Mineral Point weekly tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1859-1868, 1866-07-11
RECONSTRUCTION,
FiuaI Report OF the Joint Committee on Re-
construction, Submitted 10 the L. :. Senate
June sth.
[coScLupsp-1
TIE PRESIDENT DOES NOT THINK IT SAFE tt
RES ORE TUE HABEAs CORPUS.

[coScLupEp-1
TIE PRESIDENT DOES NOT THINK IT SAFE To
RESTORE rue HABEAs CORPUS
IF we add to this evidence the fact that,
although peace has been declared by the
President, he has not, to this day, deemed
it safe to restore the writ of habeTS corp
MS, to relieve the insurrectionary States
from martial law, nor to withdraw the
troops from many localities, and that the
commanding general deems an increase Of.
the army indispensable to the preservation
of order and the protection of loyal aud
wcll-dIsposed people in the south, the
proof of a condition Of feeling hostile to
the Union and dangerous to the Govern
ment throughout the insurrection States
would seem to be Overwhelming.
Wish such evidence before them, 1t is
the opinion Of your committee
l. That. the States lately in rebellion
were, at the close OF the war, dis0rganiz
ed communities, without civil government
and without Conscientious or other forms,
by Write of which poliJicai relations could
legally exist between them ana the FEEDER
Al GorerrI~crt
H. That Congress cannot be expected
to recognize as valid the election Of rep
resentat!Ves from dis0ggInized cOmmunI-
ties, which, from the very nature oil the
case were unable to present their claims
TO representation under those established
and recognized rules the observance of
which has been hitherto required.
H. That Congress would not be JUST
fed in admitting such communities To a
participation in the Government Of the
country without first providing such con~
stitutiOnal or other guarantees as Will aid
to secure the civil rights Of all citizens O.
the Republic; a just equalityof rePresen~
tation protection against claims founded
IN rebellion and crimes; temporary re-
stricti8n Of the right Of suffrage to those
who have not actively part cipnted In the
efforts to destroy the Union and overthrow
the Government. and the exclusion from
positions of public trust Of 1T least q rur-
li0n Of those whose crimes have proved
them to e enemies to the Union and un~
worthy Of public confidence.
Your committee wi ], perhaps, hardly be
deemed ezcusable for extending this re
port further. but. iaasmuch as imm edi-
ate ana unconditional representation Of
Tie States lalelv in rebellion is demanded
as a matter Of right, and delay, auj even
hesitation, denounced rs grossly oppress.
I've unjust as well rs unwise and impolitic.
it may not be amiss again to cal attention.
to few undi<puted facts and the prnci-
pies Of public law appIicab thereto, in
order that the propriety of that claim may
be fully considered aud well understood
TENNESSEE
The State Of Tennessee CccrrIe6 n po-
sitiun distinct from All the other insurrcc-
tionary States, and has been the subject
OF n separate report, which vour commit
tee / ave not thought it expedieut TO dis
O.. -. IN
make that State the subject Of separate
action or to- include ], in the same category
with all others SO far as Coacarns the i'm
position of preliminary conditions. 1t Is
not within the province Of this committee
either to determine or advise 10 asce.-
tain whether any cf TIE so-ca}led Congei-
crate States are entitled to be rcpresen-
ted in either house Of Congress. the cs-
sential inquiries waclhcr there Is anv one
Of them "a constituency qualified 10 be rep
resented ia Congress. The question how
far persons claiming seats in either house
possess the credentials necessary to en-
able them to represent a duly qualified
constituency is ofss for the consideration
OF each house separatelr- after the pre-
limInlry question shall have been bLaliy
determined.
THE ARGUMENT s1-tItED rT.
We now propose to restate as briefly as
possible the great facts and principles ap-
p.ieaJle to the States recently in re-
bcllOn.
First The sca.- cf Ire Cenat5rs ar1
Reures rntatisls from the 50 called Com
federate States became vacant in the year
] lSGl during the second session Of the
ThirtvS Sixth Congress by tire voluntary
Withdrawal cf titeir iEcGTabcnJs with the
sanction and by the direction Of the Leg
isiatures or conventions of their respect
i've State THis was done as q hostile act
AGAINST the Constitution and Government
Il the United States. with declared in
tent 10 overthrow the same by forming O
Southern cont jer8yiO1. This acs Of de-
claTeI hostility E-s-S speedily followed by
an crzanizIr on of the same states sato
coalele-acv. winch levied and wa-et war
bv sea and Iaui raiust the United states.
This war continued more than four years
within which period the rebel armies be-
sieEcd the national capital, invaded the
loyal States. burned their towns and CIT
les robbed their citizens destroyed more
than 30 zoe loyaI soldiers. and imposed
an increased national burden Of not less
than S3.3J00J0 GOO. 5f which seven or
eight hundred millions have already been
met and paid From tie time these con
federated States thus withdrew from their
? representation In CJnEtess and lsTiCd war
aa-aiusc the United States the great mass
cT their pc1vle became and were Insur-
gents. rebels traitors, and ali OF them as
ssmed and occupied the political legal
and practical relation OF enemies OF the
United States. This position Is cst.ollsa~
+ et Lv acls OF Congress and judicial decIs-
ions. and Is recognized repeatedly hy the
President ii pubic u-11ls2attCns. JosC-
lae1ts and aola-ass.