The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1866-02-28

and use them for the attainment Of his
own political ends. 1asi99p I'd 9fsn dt
| can not but add another very grave
objection to this bill, Tho Consultation,
imperatively declares, in connection with
taxation, that each State shall have at
least ono Representative, and fixes the
rule for the number to which in fu-
ture times each State shall be entitled.---
It also Provides that the Senate Of the
United States shall be composed Of two
Senators from each State, and adds, with
peculiar force, that no State,f without its
consent, shall be deprived Of its suffrage
in the Senate. The original act was nee
essarily passed, in the absence Of the
States chiefly to be affected, because their
people were then contumaci6usly eugag-
ed in rebellion, Now, the case is chang,
ed, and some, at least, of the States, are
attending Congress, by loyal Representa-.
tives soliciting the allowance Of the Con-
stitutional right of representation. At
the time, however, of the consideration
and passage of the bill, there was no Sen.
ator or Representative in Congress from
the eleven States which arc to be mainly
affected by its provisions. The very fact
that reports wero and are made against
the good disposition of the country, is an
additional reason why they need and
should have Representatives of their own
in Congress to explain their condition,
especially as to accusations, and assist, by
their local knowledge, in the perfecting
of measures Immediately affecting them
selves. The liberty of deliberation would
then be free, and Congress would have
full power to decide according to its
judgment. There could be no objection
urged that the most interested had not
been permitted to be heard. The princi-
pie is firmly fixed in the minds Of the
American people that there qh,uld be no
taxation without representation, Great
burdens are now to be borne by all the
country, and we may best demand that
they shall be borne without murmur
when they are voted by majority of the
Representatives of all the people. |
would not interfere with the unuuestion-
able right of Congress to Judge each
House for itself Of elections, returns and
qualifications CT its own memt ers but
that authority can not be construed as in
Guiding the right to put cut in time Of
peace any State from the representation
to which it is entitled by the Constitu.
ton .a! aL ..l 'i.i e
At present all the people Of eleven
States are excluded, those who were most
faithful during the war, not less than
others The State of Tennessee, for in
stance, whose authorities engaged in the
rebellion, was restored to all her cousti
tutional relations to the Union by the
patriotism and energy of her injured and
betrayed people before the war was
brought to termination. They had
placed themselves in relations with the
General Government, had established q
State Government of their own, and as
they were not included in the Emancipa-
ton Proclamation, they by their own act
have amended their Constitution SO as to
abolish slavery within the limits of their
State. | know no reason why tho State
of Tennessee, for example, should not
fully enjoy her constitutional relations to
the United States f. $3.50
The President of the United States
stands toward the country in o somewt at
different attitude from that Of any men,
ber Of Congress chosen from a sin sle di.
trict or Statc The President is chosen
by the people of all the States Eleven
States are not at this time represented in
either branch of Congress- 1t would
seem to be his duty, on all proper occa.
sions, to present their just claims to Con
gress. There always will be differences
Of opinion in the community, and indi-
viduals may be guilty Of transgressious
of law, but these do not constitute valid
objections against the right Of State to
representation. Tt would in no wise in.
terfere with the di creticn Of Congress
with regard to tho qualifications Of mem
bers. But hold it my duty to recon.
mend 10 you, in the interests Of peace,
and in the interests Of the Union, the nd
mission Of every State to its share of pub.
lilo legislation, when, however insubordi.
nate, insurgent or rebellious its people
may have been, it presents itself not on,
ly in an attitude ofloyal.y and harmony,
but in the persons Of representatives
whose loyalty can not be questioned under
the existing Constitutional or legal test.
II 10 plain that an indefinite or perma,
nent exclusion Of any part Of the country
from representation must be attended by
a spirit of disQuiet aud complaint. It is
unwise and dangerous to pursue q course
Of measures which will unite any large
section Of the country against another
section Of the country, no matter how
much the latter may predomiuatec The
course of immigration, development Of
industry and business, and natural caus
es, will rise up at the South men as devo
ted to the Union as those Of any Other
part Of the land but If they are all OK,
cluded from Congress if in permanent
statute they are declared not be In full
Constitutional relations to the country,
they may think they have cause to be
come a unit in feeling and oSentimenil
against the Government iu ios Il
Under the political education Of The
American people, the idea is inherent
and ineradicable, that the consent oftht
majority Of the whole peopleis necessary
u secure willing aoquiescence IN iegis'
lation. The bill under consideration re
: IIN. lf ltaI .AN-f a. da..... 4