Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1866-05-14
"a TENNESSEE A STATE /,

III tennessee 10 III INC Shioh 40 INV y
the States, she is entitled, like the 9th
ers. to n republican form of Govern
uent II she is entitled to that, it fol
lows that any measure that takes TIL
right to govern from the majority, is un
constitutional, tyrannical and void. The
meaning Of the term republic, as defined
by the usage of this country, is govern
ment Of majorities acting through repre-
sentatives. This is the American mean
ing When the minority rules, there is
no republicanism. The minority rules IN
TENNESSEE. and Tennessee is not; in point
Of fact, a republican State. She cannot
be State until she possesses a repnbli-
can form of government That she was
., STATE up to the Inauguration OF LIN
.oLy, is proven BY the fact of ANDREW
,JoHysoY Inauguration as Vice Presi-
dent. The Republican Convention said
he was eligible, and thereby asserted
1ha, Tennessee was within the Union,
and every man in the United States, who
east his vote for ABRAHAM LINCOLN and
>AYpEEw JOHNSON, asserted and main
tanned the same thing. Ard on the 4th
OF March. 1865, HANNIBAL HAMLIN, in
the discharge Of his duty as President,
did declare that ABRAHAM LINCOLN of
the State of Illinois, having received a
majority Of the whole number of electo-
rel votes, is duly elected President ofthe
United States for our years, from the
Al Of March, 1865; and that ANDREW
Johnson, from the State Of Tennessee,
having received majority of the whole
number of electoral votes, is duly elected
Vice President of the United States, for
four years, commencing on the 4th day
OF March, 1865" 1t did not occur then
to Mr. HAMLIN, nor to the nation, that
Tennessee was any more out Of the
Union or dead, than was Illinois.
1t was only when the present Congress
assembled that the discovery was made
that Tennessee was not State, and that
ANDREW JOHNSON was ineligible and I'M
lawfully President of the United States
When Congress refused to admit the
Senators and Representatives of Tennes-
see, 10 declared the State out Of the
Union. The war proved that State
cannot voluntarily go out of the Union,
and established precedent Congress,
however, assumes TO expel, and does for
the time expel, States from the Union,
and establishes, likewise, precedent
These precedents, taken together, estab-
hsh the doctrine that the States cannot
destroy the government, but the govern
ment can destroy itself They establish
the monstrous doctrine that the Congress
is master of the States, and can admit
or expel them at pleasure. When State
displeases that body, it can resort TO the
power of expulsion, and modify the
government to suit particular ends. The
precedent is already made that when
either House desires to consummate a
particular measure, it may expel mem
Der, or members, until opposition is over
come by reducing the minority to the
point of non-resistance
Well, then, il Tennessee is not State,
she Is Territory, or something else, to
be governed as Territory. The Presi
dent appoints the Governors of the Ter
ritories. The majority Of inhabitants
elect the members of the Territorial
Legislatures Suppose Tennessee is, as
Mr.. STEVENS maintains, dead State
A dead State cannot Of course, govern
itself 1t cannot elect Governor GER
tainly. If it does, he is, following the
status of the State, dead Governor Ii
Tennessee be dead State, BRowYLow is
a dead Governor, and the President has
the constitutional power to supersede
him with a Ire one. Taking the Radi-
Gals, therefore, on their own ground, the
present Government of Tennessee is a
usurpation, and nothing else. We do
not assert this as our own proposition,
but as logical deduction from Radical
premises If they will not come to the
Presidents position, that Tennessee is a
State IN the Union, and entitled 10 rep
resentstion in Congress, may he not act
upon their assumption that she is a
dead State, or Territory, or conquered
province, and appoint Government for
herr PROFESSIONALLY he may The mo-
neut Congress reduced this State to q
Territory, that moment the President
possessed the right to turn BEovSLo-
-. r. of;co and annoint Governor