The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1866-02-21

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United States containing freedmen and refu
, gees. Such system would inevitably ten
TO such concentration of power in the exec
| utive which would enable him, if so disposed
TO control the action of numberless clas
. and use them for bis own ends.
icannot but add another very grave obiec
) tion to the bill. The Constitution imperative
~ declares, IN connection with taxation, tha
each State shall have at least one Represeri
tatlve and then vote for the number To which
In future times each State shall be entitled
II also provides that the Senate ofthe Uni
ted States shall be composed of two Senator,
from each State, and adds with peculiar force
that lot a State without its consent shall BIZ
deprived of its equal suffrage in the Senate
4 lhe original act was necessarily passed in the
absence OF the States chiefly to be affected
because their people were then contumacious
~ engaged in the rebellion. Now the case
IS changed, and some at least of the State:
are attending Congress by loyal representa-
! hves. soliciting the allowance of the Consti
tuuonal right of representation. AT the time
! however, OF the consideration and the passing
OF the bill. there was not Senator on aRepre-
sentative in Congress from eleven States
winch are to be mainly affected by ia pro
VISIONS. The very fact that reports were and
are made against the good disposition Of the
country IS al, additional reason why they need
and should have representatives of their own
IN Congress To explain their condition, reply
to accusations, and assist BY their local
knowledge in the perfecting of measures i'm
rnediately affecting themselves While the lib
erty of deliberation would then be free, and
Congress would have full power according to
It's Judgment. There could be no objection
urged that the States most interested had not
been permitted TO be heard. The principle
| Is hrmly liked In the minds Of the American
people that there should be no taxation with
out representation. Great burdens are nov
TO be borne by all the country, and we NAV
best demand that they shall be borne without
murmuring, when they are voted upon by a
majority OF the representatives OF all the peo
pie. | would not interfere with the unques-
uonable right of Congress to judge-each
House Tor itseif-of the election returns and
qualification of its own members, but that
authority cannot be construed as including
The right to shut out in time of peace any
State from the representation to which IL Is
entitled by the Constitution. At presen, all
the people of eleven States are excluded.
those who were most faithful during the war.
not less than others. The State ofTennessee
Tor instance, whose authorities engaged in III Z
rebellion, was restored to all her Constitu-
tlonal relations 10 the [ MON by The patriot
ism and energy of her injured and BETRAYED
people.
Before the war was brought TO a tnrmina-
ton they had placed themselves in relations
with the General Government. had estab-
iished a State Government of their own. and
rs they were not included in the emancir,a-
ton proclamation, they by their oNn acts
have amended so their State Constitution.
/ know no reason why the State of Ten
tsa~ l.
all her Constitutional relations to the tinted
States. The President of the United
. States stands towards the country
in somewhat different attitude from that OF
any member OF Congress, chosen from sin.
gle district or state. The President is chosen
by the people OF all the States Eleven States
are not at this time represented in either
branch OF Congress. II would seem u he his
duty, on all proper occasions. 10 present their
Jast claims TO Congress. There always will
be differences o. opinion. Communities and
individuals may be guilty of transgregsions %
| the law, but these do not constitute valid oh.
lecuons against the rights OF State TO repre-
sentatlon 1t would in no wise Interfere With
The discretion ot Congress with regard 10 the
qualification OF members. But | hold il my
duty TO recommend to you IN the interests of
peace, aud IN the interests of the Union. tie
legislation, when, however insabordinate.
insurgeat. and rebeiIious It's people NAV have
been, It presents itself not ONLY in an attitude
of loyalty and harmony, bat in the persans OF
representatives whose LOYALTY can net he
questioned. nder existing constitutional OF
legal tests. II Is plain au indefinite or perma
nent exclusion of any part of the country
from representation must lie attended hy
spIrit OF disquiet and complaint. 1t il unWise'
and dangerous 10 pursue "a course OF meas
ures which will unite any large section Of the
country against another section Of the coun-
try, no matter how much the latter NAV pre-
dominate.
The conrse of immigration, the develop
ment OF industry and business, and natural
causes will raise up at the South men as de
voted to the Union as those OF any other part
ot the iaad but If they are all excluded from
Congress, if in permanent statute they are
declared not To be in full constitutional rea
tons to the country, they may think they
have cause 20 become unit in feeling and
sentiment against the governmeak s-Cnder
the political education of the American peo
pie the idea is inherent and immovable that
the consent of the majority of the whole peo-
pie is necessary TO secure a willing acuuies-
cence in legislation. The bill under conside.
ration refers to certain of the States a. though
they had not been fully restored to the United
States. Ii they have not let us at once act
to get them to secure that desirable end at
the earliest possible moment 1t is hardly
necessary for me to inform Congress that, in
my own Judgment, most OF these States. so
far at least as depends upon their own action,
have already been fully restored and are to be
deemed to be entitled to enjoy their Consti-
tutional rights as members Of the Union.
Reasoning from the Consultation -itsala, and
from the actual situation of the country. T.
feel not only entitled, but bound, to assume, ]
that with the federal courts restored in the
several States, and in the full exercise of
their functions, the rights and interests of all
classes of the people Will, with the aid of the
military, in cases of resistance to the laws,
be essentially protected against unconstitu-
tional Infringement and violation. Should
this expectation unhappily fail, which | do
not anticipate, then the Executive is already
armed with the powers conferred by the act of
March, 1865, establishing the freedmen bu.
reau, and hereafter as heretofore, he can
employ the land and naval forces of the coun-
try to suppress instructions and to overcome
distractions to the laws. return the bill to
the Senate in the earnest hope that meas
ure involving questions and interests so i'm
portant to the country will not become law,
unless upon deliberate consideration by the
people, it shall receive the sanction of an
enlightened public judgment.
iSigned) ANDREW JOHNSON
IA Fire In New York.
NEW YoRK, Feb. 90
The Kerosene oil works of Smith L Co.,
Brooklyn, were destroyed by fire this morn
ing. Loss about $4,000 The disaster was
caused by the breaking of Kerosene lamp,
l.