Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1866-02-24

why the State Of Tennessee, for exsmpie,
should not fully unjoy oil her Constitnt tona
relations to the United States.
The President of the United States stands
toward the country 10 q some what different
attitude from that OF any memb er OF Congress
chosen from q single District or State. The
President is chosen by the people Of oil the
States. Eleven States are not at this time re.
presented 10 either branch OF Congress. Ii
would seem to be his duty on oil proper oc.
casions o present their Just ella inns TO Congress.
lhere always will be differences Of opinion 10
the community. and individuals may be gull ty
oHransgTess'ons OF the law, bat these do no,
constitute valid objections against the right of
. State to pre,entatiou. 1 would Ia no
wise interfere with the discretion of Congress-
with regard TO the qualifications of members.
but hold IL to be my duty TO recommend to
you ia the interest OF peace aud 10 the in.ere.t
OF the Union, the admlssioE Of every State To
its share OF pubic legislation. when, however
insubordinate. insurgent or rebellious its peop Q
may have been, II present itself 10 an attitude
of iovaty aud harmony, and in the persons OF
representatives whose loyalty cant be ques.
toned under the existing constitutional or
legal test IL is plain that an inde6oite or
permanent exclusion Of any part Of the country
| from representation, must be attended by
| wise and dangerous to pursue course ol
measures which will unite any large section OF
the country against another section Of the
| country. no matter how much the latter may
predominate. The course OF immigration, the
| Gevelopcment OF industry aud business, and the
| natural cause, will raise up all the Southern
meu as devoted TO the Union ss those o. any
other part Of the land; but IL they are ail ex
cluded srom Congress--if. in permanent
| statute, they are declared not to be 10 full
| constitutional relation TO the country, they may
| think they have cause to become unit in
| feeling and sentiment against the Government
Under the political education OF the American
people, tie idea is inherent aud iDeradcabie,
that The consent Of the majority Of the whole
people is necessary to secure willing acqul'
esceuce 10 legislation.
The bill under consideration refers to cert ain
OF the States, as though they had not been
fully restored TO the United States II they
have not. le, US ut once act together to secure
that desirable euj ut the earliest possible mo
ment.
1t is hardly necessary for me to inform Con
gress that in my own Judgment most of thes,
States, so far at least as depends upon their Owl
action, have already been fully restored, ant
are to be deem ed TO be entitled to enjoy tbei
constitutional rights as members of the Union
the actual situation of the country, felt no
only entitled but bound to assume that witt
the Federal Courts restored In the several States
and in the ful3 exercise of their functions, tn
rights and interests CT all classes of the peopl
will, with the aid of the military in case o
resistance to the law, be essentially protecte
} against unconstitutional infringement and vic
. lation. Should this expectation unhappily fai
which do not anticipate then the Executiv
Is already armed with the powers conferred b,
the act of March, 1865, establishing the Freed
mems Bureau, and hereafter, as heretofore. h
can employ the land and naval forces of th
, country to suppress insurrection and to over
come distractions to the laws.
I, / return the bill to the Senate, in the hop
that measure involving questions and interest
so important to the country, will not be- come
. law, unless upon deliberate consideration b
3 the people, it shall receive the sanction of a
=. enlightened public judgment.
ANDREW JOHNSON.
WASHINGTON, d. c., Feb 10, 1866.
The vote upon the bill, Notwithstanding Ii
5 Presidents veto, was 80 to ls, and absent.