The Potter journal. [volume] (Coudersport, Pa.) 1857-1872, 1866-04-24

Federal Office who could not swear that
he had not voluntarily borne arms against
the-Union and had not voluntarily given
aid and comfort to bloody conspiracy aud
treason-that law was well understood by
the American people, South as VIII as
North. No one expected that then, when
the rebellion had its armies IN the held
against the Union. aoy could come knock
ing at the doors of Congress claiming to
represent the States of Alabama, Georgia,
Mississippi. South or North Carolina,
Florida, or Texas But it was believed,
that when the rebellion should end, the
men who had insultiugly turned their
backs on Congress and spurned their
seats who had killed the Union defend
ers and thought to capture this capital,
would. with the assurance of other times,
demand that they should govern the
country which they had inefect ctually at
tempted TO ruin, and that test oath was
placed there as the flaming sword at the
/ gate of Eden, to warn such men that till
there were fruits meet for repentance, or
bonds for future good behavior, there was
no place in those precincts TOR them
/ |TCheers
Again the policy of reconstruction was
indicated by Congress in the winter of
1S64-65, when it passed nearly unanl
mously and without yeas and nays, joint
resolution that the Vice President, in as
sorting the presidential votes, should not
count the electoral votes of any State
that had been engaged in the rebellion.
That was intended to proclaim that until
Congress removed their disqualification
by laws restoring them to their rights,
they should stand back. Congress, has,
therefore, by these two striking enact
ments, indicated Its policy of recon-
struction.
But the Constitution has in sill palmer
language declared where the responsible
ity of reconstruction should rest. 1t has
declared that every State shall be guar
auteed republican form of government,
aud in a subsequent section 1t declares
that Congress shall have power to make
all laws necessary and proper to carry
into execution all the powers vested in 1t,
or in any department or officer OF the
Government. This was intended to de-
clare that Congress is the Ouly law.mak-
r ing power of this land, and by the Con-
sttution to Congress, and to it alone,
) must we look for Iegalized reconstruction.
! The President of the United States, in
} his proclamation last May appointing pro-
} visional governors, declared that the
, States which had been in rebellion were
without civil government. That was a
fact as paIpable as the stars when they
: shine in the heavens My regret is-for
| must speak plainly to night-that Con.
gress was not at that time called together.
| believe it would have FASTENED the work
of reconstruction. | believe that Con-
gress aud the President, by his approval
of their legislation, would have united
last summer on policy of reconstruction
which would have been acceptable to both
branches of the Government, and in which
the South, seeing this concurrent action,
would have aoquieSced.
F The Constitution of the United States
} declares that the President, on extraor-
! dnarY occasions, may convene Congress,
and it has always seemed to me that last
: A pril was an extraordinary occasion. The
President of the United States had been
, murdered by a rebel conspirator, and the
, Vice President had assumed the Presi,
t dental functions The rebellion had
: seen its flag trampled in the dust and it's
armies had surrendered. 1t seemed to
me that if ever there was an extraordi-
nary occasion this was one. But the
President, and | recognize his full con-
sttutional authority to decide this ques-
: ton, deemed that it was not expedient to
call Congress together, aud went on HIM
self With the work of reconstruction.
| believe he entered upon and pro-
ceeded with that work patriotically, and
that he thought as an experiment, it
would be we'll to test it before Congress
reassembled | am confirmed in this be
: lief by the messages which he sent to the
i Governors of Florida and Mississippi
stating that their restoration would de-
pend on Congress, but | do not think it
resulted in developing loyalty at the
| South.
: Congress at last convened on the fist
; Monday in December last. 1t could not
: convene earlier, for it had no power to
meet until its regular session, unless con,
vened by the President.
1t appointed Committee to examine
the condition of the late Confederate
States, ard it was only one short month
ago that it received official documents
from the Executive departments, which
enabled it to know what transpired during
the long recess of Congress, and now, at
last, it is able to act intelligently with
some official knowledge of the situation
e You will ask me, perhaps, what is my