Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1866-03-01
9flmpllt Ghruaitle.
st. GlairsviIIe, Ohio, March I.
REBEL REPR REsENTATION IN
---. w C0NGRESA.

BY far the most Objectionable part
of the Presidents recent veto message
is that part in which he lectures Con
gress because the so. called Representa-
tivcs and Senators from the late revolt
ed States are kept waiting for their
seats, and are not permitted at once to
take their positions alongside of Ohio
and New York. We print this part Of
it below in,fuH, and ask the attention
of our readers to this latest attempt OF
the Executive to override the repre-
sentatives of the people. .HI
| President JOHNSON, in this move, has
some illustrious precedents-as for in
stance, BUCHANAN in the Kansas i'm
broglio. Our recollection is that Mr..
BUCHANAN did not come out of, that
scrape with a great deal of credit We
will see what will be the result of this
latest attempt at Executive usurpa-
ton. ra .1-r
Mr.. JOHNSON, in his zeal to get the
late Rebels into Congress (for none
but Rebels have been elected in those
States) makes a strong argument in
favor of negro suffrage. He says !:
"The principle is firmly fixed in the
minds of the American people that
there should be no taxation without
representation. % AS an illustrious
stumper of the Cops. in Belmont Coun-
ty would say, $ What are you going
to do with the nigger" when he ac-
quires taxable property? '' '
Mr.. JOHNSON says:
cannot but add another very grave OBJ
lection to this bill The Constitution i'm
peratively declares n connection with tax
! alton, that each State shall have at least
one representative, and fxssthe rule fer the
number to which in future times each State
shall be entitled. 1t also provides that the
Senate Of the United States shall be COM
posed of two Senators from each State, and
adds, with peculiar force. that no State,
without its consent, shall be deprived of it's
suffrage in the Senate. The original act
was necessarily passed in the absence of
the States chiefly interested, because their
people wsre then contumaciously. engaged
in the rebellion Now tha case is changed,
and some at least Of thk States are attend
ing Congress by loyal Representatives, So
Letting the allowance of the constitutional
right of representation. At the time, how
ever, of the consideration and passing 0f
the bill, there was no Senator or Represen
taSive in Congress from the eleven States
which are to be mainly affected by it's pro-
visions. 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 Repre- 'entatiyes
Of their own in Congress to explain their
condition. aud assist by their LEGAL know
edge in the perfectng Of measures imme-
diately affecting themselves, while the lib
e,ty Of deliberation would then I've free and
Congress would have tuli power to decide
according to its Judgment There could be
no objection urged chat the States most in
terested had not been permitted to be heard
| The principle is firmly fixed in the minds
OF the American people that there should
he no taxation without representation. =
Great burdens are now to be horne by, all
the country, and we may best demand that
they shall be borne without murmur when
they are voted by a majority Of the Repre-
sentatives of all the people. | would not
| interfere with the unquestionable right OF
Congress to Judge, each house for itself, OF
the election, returns and qualifications of its
| own members; but that authority cannot
be construed as including the right TO put
out in time of peace any State from the
representation to which it is entitled by the
Constitution At present, all the people
of the eleven States are excluded those
who were most faithful during the war nol
less than others. The State Of Tennessee,
for instance, whose authorities were en-.
gagged in the rebellion was restored to all
her constitutional relations to the Union
by tho patriotism and energy OF her injured
and BETRAYED people, Before the war wa'
brought to termination, they had plseec
themselves in relations with the Geners
Government, had established State Gov
eruu,ent of their own As they were No
included in the emancipation proclamation
they, by their own acts, have amended thel
Constitution so as1to abolish slavery within
the limits of their own State. know NJ
reason why the State of Tennessee, tor ex
ample, should not fully enjoy her constltu
tional relations to the United States Th
President of the United States stands to
ward the country in a somewhat ditferen
attitude from that of any member OF Con
gress, chosen from a single district or State
The President is chosen by the people
9 all the States. Eleven States are not a
this time represented in either branch
Congress. 1t would seem to be his duty o
, all proper occasions to present their Jus
claims to Congress There always will