The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-04-16
Terms Of Reconstruction

AeIMb VI
From the Tribune.
The DolA Ne1cs is in want Conformation, and
very properly applies to the Tribune. Quoting
that clause of the Federal Constitution which,
prescIibes that .H T.ae q.If.f1i.1E .~Uig5 oD
"Each House shall be tho judge of the elections
returns, and qualifications OF its own mombers" .,I.
il asks:-''N' w ~, '-, .,...-.,.y r.... .
"Does the T5fbune mean to say,that this clause
gives TO the tDo Houses of CongTe any Wer 70 de-
shall without the consent Of the other, be the judge
OF the elections returns and QUALIFICATIONS OF ats own
membersY and does not the Tribune know that that
is exactly what fhe two Houses of Congress have
done under the dictation of MIR. Thad. Stevens and
his Central DirectoryW ID ..IHo oA N
Answer. No, sir we presume 1t entirely
within the "power" of either House, regardless
of the other, to-day to admit representatives of
the seeded States to seats on its floor. Yet the
matter is so grave, so novel, so complicated,
and involves such far-reaching consequences,
that it seems eminently proper that the two
Houses should consult, confer, compare notes,
and cooperate in their action upon it. They
are mutually affected by whatever either may
do in the premises, and do well to act accord
ingly. And this, under the "dictation' referred
to- they have wisely agreed to do.
The Nel0s asks further:-
"Does the Tribune pretend that clause which
gives to each House the power to decide upon the
elections, returns and qualifications of its own MEM
beTs gives to the two Houses of Congress the power
against the entreaties and protest OF the President
10 dsrupt the Union, and TO expel fIom the Con-
federation Of States eleven Of its coequal members
AnStoeT.-The loyal men now in the ascend
ant In Congress did not "disrupt the Union"
You did that, Messrs. Rebels SO far as 1t has
been done at all They did not eIpet eleven
States (more or less). You tore them out of the
Union, SO lar as you could do it, impellinG their
representatives in Congress to abandon their
seats with an imposing parade of contempt and
defiance Tor the Union, and the most theatrical
protestations that their States would never,
never return to the Union, nor send representa-
tlyes to its Capitol Yet now, after four years
of bloody, desolating war to destroy the Union,
you fume and rave, and threaten, because one
year has not sufficed to get your representatives
back into the seats they SO ostentatiously
spurned! Your hot haste is lndecent-discredi-
table! f.r
The Ne,rs continues:-
"The Tribune knows very well that no Southern
Senator or Representative is excluded from his seat
because of any fault to be found with his election
return, or qualification but because 1t is the theory
of the TeVoutonists that the State whose represen-
tatVe he claims 10 be is not IN the Union and there
1ore not entitled to representation" 10 '. ..
RenaTb.-No sir! we do not know this. Mem
bers OF Congress should be elec,ed by loyal
Union-lOViDg citizens, which most of those now
seeking admission to seats we're not. One
qualification" required by law of members is
a right hand unreddened by the blood OF loyal
men fighting to uphold the Unlonj and most of
your pretenders lack this. But beyond and
above all else, it is indispensable that that por-
ton OF the people Of the Southern States who
never seeded from the Union, and never were
traitors to it, shall have a voice and a vote in
choosing the members who are to represent
these eleven States in Congress. .....,7.
Let the Southern loyalists vote-secure their
right to q voice in the Government which taxes,
rules, and judges them-and we walve every
other requirement.. But we will not, we never
can, agree that the late Rebels OF the South shall
be represented in Congress to the exclusion OF
their steadfastly loyal neighbors-that 900
white Rebels in South Carolina (for5 eXample)
shall have equal weight in our common Govern
ment with 100000 white Unionists in Maine or
1Owa-that the Southern blacks shall be legally
gagged, and their white neIghbors empowered
10 speak twice in their stead, though not in their
behalf; and ii is a most arrogant presumption
that insists that this shall be conceded. We are
willing that rhe five millions of eX-Rebels shall
have equal power, man for man, with the loyal
people North and South-but no more. If they
disdan this, and insist on counting themselves
two to our one, they will have to wait q while
be;ole they get into Congress at all.