Wyoming democrat. [volume] (Tunkhannock, Wyoming Co., Pa.) 1867-1940, 1868-06-24
VETO MESSAGE
BY PRESIDENT JOHNSON
To the House Of Representatives. :
OF THE ARKANSAS BILL.

enLlLleu, An acL 10 ADMIT the State OF
Arkansas to representation in Congress.
The approval of this bill would be au ad-
mission on the part of the Executive that
the Act for the more efficient government
Of the rebel States passed March I'd, 1857,
and the acts supplementary thereto were
proper and constitutional. My opinion,
! however, in reference to those measures
has undergone no change, but on the con-
trary has been strengthened by the results
which have attended their execu,ion.-
Even were this not the case could not
consent to bill which is based upon the
assumption either that by an act of rebel.
lion of portion of its people the State oil
Arkansas seeded from the Union, or in
terrupt its relations with the government
by arbitrarily depriviug it Of representa-
ton in the Senate and House of Represen.
tatives. If Arkansas is a State not in tn d.
! Union, this bill does not admit it as 6
State into the Union. If, on the other
hand, Arkansas is State in the Union,
no legislation is necessary to declare it en-.
titled to representation in Congress as one
Of the States Of the Union. The copstitu-
tion already declares that each State shall
have at least one representative that the
Senate shall be composed of two Senators
from each State. that no State without its
consent shall be deprived of its equ.l suf-
frage in the Senate. That instrument also
makes each House the judge of the cleo
ton returns and qualifications Of its own
members, and, therefore, all that is now
necessary to restore Arkansas in all its
Constitutional relations to the Govern
ment is decision by each House upon
the eligibility of those who presenting
their credentials claim seats in the respec-
tive Houses of Congress. This is the
plain and simple plan Of the Constitution.
and believing that had it been pursued
when Congress assembled in the month
of December, 1865, the restoration Of the
States would long since have been COM
pleted. | once again earnestly recommend
that it be adopted by each House in pref
cnce to legislation which | respectfully
submit, is not only Of at least. doubtful
constitutionality, and therefore unwise and
dangerous as a precedent, but is unncces
sarily not so effective in its operation as
the mode prescribed by the Constitution,
as it involves additional delay, and may
from its terms be taken as applicable 10 a
territory about to be admitted as one Of
the United States, than to a State which
has occupied place in the Union for up
wards quarter of a century;
The bill declares the State Of Arkansas
] Ii
in Congress a; one of the States of the
Union, upon the following fnndame ntal
conditions : that the Constitution of Ar
kansas shall never be so amended or chang
ed 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 as
punishment for such crimes as are now
feloples at common law whereof they shall
have been duly convicted under laws
equally applicable TO all tho inhabitants oil
SAID States, provided any alteration Of said
Constitution prospective in its effect, may
be made in regard to the time and place
of residence of the voters
/ have been unable TO find in the Con
| SlltuJlOH Ol INC u uIicu ClAlcS dHt "diIhl'
for the exercise of the authority thus claim
ed by Congress. In assuming the power
| TO impose Fundamental conditions upon a
State which has been duly admitted into
the Union on an equal footing with the
original States in all respects whatever
Congress asserts a right to enter a State
as it may Territory, and to regulate the
highest prerogative of free people the
elective franchise. This question is re-
served by the Constitution to the States
themselves, and to conccde to Congress
the power to regulate this subject would
be to reverse the fundamental principles
of the republic, and to place in the hands
of the Federal Government, which is tn e
creatures of the States, the sovereignty
| which Justly belongs to the States or the
people, the true source of all political pow
er, by whom our Federal system was cre-
| ated and to whose will it is subordinate
The bill fails to provide in what manner
the State of Arkansas is to signify its ac-
ceptance of the fundamental condition
which Congress endeavors to make nnsl-
terable and irrevocable. Nor does it pre-
| scribe the penalty to be imposed, should
the people of the State amend or change
the particular portion of the constitution
which it was one of the purposes of the
bill to perpetuate, but as to the consequen-
ces of such action, it leaves them in un-
certainty and doubt When the circum-
stances under which this Constitution has
been brought to the attention of Congress,
are considered. it is not unreasonable to
suppose that efforts will be made to modi-
fy its provisions, especially those in re-
spect to which this measure prohibits any
alteration. 1t is seriousl y questioned
whether the Constitution has been ratified
by a majority of the persons, who, under
the act of March Cd, 1865, and the acts
supplementary thereto were entitled to
registration and to vote upon that issue
Section 10 of the schedule provides that
no persons " disqualified from voting or
registering under this Constitution shall
vote for candidates for any Office, nor shall
be permitted to vote for the ratification or
rejection of the Constitution at the polls
herein authorized, assumed to be in
force before its adoption. In disregard Of
law of Congress the Constitution under