Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1868-06-22
CONGRESSIONAL.

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elected, and that Mckee was, and ths
Young had aided the rebellion. Pendin
the discussion the following messag
was received: 49, y - - -
10 q: House of Representatives of the Unite
III return without my signature a Bill
entitled AN act TO admit the State o
Arkansas TO representation in Congress.
To approve OF this bill would. be an ad
mission on the part of the Executive tina
the act'for the more ficient government
Of the rebel States, passed March 2
1861 and the acts supplementary thereto
were proper aud nstitutional. My
opinion, however, in regard TO these
measures has Undergone no change but
on The contrary, has been strengthened
by the events which have attended theil
execution. And even were this not The
case, could not consent TO o bill which
is based upon the assn ption that either
by an act Of rebellion by portion of its
peaple the State of Arkansas seeded
from the Union, or that Congress may, Of
lie pleasure, expe or exclude any State
from the Union, or interrupt it's relations
with the Government by arbitrarily de-
privinr II Of tation in the Senate
and House Representatives. IfArkan-
sas is not aState in the Union, this bill does
not admit it as State; il, on. the other
hand, it is State in the Union. no legis-
lation ia necessary TO declare it entitled
to representation IN Congress. As one
of the States of the Union, the Constitu-
| ton already declares that each State
shall have at least one Representative,
and that the Senate shall be composed of
two Sem tors from each State, and that
no State, without its consent, shall be de-
prived of its equal suffrage in that Sem
ate. 1t also makes each House tie Judge
Of the election returns and The quaIifica-
tons of its own members, and therefore
ell that is now necessary 10 securs Ar
kansas all its constitutional relations to
the goyernmeat, Is a decision by each
House upon the eligibility Of those pre-
senting their credentials and CLANS to
seats in The ysspsotiyeH Houses Of Congress.
This 10 the plain and simple plan of the
Constitution, and had it been pursued
when Congress assembled, in the month
Of December, 1865, the restoration Of the
States would have been Icing since COM
pleted. i once again earnestly recon
mend thai II be adopted by each House
Of Congress in reference 10 the legisla
ton which respectfully submit, which
is not only Of doubtful constitutionality
and therefore unwise and dangerous as
precedent, but unnecessary, and not so
effective in its operations as the mode
prescribed by the Constitution. 1t in-
wolves an additional delaY, and, from its
terms, it may ha tpken rather as applica-
BILE to territory about to be admitted as
one OF the United States than as a State
which has occupied place in the Union
for upwards Of a quarter of century.
The bill declares that Arkansas is en-
titled and admitted 20 representation in
Congress as one of the States of the
Union upon the following Fundamental
eopditipus'. NThat the Constitution of
Arkansas shall never be so amended or
changed as to deprive any citizen or
class of citizens Of the United States Of
the right to vote who are entitled to vote
by the Constitution herein recognized,
except for punishment for crimes that
ays noS felony at common Law, whereof
they Shall have been convicted. equally
applicable to all the inhabitants OF said
State, provided any alteration of said
Constitution, prospective IN It's effect,
may be made in regard to time and place
of residence Of voters. / have been IN.
able TO find In the Constitution of the
United States any warrant for the exer- 4
else of the authorities thus claimed
by Congress in assuming power to impose
conditions on State which
has been duly admitted into the Union
on an eaHal footing With the original
States mall respects whatever. Con.
gress asserts right to enter State as it
may be territory, and to regulate the
highest prerogative Of a free people-the
elective franchise. As this question is
reserved by the Constitution to the 5tates
and to concede to Congress
The power TO regulate tbis subject would
be to reverse The fundamental principle
Of the Republic, and place in the hands
Of the Federal GoyernWent, which is Q
ereatisa Of fhe atatss, the sovereignty
which Justly belongs to the States, or the
people, the true source of all political
power, by whom our federal system wsss
created, and to whose win !. is subordi-
nate.n --..sfy h. .sfH ayi.as AIS riffiu
Trae bill fails to provide in what man.
ner the State of Arkansas is TO signify
its acceptance Of the fundamental con-
dition which Congress endeavors to make
and irrevocable. Nor does
it prescribe the penalty to be imposed
should the people of the State amend or
change the particular portions of the
which it was one of the pur-
poses of the bill 10 perpetuate; but as to
the consequences of such action as leaves
them in uncertainty and doubt, when the
under which this Constr
tuition has been brought to the attention
Of Congress are considered, it is not I'M
to suppose that efforts will be
made to modify its provisions, especially
those in respect to WHICH this measure
prohibits any alteration. 1t is seriously
whether the Constitution has
been ratified by majority OF the persons
who, under The act Of March I'd, 1865,
and the acts supplementary thereto, were
entitled to registration and to vote upon
that issue. Section ten of the schedule
that no persons disqualified
from voEiug or registering under this
shall vote for candidates for
any Office, nor be permitted to vote for
the ratification or rejection of the Con-
at the polls. is herein author
lied and assumed to be in force there
fore, its adoption is in disregard OF the
law Of Congress. The Constitution also
undertakes 70 impose upon the electors
other and further conditions 1i 3D. 81
The nfth section Of the eighth article
provides that all persons, before regis