, 1866-07-26
THE TRNNESsEE MESSAGE

The Presidents message on the admission
Of Tennessee is characterized by that spirit
OF audaclous assumption, and by that failure
to distinguish between lis individual whim
and the Jaw Of the land, which mark all the
acts and words Of Mr. johnson. It sets ont
by affirming that the joint resolution Of Con.
gross which declares Tennessee "restorcd to
her forner practical relations to the Unlon,''
md s4again entitled to be represented BY Sen.
ators and Representatives In Congress- Is
''mcrely declaration Of opinion" that 1t ia
not legislation and. In no wuy affects the re-
speciive Houses, the Executive or the States.
lie declares that Ills approval Of the resolution
is not TO be construed rs "an acknowledge
mcnt Of the right Of Congress TO pass laws
preliminary 10 the admission OF duly qualified
representatives from any OF the States" He
rccites the various acts performed By him to-
ward reconstruction, and atlir1ns that nothing
rcmaincd for Congress to do, nay, that 1t was
In the power Of Congress to do nothing more,
save to decide whether the representatives
e1cctcd from The seeded States we're loyal
and were duly elected. The same assumption
rervndes all Of President Johnsou'i mes
sascs, and lies Mt the foundation sf Ills
rupture with the Republican party, He
assumes that In all matters pertaining to
reconstruction he is the 1aw-makiug power,
the Alpha md Omega OF the Federal Gov
crnmcnt, and TINT Congress Is OF less impor-
tance than the Corps L<gis'atf Of Napoleon
H., since tho DEGREES Of Andrew tho First, un-
Ike those OF Napoleon Ill, need not even to
be ratified to become law.
That the President and Ills Guardian angel,
Mr.. Seward, did not always think 20, is eN.
dent from the letter of the latter to Gov.
Marvin in September last, written after nil
the Presidents programme had been COM
pleted and his terms complied With by that
State Gov. Marvin having derived the i'm
precision that his State Was in the Union,
issued proclamation to that effect, On which
Mr.. Seward commented as follows: att
must however be- distinctly understood
lhnt the restoration to which your proclama-
ton refers, Will be subject to the decision of
Congress-" Why did Mr.. Seward write that
the restoration Of Florida to the Union was
subject 10 the decision of Congress, II Con-
grcss has nothing to do with its
In the case Of Tennessee, as Of every other
seeded State, the President insists upon L.
noring the fact that the present State
Government Is a new one, that 1t
stands wholly disconnected with, and derives
no validity or paternity from the State Gov
wsr. flint Yhr I'D constitution r.s sct os;da
and destroyed, and the new one was not
l.-t. tne c,d st,te oi1;ccrs Id ~ 1sh,m r.
nnle, - away, and :he entire State ma
without any civil 1,v.s1nent .na th.t a
wloll1>ncw uae Ind IN h. croo,sa <>'A ~A-NS .
II ID a1moEt t,coDcc,v.h1a th.t p,-.
of fhe limited Stat. ..on1a +.1.a - .ssuen'
fbat a state Gorcrnrne,. .,,.sa s sue posa'!on
the military norer ehon,s 1n asaeu uuoef
take seats n Concresa wIIbont eVea ~, 70
hodr IN Gret d.e;d. ubotha. - lug eaat
eoourh of The ncop1e of Tcnnrsss. tn ,nstits
its admiss,on. whether It is R.nnh,;r.n n
co,rn and vho,beri,c oan,ss;,,, :. ,,ns;s+a,,+