Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1867-07-23
The President on Reconstruction.
tie Senate of lie United States i:

To the Senate of tie United States:
transmit herewith reports from the Secre-
tary of War aud Attorney General, containing
the information called for by the resolution
of the Senate of the Sd inst, requesting the
President TO communicate to the Senate
copies of all orders, instructions. circular let
tiers or letters of advice issued to the respec-
tive military officers assigned to the command
of the several military districts under the act
passed March =, 1867, entitled an act TO
provide for the more efficient government of
the Rebel States" and the act supplementary
thereto, passed March 23d, 1867; also, ''copies
OF all opinions given to him by the Attorney
General of the United States touching the
construction and Interpretation of said acts,
and OF all correspondence relating to the ope-
ration, construction or execution of said acts,
that may have taken place between himself
and any of said commanders, or between him
and the General Of the Army, or between
the latter and any of the said commanders.
touching the same subjects; also, copies of
all orders issued by any of said commanders
in carrying out the provisions of said acts or
either Of them; also, that he inform the
Senate what progress has been made in the
matter of registration under said acts, and
whether the sum Of money heretofore apprO-
priated for carrying them out is probably
sufficient"
In answer to that portion Of the resolution
which inquiries whether the sum Of money
heretofore appropriated for carrying these acts
into effect is probably sufficient reference is
made to the accompanying report of the Sc
cretary of War. 1t will be seen from that
report that the appropriation of five hundred
thousand dollars, under the act approved
March 50, 1867, for the purpose of carrying
into effect the - act to provide for the more
efficient government of the Rebel States,'
passed March >, 1867, and the act supple
mentary, passed March %, 1867, has already
been expended by the commanders of the
several military districts and that in addition
the sum Of 81 ,GIS.211 is required for present
purposes.
1t is exceedingly difficult, at the present
time, to estimate the probable expense of car
rying into full effect the two acts of March
last, and the bill which passed the two Houses
Of Congress on the thirteenth instant II the
existing Governments of ten States of ths
Union are TO be deposed, and their entire
machinery is to be placed under the exclusive
control aDd authority of the respective District
Commanders, all the expenditures incident to
the administration of such Governments must
necessarily be incurred by the Federal
Government. Il is believed that in addition
to the two millions one hundred thousand
dollars already expended or estimated for. the
sum which would be required for this purpose
would not be less than fourteen millions of
dollars, the aggregate amount expended pri-
or to the rebellion in the administration OF
their respective Governments by the ten
States embraced in the provisions of these
acts. This would. no doubt, be considerably
augmented i: the machinery Of these States
Is 10 be operated by the Federal Government.
and would be largely increased If the United
Strtes, by abolishirg the existing States Gov
ernments, should become responsible for LA
hilities incurred by them before the rebellion,
in laudabic efforts to develop their resources,
and in no wise created for insurrcctiouarv or
revolutionary purposes. The debts Of these
States. thus lc=i:imately incurred, when ac-
curateiy aSccrtuinel, VIII, it Is believed APP
proXimatc 4 hundred millions of dollars. and
they are held not only hy our own citizens.
among whom are residents of portions of the
country which lave ever remained lDyal 10
the Union, but by persons who are the SUBJ
jcc;s of foreign Governments. it is worthy
the consideration of Congress and the country
whether, if the Federal Government, by its
action, were to assume such obligations, so
large an addition to our public expenditures
would not seriously impair the credit Of the
nation; or. on the other hand. whether the
refusal Of Congress to guarantee the payment
Of the debts Of these States, alter having dis
placed or abolished their State Governments,
would not be received as a violation of good
faith. and a reputation by the National Leg
islature OF liabilities which these States had
justly and legally incurred.
ANDREW JOHNSON.
Washington, D. c., July Is, 1867.