The Lansing state Republican. [volume] (Lansing, Mich.) 1855-1874, 1866-06-27

safely De LETT 70 themselves, be might with
draw the military forces altogether, and
leave the people OF any or all OF the States
I to govern themselves without his Interior
ence. IN the language Of the Secretary OF
state. 10 bis telegram 20 the provisional
/ Governor Of Georgia dated October 2Sth,
I 1865, be might recognize the people OF
any State as having resumed the relations
OF loyalty 70 the Union, and act III bis
military capacity on this hypothesis. All
this was within his own discretion, as mill
tar3 commander. But il was not Tor him
10 decide upon the nature or effect OF any
system OF government which the people OF
these States might see fit 10 adopt This
power is lodged by the Constitution 10 the
/ Congress OF The United States-that branch
Of tie Government in which IL vested the
authority 70 tx the political relations or tie
states TO tie Union. whose duty Il Is 10
guarantee 10 each state a republican form
o. government, and 10 protect each AMI all
OF chem against .Oreign or domestic vi0-
/ leuce. and against each other We cannot
+ therefore, regard the various acts Of tie
President in relation 70 Tie formation Of
/ local governments in the lnsurrectiOnary
States. and the conditions imposed by him
upon their action, 10 aly other Light than
a limitations 10 the people that, as Com
m1nder-.a-Chief OF the army, he would
consent 10 withdraw military rule Jus. ID
proportion as they should by their acts
nantes. . disposition ID preserve order
among themselves. establish governments
denOtIng loyalty 10 the Union, and exhibit
q settled determination 10 return 20 their
allegiance leaving with the law making
power 10 Tx the terms OF their final rest0r-
alton 10 All the rights and privileges as
states Of the Union. That this was Ihe
view o. MS power taken by the Pres ident is
evident from expressions 10 that effect IA
! the communications OF the Secretary OF
State 10 the various provisional governors
and the repeated declarations oil the Pres
dent himself Any other suppOsitiOn IN
consistent with il would impu,e 10 the Pres
ident designs Of encrOachment upon q CO.
ordinate branch of the Government, which
should not be lightly attributed to the Chief
Magistrate Of the nation.
! When Congress assembled in December
/ last the people OF most Of the States lately
/ in rebellion had, under the advice OF the
President, organized local governments.
and some of them had acceded 20 the
terms proposed by him. la his annual
message, he stated in general terms what
had been done, but he did not see tic to
communicate the details for the Information
OF Congress While in this and in q subse-
uuent message the President urged the
speedy restoration OF these States. and ex-
pressed the opinion that their condition
was such Is % Justify their restoration. vet
it is quite obvious that Congress must either
have acted blindly on that opinion Of the
President, or proceeded to obtain the infOr-
nation requisite for intelligent action on
the subject The Improperly OF proceeding
wholly on the judgment OF any one man,
however exalted his station, In matter in
vOlving the welfare OF the Republic in all
future time, or Of adopting any plan, COM
ing from any source without fully under
standing all its bearings and comprehend
ing its full effect, was apparent The first
! step, therefore, was 10 obtain the required
| information 4 call was accordingly made
on the President for the information in his
possession as TO what had been done in
order that Congress might Judge for itself
as 10 the grounds of the belief eXpresss
bv him in the fitness of States recently in
/ rebellion to participate fully in the conduct
OF national affairs. This information was
not Immediately communicated. When
the response was finally made some SIX
weeks after your committee had been in ac-
tual session. it was found that the evidence
upon which the President seems 20 have
based his suggestions was incomplete and
unsatisfactory Authenticated copies OF
the constitutions and ordinances adopted
b. the conventions IN three OF the States
had been submitted; extracts from news
papers furnished scan-y information as to
the action or one Other State, AMI nothing
lappears 10 have been communicated as TO
the remainder. There was no evidence OF
the loyalty of those who participated IN
these conventions, ana in one state alone
vas anv proposition made to submit the
2 action % the final Judgment of the people
Failing 10 obtain the desired Information
? and lelt 10 5rOpe Tor light wherever 1t might
be found, your committee did not deem It
either advisable or safe TO adopt without
further examination, the suggestions OF the
President, more especially As he had not
deemed II eypedient to remove the military
iOrce, to suspend martial law, or TO restore
the writ OF i0JeGS corpus, but stiil though
il necessary TO exercise over the people OF
the rebellOus states his military power and
jurisdiction. This conclusion derived
greater force from the fact undlsputed, that
in all those States, except Tennessee, and
perhaps Arkansas the elections which
were held for State officers aud members OF
| Congress had resulted almost universally in
the defeat of candidates who had been true
to the Union, and IN the election OF nOtO-
riOus and unpardOned rebels, men who could
not take The prescribed oath OF Office ana
who made no secret Of their hostility to the
! Government and the people OF the United
states. Under these circumstances any
thing like hasty action would have been as
dangerous as it was obviously unwise. 1t
appeared 20 your committee that but one
course remained. viz; to investigate care
fully and thoroughly the state Of feeling OF
these States; to ascertain how tar their
pretended loyalty could be relied upon and
thence 70 inter whether il would be safe to
admit them at once to a full participation
IN the Government they had tried Tor -four
years 20 destroy. 1t was an equally impOr-
tant inquiry whether their restoration 10
their former relations with the United
States should only be granted upon certain
conditions and guarantees, which wOuld
effectuslly secure the nation against re-