The Norfolk post. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 1865-1866, 1866-03-01

Ueh anu OBEY Inc laws, because by sc
doing they would hasten the withdrawal
of the direct interference of the military
arm i'm their affairs.
In precisely the same way, and under
the influence of the same idea, he had
acted in regard to civil affairs generally III
that section. Regarding it as necessary
and proper to impose upon the rebellious
States, conditions which should guaran-
tee the safety of the country, and re-
garding the then existing officers of the
local governments, as having disqualified
themselves by their treason for continu
ance in power, he deposed them and es'
tablished provisional governments
Then he asked himself what condition
ought to be demanded of them, and how
their disposition to accept good latin
might be stimulated The conditions
viz: the amendment Of State constitu-
tions, excluding slavery, the acceptance
of the same amendment of the United
States Constitution, the reputation of
the rebel debt, and the admission of the
freedmen to various rights, &c.-every-
body is familiar with.
To stimulate them TO accept these con-
ditions, (being such as, using his best
judgment and the absence of any Con-
gressional plan, he thought the nearest
right of any he could frame he enga-
ged that on their acceptance, with evil
dence of good faith, he would permit
them TO reorganize their State govern
ments, elect Legislatures, DC, and, so
far as Executive acts could do so, would
restore them to their position in the
Union of States.
They had so far accepted his condi-
tions that he did not regard the expert
ment failure, but success. He had
accordingly recognized the Post Office
Department among them, had reopened
trade and removed restrictions thereon
through the Treasury Department, aud
in like manner in all the Executive De-
partments reorganized them as States in
The Union, only keeping enough of u
military hold to protect the freedmen, as
he had before stated, and to induce them
to do something more thorough in that
direction.
Now, but one thing remained in which
those States did not exercise the full
rights of States, and that is representa-
ton in Congress. In this he had advis-
ed that the same principle stimulating
loyalty be applied as in the other re-
spects which he had named. He would
admit only such representatives as are in
fact loyal men. giving satisfactory evil
dence of this. Whenever q State or
district sent loyal man, properly elect
ed and qualified, he would think it right
to admit him, the same as from any other
State. and he would admit none but such
loyal men, so that other States or dis
tricts might be thus induced to elect and
send similar men. When they had all
done this, their representatives would be
full and the work would be done. Such
was his plan. He did not ask to be the
judge of the elections and qualifications
of members of Congress or OF their 10y
atty. Congress was its own judge, and
he had no dream of interfering with its
constitutional right but he felt like
urging upon them and upon the country.
that this mode of finishing the work SO
nearly completed in other respects was
the only feasible one which had been
presented, and that it was impossibleto
ignore the fact that the States were ex- |
ercising their rights and enjoying their
privileges within the Union-were, in |
short, restored in all other respects-and |
that it is too late to question the funda-
mental right of representation.
l then remarked to him that | had |
heard it suggested that legislation could
be made by Congress, purely
civil in its character, providing for the
protection of the freedmen by the United
States courts of inferior jurisdiction, in
all cases where the states did not do so
themselves. lie replied that such an
'"C" "ouiu 'uH tAactiy pitiailel W Ills
plan, but he had not thought it yet time
to fix his own ideas of the precise mode
Of accomplishing this end, because we
had margin of time, lasting till after
the next session of Congress, during
which the present Freedmen's Bureau
could continue in operation; and if, be-
fore that time, the southern states should
'ecognize the necessity of passing proper
avs themselves, and providing proper
system of protection for the freedmen,
nothing further on our part would be
necessary. If they did not do what
they ought. there would then be time
enough to elaborate plan. lid .r
He then referred briefly to the fact
hat men who have been disloyal were
'ejoicing over his veto message, saying
hat if these men in good faith adopted
he views of policy he had himself held
md acted upon, and which he had SO
ully elaborated in his annual message
md explained to me, the country surely
ould have no cause for sorrow in that. ,
Ifdisloyal men and rebels everywhere, I I
North and South, should cordially give
n their adherence to the conditions of