " tlAO
Congress of the United States. At the
same time the Courts Of the United States
were reopened, the blockade removed, the
custom houses reestablished; and postal
operations resumed. The amendment to
the Constitution, abolishipg slavery fore~er
within the limits of the country, was also
submitted to the States, and they were
thus invited to and did participate in
ratification, thus exercising the highest
functions pertaining to a State. In addl-
ton, nearly all of these States, through
their Conventions ard Legislatures, had
adopted and ratified constitutions OF gov
ernment whereby slavey was abolished,
and all ordinances AMI laws Of secession,
and debts contracted under the same, We're
declared null and void.
So far, then, the political existence Of nle
| States, and their relations to the Fedelal
Government had been fully and completely
recognized and acknowledged by the Exc
cutiye Department of the Government, and
| the compl ton of the work of restoration,
which had progressed so faeorahls, was sub
mitted to Congress, upon which devoved
all questions pertaining to the admissitn TO
their seats of the Senators and Representa-
tives chosen from the States whose people
had engaged in the rebellion. All these
step had been taken when! on the fourth
day OF December; 1868; the XEX1Xth Con-
81 less ass, mbled. Nearly eight months have
elapsed since that time and no other plan
having been proposed by Congress for the
measures instituted by the Executive, it is
now declared in the joint resolution subp,it
ted for my approval, that the State OF Ten
ncssee is hereby restored To her former
prac. ical relations tn the Union, and again
entitled to b. represented by Senators and
Representatives in Congress.
Thus, after the lapse of nearly eight
months, Congress proposes to pave the way
one of the eleven States whose people ar
yayed themselves in rebellion against the
constitutional authority OF the Federal Gov
ernment. Earnestly desiring to relieve ever
Y Gauge of further delay, whether real or
imaeilSry, on the part of Congress TO the
admission 10 seats of loyal Senators and
Representatives frorn the State Of Tennes-
see, have, notwithstanding the anomalous
character of the proceedings. affixed my
signature to the resolution. Ny approval,
| however, is not to be construed as an nc-
Acknowledgement of the right of Congress to
pass laws preliminary to the admission OF
| duly qualified Representatives from any of
the States. Neither is it to be considered
as committing me to all the statements made
| in The preamble, some of which are, in my
op Mon, without foundation in fact, espec-
| ialy the assertion that the State of Tennes-
| see has ra i6ed the amendm Mt to the Con-
stitution of the United States proposed ny
| the Thirty-ninth Congress.
No official notice of such ratification has
peen received ht the Executive; or filed in
the Department Of State. On the contra
ry' unofficial information from most reliable
sources induces the belief that the amend
ment has not vet been constitutiorallr sanc-
toned by the Legislature of Tenues ee.-s
The right of each House under the ConstiA
tuition to Judge of the election returns and
qualifications of its own members is nm
doubted, and my approval or disapproval of
the resolution could not igNthe slightest de-
gree increase or diminish the authority in
this respect conferred upon the two branchi
es of Congressr
In conclusion | can not too earnestly re-
peat my recommendation for the admission
M Tennessee and all other States to fair
and equal participation in the National Leg
isaturc, when they present themselves IN
the persons ofloyal Senators and Represen-
tatives, who can comply with all the raquire-
nients Of the Constitution and the laws
By this means harmony and reconciliation
will be effected, the practical relations of all
the STATES to the Federal Government no.
established, and the work of restoration in-
augurated upon the termination os the war
successfully completed
WASHINGTON, d. c., July "a, 1866