The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1866-02-22

the number to which in future times
each State shall be- entitled. It also
provides that the Senate of the United
States shall be composed OF, two Sena-
culiar force, that no State without its
consent shall be deprived of its equal
suffrage in the Senate. The Original act
was necessarily passed in the absence
of the States chiefly to be affected, be-
cause their people were then contuma-
ciously engaged in the rebellion. Now
the case is changed, and some Mt least
of the States are attending Congress by
loyal Representatives, soliciting the al
lOWanCe OF flconStitntiOnalright rep
resentation. AT the time, however, of
the consideration and the passing OF
this bill there was no Senator or Repre-
sentative in Congress from the eleven
States which are to be mainly affected
by its provisions. The very fact that
reports were and are made against the
good disposition of the country is an
additional reason why they need and
should have representatives of their
own in Congress TO explain their condi-
tiOn, reply TO accusations, and assist by
their local knowledge in the perfecting
of measures Immediately affecting
themselves. While the liberty of de-!
alteration would then be free, and Con-
gress would have full power to decide
according to its Judgment, there could
be no. objection urged that. the States
most interested had not been permitted,
to be heard. The principle is firmly
fixed in the minds of the American peo-
pie that there should be no taxation
without representation. Great burdens
have. now to be borne by all the
country; and we may best demandthat
they shall be borne without murmur
when they are voted by a majority of
the representatives of all the people,
i would not interfere with the unques-
'tionable right of Congress tojudge each
House for itself of the election returns
and qualifications ofits own members,
but that authority cannot be construed
as including the right to shut out in
time of peace any State from trepresen-
tation to which it is entitled by the
Constitution. Atapresent all the peo-
pie of eleven States are eexcluded-those
who were most IRithful Turing the war
not less than others. The State of Ten
nessee, for instance, whose authorities
engaged in rebellion, was restored to all
her unconstitutional relations to the Union
by the patriotism and energy of her in
jured and betrayed people before the
war.was brought'toa a termination. They
had placed themselves in relations with
the General Government, had establish
ed State Government of their own,
and as they were not included in the
Emancipation Proclamation, they, by
their own act, had amended their Con-
stitution so as to abolish slavery within
the limits of their State, 1 know no rea-
son why the State of Tennessee, for eX-
ample should not fully enjoy all her
constitutional relations to the United
States. .IeatI Ffi ~ usH .r nonl
The President of the United States
stands towards the country in some
what different attitude from that of
any member of Congress who is chosen
from single district or State: The
President is chosen by the people ofal
the States. Eleven States are not mt
this time represented in either branch
of Congress. 1t would seem to be his
duty, on all proper occasions, TO present
their just claims TO Congress. There al
ways will be differences of opinion in
the community, and individuals may
be guilty of trangressions of the law;
but these do not constitute valid objec-
tions against the rights of State to
representation. would in no wise in
terfere with the discretion of Congress
with regard to the qualifications of
members, but hold it my duty to re-
commend to you, in the interests of
peace and the interests of the Union,
the admission of every State to its share
in public legislation when, however
insubordiDate, insurgent or rebelltous
its people may have been, 1t presents
itself not only in an attitude of loyalty
and harmony, but in the persons OF rep
resentatfYes whose loyalty cannot be
questioned under. any existing consti-
tutional or legal test. 1t is plain that
an indefinite or permanent exclusion
of any part of the country from repre-
sentation must be attended by spirit
of disquiet and complaint. 1t is unwise
and dangerous to pursue course
of measures which will unite a
very large section. of the country
against another section. of the country, |
IaffnFs
dernte. The course of emigration, the
of industry and business
and natural causes, will raise up at the |
South men as devoted to the Union as |
those of any other part of the lands
But if they are all excluded from Con-
gress; if in a permanent statute they !
are declared not to be in full constitu-
tional relations TO the country, they
may think they have cause to become a
unit in feeling and sentiment against
the Government. Under the political
education of the American people the
idea is inherent and ineradicable that
the consent of the majority ofthe whole
people is necessary TO secure willing |
in legislation. The bill
under consideration refers to certain of
the States as though they had not sheen
fully vested in all their constitutional
relations to the United States" Ifthey
have not, let us at once act together to |
A4Nob !
possible moment I7y HFf - - li1i.f3 4
:. 1t Is. hardly necessary for meto in
form Congress that, in my own judg-l
ment, most of those States, SO FAR at
.lenst as depends upon their own action,
have already been fully restored, and
are to be deemed as entitled to enjoy |
the Constitutional rights as members of
the Union. Reasoning from the Con
stitntion itself, and from the actual sit
uation of the country, 1 feel not only |
entitled, hut bound toassume, that with |
the Federal Courts restored, and those |
of the several States in the full exercise |
of theif,functions, the rights and inter |
ests of all classes OF the people will |
with the aid OF the military in cases OF |
resistance to the law, be essentially pro- |
tected against Constitutional infringe
n1ent and violation. Should this ex-
pectation unhappilY fail, which do |
dot anticipate, then the Executive is al |
ready fully armed with the power con- |
ferred by the act of March, 1865, estab- |
fishing the Freedmen's Bureau, and
hereafter, as heretofore, he can employ |
the land and naval forces of the coun-
try 10 suppress insurrection or to over |
come distractions to- the laws.
I'm accordance with the Constitution |
i return the bill to the Senate, in the |
earnest hope that a measure involving |
questions and interests SO important to !
the country, will not become a law un-
less upon deliberate consideration by
thepeople 1t shall receive the sanction
OF IA an 2, enlightened public Judgment; Igs
II WAsH1soroN, d. C., Feb. 19, 1866.
7..s4s -.-----------. !sl-f
JUDGE HARRISON ENDORSED BY GIN.
CRooK.-The following letter contains
its own explanatfon:I ~ zrrg
WASHINGTON Cry Feb. 18th, '66.
=. HsaI