The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1866-12-06
co Mt TB q TO RI M.
CoNGREss1oNAL REPREsENTATIoN.

CONGRESSIONAL REPRESENTATION
The Congress Of the United States assembled
again in Washington city on last Monday, and Inc
people North and South will watch It's ACTON VIII
intense anxiety to see whether Mr.. STEVENS anu
his party flushed with their recent triumph at the
polls will grow more radical, and IN dehance OF the
co-ordinate departments of the Government, set up
their will rs the supreme law of the land. They
have the power to impeach the President, abolish
tbo stote Governments and remand their people to
o-terr;foriai condition, dsfranchise the whites and
onfranebise the blacks, confscate our lands and
order MS all to be triedfor treason. This startling
programme the Radical leaders have pledged
themselves to the people to carry out, and the
question arises will they doit? We think not
: Doubtless such men as STEVENS will endeayor in
good faith to redeem these pledges and force such
odious measures upon the country, but they will
not be sustained by the majority of the party
These latter echoed the utterances of the former to
carry the elections and secure place and power
that accomplished, they are not perple1ed to fol-
low one step further. Mr. STEVENS proposed line
Of policy if enforced means war upon grander
and fercer scale than has yet been witnessed upon
this continent-the dissolution of the Government
and financial ruin from these fearful, but logical
results, the interests and instincts of the Radical
party will cause it to shrink back appalled,.
But Congress has re-assembled and the Senators
and Representatives Of eleven States are not ad-
mitted to their Seats Why not? Are there no
seats for them? The Constitution declares "The
Senate Of the United States shall be composed OF
two Senators from each State chosen of the Legls-
lature thereof for six years." Sec. 3D. Article l:
Is:the present Senate legal body in the absence
iof the Senators from eleven States Is itcom-
posed of two Senators from each State? Governors
Perry and MANN1Na have the constitutional quail
hcations-they are thirty years of age-been nine
years citizens of the United States, and when,
elected we're and are stil inhabitants of the State,
for which they were chosen. Why, then, are they
not admitted |? Mr. STEVENS first tells us, because
they do not represent State in the Union. This
bellies his whole theory of the end and aim of the
war; We asserted that South Carolina was out of
the Union and fought to keep her out, but all par
ties Of the North contended that she was not out,
had no right to go out and that the war was waged
to prevent her going out The President holds
this view, and insists upon the admission of the
Senator's. Finding his position untenable, Mr.
STEVENS and his party suddenly affect to believe
that the Union was dissolved-that South Carolina
was out of the Union-that she has noregularly'
constituted Government, and can have none until
Congress passes act to enable her people to or
ganize one. Was there ever greater nonsense it,
Grated? Our State Government was certainly re-
organized in as regular manner as that in which
the State Government Of California was first or
ganized; and as the one was recognized why not
the other Simply because it suits the purposes of
such cowardly poltroons not to do So.
Again. Mr.. STEVENS would say, "Each House
shall be the Judge of the elections, returns and
qualifications Of its own members" and the Senate
rejects your Senator'S under that clause of the Con-
: stitution. Yes, and under it assumes power not
contained in the clause to defeat an express clause
Of the Constitution. When our Senators presented
their credentials for admission the Senate had the
right to examine them and see first, if they were
elected at the proper time and in the proper man
ner; second, if the return Of their election was
made out.in due form and properly certified; and
third if the Senators were qualified that is, were
they thirty years of age, had they been nine years
citizen Of the United States, and were they in
habitants Of the State at the time of their election
To the extent of these inquiries the Senate had
right to judge them, but no further. 1t had no
right to inquire if they aided or abetted in the late
war, or propose the test oath them. The Consti-
tuition confers no such power, and does not recog-
ni.e such congressional qualifications or disquali-
feations. -
We will resume the discussion next week in con-
nection with the congressional plan of suffrage