American citizen. [volume] (Butler, Butler County, Pa.) 1863-1872, 1866-08-15

silence or rejected. The language of all
the provisions and ordinances of the
States ou the subject amounts to nothing
more than an unwilling admission of an
unwelcome truth. As to the ordinance
of secession, it is in some cases declared
null and void" and in others simply
repealed" and in no instance IS a rel
utation of this deadly heresy considered
worthy of place in the new constltu-
tions.
If as the President assumes, these in
eurroctionary States were at the close OF
tbe war wholly without State govern
ments. it would seem that before being
admitted to participate in the direction
of public affairs such governments should
be regularly organized. Long usage has
established, and numerous statutes have
pointed out, the mode in which this
should be done. A convention to frame
form of government should be assem-
bled under competent authority. Ordin
arily this authority emanates from Con-
eress but under the peculiar circumstan-
ces your committee is not disposed to
criticise the Presidents action in assum-
ing the power exercised by him in this
regard. The convention, when assem-
bled. should frame constitution of gov
eminent. which should be submitted to
the people for adoption. IF adopted, a
Legislature should be convened to pass
the laws necessary to carry 1t into effect.
When a State thus organized claims rep
reseptation in Congress, the election of
representatives should be provided for
by law in accordance with the laws of
Congress regulating representation, and
the proof that the action taken has been
in conformity to law should be submitted
to Congress In no case have these es-
sential preliminary steps been taken
The conventions assembled seem to have
assumed that the Constitution which had
been repudiated and overthrow was still
in existence and operative to constitute
the States members Of the Union, and to
have contented themselves with such
amendments as they were informed were
requisite in order to insure their return
to an immediate participation in the Gov
ernment Of the United States. Not wait.
ing to ascertain whether the people they
represented would adopt even the pro-
posed amendments, they at once called
elections of Representatives to Congress
in nearly all instances before an execu.
tive had been chosen to issue certificates
of election under the State laws, an
such elections as were held were ordered
by the conventions In one instance at
least the writs of election were signed by
the Provisional Governor. Glaring ir.
Tegularities and unwarranted assumptions
of power are manifest in several cases,
particularly in South Carolina, where the
convention, although disbanded by the
Provisional Governor, on the ground that
it was revolutionary body, assumed to
district the State
1t is quite evident from all these facts,
and indeed from the whole mass of test
imony submitted by the President to the
Senate, that in no instance was regard
paid to any other consideration than OBJ
tanning immediate admission to Congress.
under the barren form Of an election, to
which no precautions were trken to Sc
cure regularity of proceedings or the ass
sent of the people. No constitution has
been legally adopted, except, perhaps, in
the State of Tennessee, and such cleo
tions as have been held were without au.
thoritv of law. Your committee are ac-
cordingly forced to the conclusion that
the States referred to have not placed
themselves in condition to claim repre-
sentation in Congress, unless all the rules
which have since the foundation of the
Government, been deemed essential il
such cases should be disregarded.
1t would undoubtedly be competent fof
Congress to waive all formalities and tt
admit these Confederate States to repre-
Eentation st once, trusting that time and
experience would set all things right
Whether it would be advisable to do So
however, must depend upon other consid
erations, of which it means to treat But
it may well be observed that the induce
ments to such step should be of the very
highest character. 1t seems to your com
mittse not unreasonable to require salts
factory evidence that the ordinances and
constitutional provisions which the Pres
ident deems essential in the first iDstan &C
will be permanently adhered to by the
people of the States seeking restoration
after being admitted to full participation
in the Government, and will not be re.
pudiated when that object shall have
been accomplished. And here the bur
den of proof rests upon the late insur.
gents, who are seeking restoration to the
rights and privileges which they willingly
abandoned, and not upon the people Of
the United States, who have never un.
dertaken directly or indirectly to deprive
them thereof Itshould appear afirma.
tive that they are prepared and disposed
IN good faith to accept the results OF the
war, to abandon their hostility to the Gov.
ernment, and to live in peace and unity
with the people of the loyal States, ex.
tending to all classes of citizens civi
rights and privileges, and conforming tc
the republican idea of liberty and equal
ity. They should exhibit in their acts
something more than unwilling submis
sion to an unavoidable necessity a feel
ing il not cheerful, certainly not offensive
and defiant, and they should evince an
entire reputation of all hostility to the
General Government by an acceptance Of
such just and favorable conditions as thai
Government should think the public safe.