The Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1863-1886, 1866-07-05
Final Report Of the IrccOmsIruc.
sg- tion Com n.ittee.

Ilon CommIttee, ~ V0lnmDouS. 1t re.
cites the proceedings Of the commit
tee, DIV ellis upon the difficulties encoun.
tered inithe effort to investigate the
condition Of the Southern States, dis
cusses the question Of .readmission,
! contends that the State. governments
in the South have been irreguIarly or
ganizc1 holds that the Southern peo.
pie are yet totally averse to the tol.
'eration Of any class Of people friend
ny to the Union, be they white or
''black, and that this aversion is not
''nnfrequently manifested in an iosult-
''ing and offensive manner" and con
cludes with the following summary
l. That the States lately in rebellion
were, at the close of the war, disorgan
lied communities, without civil gov
ernmcnt, and without constitutions or
other forms by virtue of which politi.
calrelations could legally exist between
them and the federal government.
ii. That Congress cannot be expect
cd to recognize as valid the election Of
men from dsorganized communities.
which, from the very claim to represen-
taton under those established and rec
ognized rules the observance of which
has been hitherto required.
Ill. That Congress would not be
justified in admitting such communi-
ties to'a participation in the Govern
ment Of the country without first pro-
vidiEg such constitutional or other
guarantees as will tend to secure the
civil rights of all citizens of the repub-
lie. just equality of representation,
protection against claims founded in
rebellion and crime, and, at least, u
temporary restriction of suffrage to
those who have not actively participa.
ted in the effort to destroy the Union,
and the exclusion from positions of
public trust Of at least portion Of
those whose crimes have proved them
encmies OF the Union and unworthy OF
public confidence. ...
I The general facts and principles
which, in the Judgment Of the com
mittee, are applicable to all the States
recently in rebellion. are stated as fol.
| lows
From the tilno tho Confederate
States withdrew from their represcn-
tation in Congress and levied war
against the United States, the great
mass of their people became and were
insurgents and traitors, and all of them
assumed and occupied the political, le-
gal and practical relation Of enemies
of the United States. This position
is established by acts of Congress and
judicial decisions, and is recognized
repeatedly by the President in public
proclamations, documents and speech
| cS.
Second--The States thus confedera.
ted prosecuted their war against the
United States to final arbitrament, and
did not cease until all their armies
we're captured their military power
destroyed, their civil officers, state and
Confederate, taken prisoners or put to
fight, every vcstigc of State and Con.
federate Government oblterated, their
territory overrun and occupied by the
Federal Armies, and their people re-
duced 10 the condition of enemies con-
quered in war, entitled only by public
law to such rights, privileges and can
ditions as might be vouchsafed by the
conqueror. This position is also estab.
lished by judicia! decisions, and Sc
recognized by the President in public
proclamatlons, documents ana speech
es.
Ihrd-HavIng voluntarily deprl'
we'd themselves OF representation IN
Congress having voluntarily renoun-
ced their right TO representation ana
plsquiilneu .GomSo.Ves Wy siInlo lrU'i Jh
nS AZ o i"H ~ thnn hocoro
Ola;u,;n C"un % ~ IL % roirotaptod ap n thn;r now
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W Ioe'u'',o'9 W o"V" ,5o"i nIO vI 80
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~ oiuI, h ~ w. .n'o 10y I;.L HJso PHI ;,L
,b"I 10y ot "1t tI nooriO nnoi,;oon
t'o oo"Se'U ~ VI .no w pVoPio, nePuo'.esI T. Il
,bn S Sonot;,"tion y, ond Iows To- % oF ths III
.nI Vsui,o S,itsa ,,ot " aII "e host;, U rnoans
s.u ] "S"sod '"p nnd M "toniT ] s;r, ddodpnoto p poto
n"oe sC%S.u, .tso. .Sa;st a % f,re ,no"Son nnJ
liz "'"1 81, @ u.,. sn.;stnaton,, n "n
eo1'a'on r Mn,on WI .t pa1nu 9" ,"S;"% ~
haIS ~ anH SoNern'"I. a h "%,O ,%oao mmo ~,,a ,
reuu,'0"t so~o subduod uod " ""O'0 "' '"''
"oro 9uoNuIr' q,
Fourth Having forfeited a.! c'vlI
and polltleal rights under inc Federal