Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1866-01-04
miscellaneous.
RECONSTRUCTION.
SPEECH OF HON. THAD. STEVENS
a.
Delivered in the House of Representatives.
December Is. 1865.

Nh. STEVENS. \ candid examination of
power and proper principles of recon
Suction can be offensive to no one, and
possibly be profitable by exciting in
"y One Of the suggestions Of the mes.
sage which we are now considering has
NecaI reference to this. Perhaps it is the
.acpie most interesting to the people at
time The President assumes, what
0ac doubts, that the late rebel States
I'VE lost their constitutional relations to
~. mon, and are incapable Of represent
.,oh III Congress, except by permission of
.r Government. 1t matters but little. with
.oS admission, whether You call them States
Mt OF the mon, and now conquered Ter
ItoucS, or assert that because the Coustitu
.on iorbms them to do what they did do
nat they are therefore only dead as to ali
.atlonaI and political action, and will remain
until the Government shall breathe into
Lem the breath Of life anew and permit
.em to occupy their former position. In
Tier words, that they are not out of tho
@on, but are only dead carcasses living
i1n the Jnion. In either case. it is yery
."A That 1t requires the action of CONGRESS-
enable them to form State Government
~, 4. Send representatives 10 Congress.
Nobody, | believe, pretends that with
~.' od constitutions and frames of GOV
-~'eht they can be permitted to claim their
"ShtS under the Constitution. They
''' torn their constitutional States into
4s, ana built on their foundations fab
IS ol totally different character Dead
-.D cannot raise themselves Dead States
'~~o' restore their own existence "as it
' Whose especial duty is it to do it !?
D" ""om does the Constitution place the
...s' Not in the judicial branch Of Gov
'..'sh'' ior 1t only adjudicates and does
prescribe laws Not in the Executive
IT. only executes and cannot make laws,
III the Command der-in-C Chief Of the ar
.s ''F he can only hold them under mill
20. ."e until the sovereign legislative
' 'I the congueror shall give them
's'' is, fortunately, no difficulty is solv-
"g question. There are two provisions
constitution, under one Of which the
ra't laI The fourth article says
-..'. " states may be admitted by Con
''' INTO this Union"
-.-' Judgment this is the controlling
.''. III tins case Unless the law of
r... ', is dead letter the late war be-
--, a Two acknowledged belligerents sew
.,..' ,''.L II original compacts, and broke all
,anSuJi,. .9 5na1 bound them together The fu-
a.4s -'.S'oh ol the conquered power de-
ly
-.., c'r.I WI 'De Will Of the conqueror. They
-.. ,.'Ie III as new States or remain as
a.' ',I ,.ttq - PROVINCES. Congress-the Sen
4 sa J.. 'l'e House Of Representatives, with
q. .,I1 1r concurrence Of the President-is
\ a, ' ,r., power that can act in the matter.
-a.rroP r,P,1e' - as some dreaming theorists
r5f i 'Iat ID these States have never been
@.r >,.,. zion, but have only destroyed
.ala lr 3oVernments so as to be inca
~c,im i PolI'icaI action then the fourth
ay.. INT fourth article applies, which
r.y VS. Sts,a eai;ed States shall guarantee to
s.yerT"..Il. III inns uion republican form
.@ary =" , 'e United States? Not the iu-
a s,,,d not the President but the sovcr-
.a..r gn", a"gF oi the people, exercised through
@tegrrrr,a r,S'eAcatIves in Congress, with the
poftiooGI oi the Executive. 1t means
''Fefhment-the concurrent