The Vermont transcript. [volume] (St. Albans, Vt.) 1864-1870, 1866-06-29
Message on the constitutional
Amendment.

In reference TO the Presidents mes
sage on the constitutional amendment, |
which we give below, IValton's Journal
says: "He could not veto it, because
it is valid without his signature, so he |
could only run out his sting in mes
sage We construc it as n doclara-
ton of war against the amendment,
and an invitation to the states to re-
ject it; especially to the Southern
States. for whom we suppose the
President specially intended the OBJ
iections he makes to the amendment. /
If no amendment ought to be pro
posed until all the rebel states arc
represented in Congress, then the
amendment abolishing slavery should
not have been proposed. If grave
doubts exist as to the validity of the
one, these doubts apply equally to the
other. Now let us remember that
these constitutional amendments are
in fact conditions precedent to the adj
mission of rebel states to representa-
ton, and i'll that view the action of
Congress as to representation is pre-
cisely the same as that of President
Johnson in respect to their recogni-
ton by him. He imposed conditions
precedent, and several of them. Ifhe
had grave doubts about that, he
waived them; and that is precisely
what he should have done in this case.
Senator Poland's expectation, that the
President would support the amend
ment, proves to be mistake
l submit to Congress a report of
the Secretary of State, to whom was
referred the concurrent resolution of
the 18th inst, respecting submits
sion of the Legislatures of the States
of an additional article to the Consti-
tuition of the United States. 1t will be
seen from this report that the Secre-
tary of State had, on the 18th inst. !,
transmitted to the Governors of the
several States certified copies of the
joint resolution passed ON the 18th
inst, proposing an amendment to the
Constitution. Even in ordinary times
question of amending the Consti-
tuition must be Justly regarded as of
paramount Importance. This impor-
tance is at the presant time, enhanced
by the fact that the joint resolution
was not submitted by the two Houses
for the approval of the President, and
that of the thirtys six States which con-
stituted the Union, eleven are excluded
from representation in either House
or Congress, although, with the sin.
gle exception of Texas, they have beer
entirely restored in all their functions
as States in conformity with the or
ganic law of the land, and have APP
peared az the National Capitol b,
Senators and Representatives who
have applied for and been refused ad
mission to the vacant seats. No
have the sovereign people of the ma
ton been afforded an opportunity o
expressing their views upon the i'm
portant questions which the amend
ment involves. Grave doubts, there
fore, may very naturally and iustl
arise rs to whether the action of Coz
gress is in harmony with the sent
ment of the people, and whether Stat
Legislatures elected with out referent
to such an issue, should be called III
on 10y Congress to decide respectn
the ratification of the proposed amenc
ment. Waving the question as
the constitutional validity of the pre-
ceedings of Congress upon the Join
resolution proposing the amendmen
or as to the merits of the article whic
it submits through the Executive d.
partment to the Legislatures of I'll
States, deem it proper to obserN
that the steps taken by the Secretal
OF State as detailed in the accompi
Dying report, are TO be considered {
purely ministerial, and in no sens
whatever committing the Executive [
an approval or recon mendation
the amendment to the State Legisli
lures or TO the people. On the con
trary, n proper appreciation of the lie
ter and the spirit of the Constitution
as well as of the interest of nation
order, harmony and union, and of
Difference to an enlightened publ
judgment, may at this time we'll sul
gest doubt whether any amendmel
to the Constitution ought to be pr
posed by Congress and passed upo
by the Legislatures of the sever
States for final decision until after Il
admission of such loyal Senator's al
Representatives of the now unrepr
sented States as have been or may
hereafter chosen in conformity wit
the constitution and laws of ii
United States.
ANDREW JOHNSON.
WASHINGTON, ID. c., June ~, 1866.