The tri-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1866-1868, 1866-07-28
THE ADMIssIoN or TENNEssEE.

admitting Tennessee passed by Congress, the
President in his message to Congress ap-s
proving them says.
The preamble simply consists of state
ments, some of which are assumed. while the;
resolution is merely declaration of opinion.
1t comprises no legislation, nor does it con-
fer any power which is binding upon the
respective Houses, the Executive, or the
States. 1t. does not admit to their seats in
Congress the Senators and Representatives
from the State of Tennessee; for, nothwlth-
standing the passage of the resolution, each
House in the exercise OF the Constitutional
right to Judge for itself of the elections, re-
turns and qualifications of its members,
may, at its discretion, admit them, or con-
tinue to exclude them. If joint resolution
of this character were necessary and binding
as a condition precedent to the admission of
members of Congress, it would happen, in
the event of veto by the Executive that
Senators and Representatives could only be
admitted to the Halls of Legislation by
two-thirds vote of each of the two Houses.
Among other reasons reclted In the pream-
BILE for the declarations contained in the res
olution is the ratification. by the State Gov
eminent of Tennessee of "the amendment
to the Constitution of the United States
abolishing slavery, and also the amendment
proposed by the Thirty Ninth Congress. y
If as is also declared in the preamble, g said
State government can only be restored to its
former political relations in the Union by
the consent of the law-making power of the
United States,'' it would really seem to fol-
low that the joint resolution which at this
late day has received the sanction of Con-
gress, should have been passed, approved,
and placed on the statute books before any
amendment to the Constitution was submit
ted to the Legislature of Tennessee for rati
fication. Otherwise, the inference is plainly
deducible that while, in the opinion OF Con-
gress, the people of a State may be too
strongly disloyal to be entitled to represen-
tation, they may, nevertheless, during the
suspension of their former proper practical
relations to the Union," have an equally po-
tent voice with other and loyal States in
propositions TO amend the Constitution, mp
on which so essentially depend the stability,
prosperity and very existence of the nation.
A brief reference to my annual message of
the 4th of December last, will show the steps
taken by the Executive for the restoration to
their Constitutional relations to the Union
of the States that had been affected by the
rebellion. Upon the cessation of active
hostiiities Provisional Governors were APP
pointed, Conventions called, and Governors
elected by the people, Legislatures Assem-
bled, and Senators and Representatives
chosen to the Congress of the United States.
At the same time the Courts of the United
States were re-opened, the blockade removed,
the custom-houses re-established and postal
relations resumed.
The amendment to the Constitution abol-
ishing slavery forever within the limits of the
country was also submitted to the States,
and they were thus invited to- and did par
ticipate in its rati6cation-thus exercising
the highest functions pertaining to a State. In
addition, nearly all of these States, through
their Conventions and Legislatures, had
adopted and ratified Constitutions of gov
eminent, whereby slavery was abolished,
and all ordinances and laws of secession and
debts contracted under the same were de-
clared void"
So far, then, the political existence of the
States and their relations to the Federal gov
eminent had been fully and completely re-
cognized and acknowledged by the Execu-
tive Department of the government, and the
completion OF the work of restoration, which
had progressed so favorably was submitted
to Congress, upon which devolved all ques-
tions pertaining to the admission to their
seats of the Senators and Representatives
chosen from the States whose people had en-
gagged in the rebellion.
All these steps had been taken, when on
the 4th day of December, 1865, the Thirty
Ninth Congress assembled. Nearly eight
months have elapsed since that time, and no
other plan of restoration having been pro-
posed by Congress for the measures institu-
ted by the Executive, it is now declared, in
the joint resolution submitted for my approx
al that the State of Tennessee is hereby
restored to the Union. and is again entitled
to be represented by Senators and Represen-
tatives in Congress" Thus, after the lapse
of nearly eight months, Congress proposes
to pave the way to the admission and to the
representation of one of the eleven States
whose people arrayed themselves in rebellion
against the constituted authority of the Fed
eral government.
Earnestly desiring to remove every cause
of further delay, whether real or imaginary,
on the part of Congress, to the admission to
seats of loyal Senators and Representatives
from the State of Tennessee, l have, notwith-
standing the anomalous character of the
proceedings affixed my signature ia the res
olution. NV approval, however, is not to be
construed as an acknowledgment of the right
of Congress to pass laws preliminary to the
admission of duly qualified Representatives
from any of the States. Neither is it to be
considered as committing me to all the state
ments made in the preamble-some of which
are, in my opinion, without foundation, in
fact especially, the assertion that the State
of Tennessee has ratified the amendment to
the Constitution of the United States pro-
posed by the Thirty-Ninth Congress. No
official notices of such ratification has been
received by the Executive, or filed in the De-
partment of State; "n the contrary, unofficial
information from most reliable sources in
duces the belief that the amendment has not
vet been constitutionally sanctioned by the
Legislature of Tennessee. The right of each
House, under the Constitutions to judge OF
the elections, returns and qualifications OF its
own members, is undoubted, and my ap-
proval or disapproval of the resolution could
not, in the slightest degree, increase or di-
minish the authority in this respect conferred
upon the two branches of Congress.
In conclusion, I cannot too earnestly re-
peat my recommendation for the admission
of Tennessee, and all other States, to a fair
and equal participation in national leegisla-
ton, when they present themselves in the
persons of loyal Senators and Representa-
tives, who can comply with all the require
ments of the Constitution and the laws. By
this means, harmony and reconciliation will
be effected, the practical relations of all the
States to the Federal Government re-estab-
lished, and the work of restoration inaugu-
rated l1nOn the Termination of the war Sue