Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1866-12-14

ace. Congress, however, yet hest
ated to admit any of these States to
representation; and it was not until
owards the close of the eighth month
If the session that an exception was
made in favor of Tennessee, by the
admission of her Senators and Rep
deem it subject of profound re-
yret that Congress has thus tar failed
TO admit to seats loyal Senators and
Representatives from the other States,
whose inhabitants, with those OF len
nessee, had engaged in the rebellion.
Ten States-more than one-fourth OF
the whole number-remain without
representation; the seats of fifty men,
bers in the House of Representatives
and of twenty members in the Senate
are yet vacant-not by their own con-
sent, not by failure of election, but
by the refusal Of Congress to accept
their credentials. Their admission,
it is believed, would have accomplish
ed much towards the renewal and
strengthening of our relations as one
people, and removed serious cause for
discomfort on the part of the inhabl-
tants of those States. 1t would have
accorded with the great principle
enuDciated in the Declaration OF Amer
lean Independence, that no people
ought to bear the burden OF taxation:
and yet be denied the right Of repre-
sentation. 1t would have been in con-
sonance with the express provisions
of the Constitution, that "each State
shall have at least one representative,
and "that no State, without its con,
sent, shall be deprived OF Its equal
suffrage in the Senate" These pro
visions were intended to secure tC
every State, and to the people OF every
Estate, the right of representation IL
each House of Congress; and so I'm
portant was it deemed by the trainers
of the Constitution that the equality
of the States in the Senate should bt
preserved, that not even by an amend
ment of the Constitution can am
State, without its consent, be denlet
voice In that branch of the Natlona
Legislature.
1t is true it has been assumed tina
the existence Of the States was tel
minated by the rebelllous acts Of thei
inhabitants, and that the insurrectio
r having been suppressed, they wer
thenceforward to be considered mere
ly as conquered territories. Tn
! Legislative, Executive, and Judicia
: Departments of the Government hav,
Y however, with great distinctness an
/ uniform consistency, refused to SANE
r ton an assumption so incompatible
t with the nature of our republican syt
d TEN, and with the professed object {
+ the war. Throughout the recent lie;
Ii station Of Congress, the undeniabI
Ii fact makes itself apparent, that theS
: zen political communities are nothin
less than States of this Union.
+ the very commencement of the rebe
!. lion. each House declared, with
t. unanimity as remarkable as it VIZ
3 significant, that the war was NJ
d "waged, upon our part, in any 5pir
t. of oppression. nor tnr any P"rPo7o I
conquest or subjugation, nor purpo.
of overthrowing or interfering Wi
:, si.v lights or established Institution
d; of those States, but to defend al
n maintain the supremacy of the Co
- 5titution and all laws made in pu
4 suance thereof, and to preserve Il
i Union with all the dignity, equalit
>, and rights of the several States unil
- paired; and that as soon as these O
jects" were accomplished the W
a ought to cease" In some instance
n. Senators were permitted to contin
f. their legislative functions, while
nj other instances Representatives We
+ elected and admitted to seats aft
as their States had formally declar
o. their right to withdraw from t
~ Union, and were endeavoring to ma
q tain that right by force of arms.
ri of the States whose people were
,n instruction, as States, were includ
ar in the apportionment of the direct t
90 of twenty millions Of dollars annua
10 laid upon the United States by t
d. act approved August 9th, 1861.
10 Congress, by the Act of March 4
IN 1862, and by the apportionment
Its representation hereunder, also rec(
nized their presence as States in t
Union; and they have, for judic
y purposes, been divided into distric
~ as States alone can be divided T
% same recognition appears i'll the
." cent legislation in reference to II
~ nessee, which evidently rests upon t
IN fact that the functions of the Sta
~ were not destroyed by the rebelli,
-, ~ but merely suspended; and that pr
- ciple is of course applicable to tho
'l0 States which, like Tennessee, attem
u ed to renounce their places in
: Union.
re-
IN. The action of the Executive Depa
he ment of the Government upon t
of subject has been equally definite a
er- uniform, and the purpose of the "
on was specifically stated in the proc
nation issued by my predecessor
De- the 22d day of September, 1862.
.en was then solemnly proclaimed a
its declared that thereafter, as heretofo
ac- the war will be prosecuted for {
yer object of practically restoring the C,
ha stitutional relation between the Vi
no ed States and each of the States a
nm the people thereof, in which Sta
SITS that relation is or may be suspend
20 or disturbed"
nv. The recognition of the States
he the Judicial Department of the G.