Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1868-12-13
GEoRGIAIN CoNGREss.

to go again through the process of
reconstruction, and the Radical
Governor of that State has taken
the lead in melting Congress 10 take
this step. Immediately after the
Senate had been called to order, the
presiding officer of that body pre-
sented a communication from Gov.
Bullock, in which that conscientious
stickler for claw and the forms of
law" represents to Congress that the
laws under which Georgia was to
have been admitted torepresentation
in Congress have not been fully exc
cuted, and setting forth the fact that
candidates for the General Assem-
bly, who had received the highest
number of votes were permitted to
take seats, and participate in legisla-
ton, without regard to their
eligibility-not having been re-
quired to take the oath OF
Office prescribed by law. The
Governor alleges that the result OF
this failure to execute the law has
been to defeat the purposes which
Congress had in view in passing the
reconstruction acts, and, therefore,
asks that such steps be taken as to
Congress may seem proper. The
report of Gen. Meade fatty contra
diets the assertion of Gov. Bullock
touching the qualification of mem
bers of the Legislature, for he says
they were qualified according to
the reconstruction laws and the
fourteenth amendmentto the consti-
tuition of the United States. He
further reports that Gov. Bullock
desired him to use his authority as
military commander of the district
and exclude members Of the Legls-
lature who were his political oppo-
nents. Gen. Meade refused to 10
this. and now Bullock seeks to
revenge himself upon Legis-
lature and people who arc
opposed to him and his schemes. by
having Congress interpOse and re
mand the State to a territorial con
dition. When Mr.. Sherman pre-
scented the credentials Of Mr.. Hill,
one of the Senators elect from
Georgia, there was something of q
flutter, and good deal Of talk about
law, but Mr.. Drake, Of Missouri
stated the real ground Of objection
to Mr.. Hills admission. He de,
clared that 4" he had no personal OBJ
lection to the gentleman whose ere,
dentials had been presented, but the
ouestion AZ TO admitting him in,
roIvod tba greater question, whether
the power of Congress over a recon
structed State ends the moment that
State is recognized by either House
as restored to her position in the
Troiorn And he advanced the
onirior that % CONGRESS- still held its
mower over those States. and he
sbouId moi vote for the admission OF
ranrosontotiros from any of those
Statcs which SOUGHT to overthrow
mo sunromocv Of the Ioval men :
u,a+ ~ ,-orIi anovor he willing tc
olIow these States to undo all they
nod dono bof,ro beiro admitted >
and that he Is desired to call the at
tortiop If the country TO this mat
tor and 70 insist upon the power Of
CONGRESS- to guarantee perpetual
IovaI sunremacv in all those States.
The plain English Of all this is, that
tho white pcople of Georgia have
ipotvet been sufficiently manacled
and Inundated; that Congress still
holds its power over the South and
this section is to be governed by
tbe Radical minority. On these
two propositions Congress proposes
to frame all it,. enactments bearing
pnon the South. As part and par
eel Of this purpose. Senator Rice,
Of Arkansas. Just on the
heels of what had transpired
toucbinr Georgia, offered q bill
which authorises and requires the
Secretary of War to deliver to the
Governors of the following States,
viz: North Carolina, South Caro-
lima. Georgia. Florida, Alabama,