, 1866-06-11
Report Of the Reconstruct
ton Committee to the
Senate,
Review Of the Condition of the
South, its Provisional Govern
ments, and the Clailns
for Representation.
THE PRESIDENT NOT AUTHORIZED
TO FIX QUALIFICATIONS OF
REPRESENTATION.
The Formation of State Governments
at the South Irregular.
CONDITIONS OF RE-ADm1ssxoN.

Ihe following II The final report of the RI
construction Committee, submitted by Nj
Fessenden 10 the Senate, on Friday, the 6tl
inst.
The Joint Committee Of the two Houses Q
Congress. nppo' nted under The concurrent resolu
ton OF Dec IL, 1866, Wltb directions "to tnqulr
into tho condition Of ibe States which formed hi
so-caifed Confederate States OF AmeHea, and repos
Mhs1her they. o5 any Of them, are emitted to b
10 report " bill otherwise" ASK Ienre to report
| 1hat they have attended 10 the duties aEaieuet
them e n:.iduouslyat " other duties would permit
delibfralions. RESOLUTION propo:,nG amrndmrn1,
TO The Constitution, aud tWo bills, Of which the,
recommend the adoption.
Ee'oro proceedlrc 10 act io1th IN detail the rca
lstee have arrived. they beg leave to advert bf;e
10 The eoursc Of proceedings they found 1t ncCess
| ~ 10 adopt and to explain the rcasOna therefor.
! CONDITION OF TIE LATE 11EDEL STATES.
1fc RESOLUTION under which Your committee wa:
appointed dtccied them to inquire Into the condt
non q the conicdera'e States, aid report whether
| they WeIc entitled to representation In Congress
II i Obvious that tuch i'm inyeslgatton coycrtus
20 hfre an extent OF territory and involving &c
many important consldera:1oIs, tnust nece.sanl,
| efable amount Of time. 1t must embrace the cou
doDln which those States wcrc left in al the Close
o. x INC Ma{ H. tns mS3iacs whlSh @ e.d been 'akel
The disposition Of the people towards the Unitet
| Siates; IN word. ttc'r fitness 10 take an active
| pala IN TIC uHWlD1stF4i&nu QI 01{l0nal duAtCS,
A. to their condition At the close Of the rebel
lion. tho evidence IL open tn all and admits OF NJ
diepnte. They were iu . state Of utter exhaustion
Ha;1ns rro'rasiea their struggle araintt Fedora
authority Until all hope Of successful fct,stapee hai
ceased, and laid down their onlY because ihet,
W. s 60 ,onsci my power to nsn them, the people
crtthtd, deprived ol ali civil government AND us
proceed 10 otCsntzc anew.
TIE PREsnEs1's rowEns.
In hlf CONVERSATION With Mr.. Stenrna a? afnsss
chuset,s, ces1ided BY himself, Fresjdsnt JoSasol
tnd sihe state institutions arr prostrasct Io1 on
e9 the Ground. ana they mus be taken up nnt
sonitern states IN this condi'io1i, and Eousres.
having 1ailed 10 provide for the contingency. lat
outy wae obvious As President Of tho Unttee
Of The land as chief masiatrate. Tneso laws eayt
bin no suthotily on the sunieet Of reorganization
buLoJ Tue Constitution, he was commander-1n Che
1 Cc1icderntc Staics embraced a portion OF she
people Of the Union who had been Ia state or r..
rolt, but bad been reduced ooedience By force Of
atns. Thy were IN an abnormal condition, with
corncctcns. without national or Information Il
relations, and SUBJECT only 10 martial Law. BY
rerouneirg the rrfyi ego OF representation, br Or.
Eaniz1nt scparao Government md By Ieyy1np
MAR tho United S.ascs, theY destroyed taclt
pic which connected the respective States with the
| Union. and severed their federal relations: and
nota1ne Of thote Consultation. was 1elt OF winch
| Inc Un'ed Statce Here hound to take uottce For
four years they had de Jacf0 Government. brt il
waf ueurped and flc,sl. Thev chose the tribunal
o. sfms wherein to decide whether not II sboald
81 The rebellion, therefore, the people Of the rebel
lious States were uud. The Presldenrexpresees
II: 9epnted 81 az elFl government"
OF the President 10 enforce existing national laws
and to establish as far as he could euch a sys,em
Of goss5nmen, a. might BE- provided ioz BY existing
VICTORIOUS army, Was bis duly Under de- IsS ~ Of
IA lons and the army recnattone 10 restore order,
ecalnsi violence from any quarter until nryision
should be made by law TOT their government. lie
m'Ebt, ne President, assemble Con.rcse and submit
IL xhole matter to The l.w-nakins power, Or be
until Congress should aslemole on 1ts recular a.
pointed cay.
Selecting ,he stei ae5asi1s b
virtue Of his power as Commauder.ia-Ch,et 10
appoint Provisional Governors over The reyo}ted
.heir compensation Wa pad. a. he seeseary a1 ot
War states, from the appropriation for a,my CON
iinPt tncic-, because the duties performed by ibe
auxiliary 10 ,he w,lhdraaa of miIis;y Ies I,pee Ibs
dlshardment Of armies, and the reduc1lon Of mill
tary expenditure BY provisional organizations for
respective states" It canuot. ne think h. - rcn-
tended that these Governors possessed, Or could
exercise, any but military authority. TheT had no
cisc Hny auihonsy except tha. which tphered In
their oan p. rsons undrt their commis:j ions. nj.
1her hAd lhr President ~ Comrande-.ln.: :hict aor
othss than n.lit.+y, au,hoz1ty. Il was 1oT hin to
rc!ax II. when, ana on what terms be Eould wtih-
tiraw it. lie might properly permit lhe people 10
n.temb!e and 10 initiate local governments and TO
execute ench laws - they might choose to trauae
not inconsistent with nor ID opposition to t6c
lsWs o! The United Sta'es. And, If & lt1sied that
they might tsfely he len 10 themselves, be might
the people OF ans OF ali OF the.e States 10 Govern
themselves without his tutertcrcuce, IN tie Ian
he opefpor 81 ~ ns d 70
Der sslh, 1866, be ml.ht srecorrize;hs nconfe #
aDy SIa,e as having RESUMED liz reIs.ions 81 foy
AltT to ffH nD1nrf arr in