, 1866-06-11
Chicago Qribunc.
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MONDAY. JUNE II. 1866.
TIRE RECONSTRUCTION REPORT.
The final report ofthc Reconstruction Com
mittee, presented 10 the Senatc BY SIr. Fes-
senden on Friday last, Is a document Of the
greatest Importance, and should be read By
every man iu the United States. Il cmbodics
the conclusions Of the committee on the
whole question Of reconstruction, nf1er most
patient aud painstaklng inquiry into the con-
dillon Of the south. The argument
against the legality ef the Presidents
pocket State Governments Is over
wbclmlag. The array Of facts which
initiate against the johnson policy of rush.
ing the seeding States into the places which
they vacatcd 1--WE years ago 10 fight for the
overthrow Of the Government, Is irresistible.
Starting with the fundamental fact, declared
In each Of tho Presidents reconstruction
proclamations, TINT the close of the rebellion
found the rebel States t.-dcprlyed of a1l clri,
government ~ they proceed to show TINT nm
one Of these States, exccpt, 1t may be. Ten
nessec, has organized a valid State Govern.
mcnt. In accordance with The Constitution
and laws Of the Unitcd States. The Presi.
dent himself has no power by tho laws TO or
gunize State Government, and the military
or provisional Governors, appointed bY him
being only Ills deputies, clothed
with no other powers than the Pres
idcnt himself possessed, could not lawfully
organize State Government, simply because
no act Of Congress had ever been passed au-
thorizing such mode Of accomplishing that
end Without an enabling act passed by
Congress, the quast State Governments, were
mclc ofl+hoots from. and creatures OF martial
law. They were useful, perhaps, te mitigate
The harsllncss Of martial rule, to ac-
custom the people 10 aid In maintaining order
and as aids 10 the President in performing the
duty which rested on him IS COMMANDMENTS.
Chief, to preserve peace and
order In district oye. which
martial Law did then and does still prevail.
But here the claims of these State Govern
mcnts end. They have no Constitutions
which lave ever been lawfully adopted. The
so-calicd Constitutional Couycptions seem to
haye assumed TINT the old Constitution,
were still in force. and needed only to be
amended in few particulars, forccttInr that
if this were true, conventions called by mill
tary Governors, aud elected by voters pre.
scribed BY Presidential proclamation, could
not amend them. being themselves neither
called toypther nor elected In arcord,nce
with the old Constitutions. Tn none of The
States have The Consultations thns lrrern'ar,
|, formed been sulm;tted IN 1,r ratified liz t,c
neoplr, and The or3ctnsl const,tu,,ons ha-
inr dead. TIM amcnamcnts adontea
stand like the codtcfl II a VII, tb,t :. xo,d
The stnte. arr- 4l,crcforr mi n. destft rtc or
al, ciyj, government as on the d.v when
President johnson hcran his so,c.1led ,vort
of RECONSIDERATION. Their hare n,Iitsrv cov-
ctnments rcpresentipr The pres,dcn,,s viii
hut no civil governments toundrd In accord
auce with law.
The committee rrnor that If admitted ;nto
the Union there would be M ser,ons obstacle.
TO the notification by tha late rchc1 states If
the so-callcd amendments abo];shinr s,arcrr
and rcpndiatinc the rebel debt. as eyen an
impartial tribunal vould be conne1lcd Ia ad.
tadrc that they verc mt adonted In arcord.
1nce with auy known constitutions laws. or
usage,
One Of the Startling lessons taurbt or rnthcr
confirmed by the committees renort is the
slcndcrpcss of tbe thrcod unon which the
Prcs{dcut,s po1icy would banr nj, thc nr;ca.
less results Of the war. For If these State
t;overnncnts he Invalid t,,rn thr ron.,,,uN
vet ndopted uu,ass il be held inst ,i,e votas
Of three .fuurt1s Of the aon-seccdcd states
only arc required to adopt II. naInt which
The Supreme Court has not -et decided. Thr
prrs3dcnt hnsed HIS nroc1am,t,on cororrn,r,r
the n.ssare Of the amendmeu m ,hs votes
or sontb Caro,;na and others ,r tba.s ,n,,,tar,
state Govcrnmrnts- x.ithout w,uc,, 4,rcntr.
scvcn s,a.ss cou,d mt baye ,cen had Wa
denonnced 1he nroclamafson at tho tim.
oe nn7it3ca1 ,s,.e,,nod m a.
p1ouud that the votes of these mil.
tt,,v Corc,nments vare ,,tt~l~ <ota
and ty,c r,n,csontr4;rc ,,wre. or ~
,re,s nov rcno5t as We have stea,11 ,,c,d
fha, tnosc STATES have -. con.,.nt,ons,
Coycrrmcn,s- The oneztion. Ihor.far.
vhuhrr s3nrcrr hos ret hccn uho,fasd s1f1i
dencnda IN wbetltr The sunre1nc Cdr. s,,ay
decide TINT three-,our,bs ri the nou.ccudca
S,ates (19, or three -,ourtls of nil ;e7l ~ now
reou,rza 10 amend the Constitution. AZ t,,o
rrnort f7ist,nctlv aftlrme fhat s1aves, ~
feen abo,shed hr constitutions, an,cn6.r.,,t
vem,r ,ncar ,hot 1te ontbnr. ho,a ~ ~ 80
mer thsorv- Tie comm;r,ee rsnort arie.,
~, .-,,,,,r.,,a,h,+ h.o,,,sa ~. ,>so.,1. 20
scccd,ng Stotrs fa;1ca n a,.+-ar ~ r7nt.-
.ho,, 4n..ot.,.o f,y,.a a.. .s.ss