The weekly North-Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 186?-1869, 1868-07-22
MIDNIGHT DISPATCHES.
From Washington.

WASHINGTON, July 90.-In vctoing the elccto.
raj college bill, the President mentions that the
Southern States were never out OF the Union,
and asserts that they were practically restored
previous to March, 1867. In narrating the pro-
visions of the Constitution, the President says:
The joint resolution, by implication at least,
comedies that these States were States by virtue
OF their organization, prior to the 4th of March,
1857, but denies to them the right to vote in the
election of President and Vice-Presidens of the
United States. 1t follows either that this az.
sumption of power is wholly unauthorized BY
the Constitution, or that the States SO excluded
from voting were out of the Union by reason OF
the rebellion, and have never been legitimately
restored. Being fully satisfied that they were
never out of the Union, and that their relations
thereto have been legally and constitutionally
restored, am forced to the conclusion that the
joint resolution which deprives them of the right
to have their vote for President and Vice. Presi-
dent, received and counted, is in conflict
with the Constitution, and that Congress
has no more power to reject their votes than
those of the States which have been uniformly
loyal to the Federal Union. It is worthy of re-
mark that of the States whose inhabitants were
recently in rebellion, were legally and constitu-
honally organized and restored to their rights
prior to the 4th of March, 1867, as am satisfied
they were the only legitimate authority under
which the election tor President and Vice Presi-
dent can be held therein, must be derived from
the governments instituted before that period.
II clearly follows that all the State governments
organized in those States under acts of Congress
for that purpose and under military control,
are illegtimate and OF NO validity whatever, and
in that view the votes cast in those States for
President and Vice President in pursuance of
acts passed since the 4th of March, 1867, and in
obedience to the so-called reconstruction acts of
Congress, cannot be legally received, and could
not while the only votes in those States that can
be legally cast and counted will be those cast in
pursuance of the laws in force in tue general
States prior to the legislation by Congress upon
the subject of reconstruction. .... y.
The President proceeds to argue that while
the people of the Southern States were not in re-
helioi some of the Northern States were in re-
belion and that the protest for exclusion applies
logically equally to New York and Virginia
The message concludes: "If Congress were
to provide by law that the votes of none of the
States should be received and counted if cas- for
candidate who differed in political sentiment
with a majority of the two Houses, such would
at once be condemned by the country as an un
constitutional and revolutionary usurpation OF
power. Itwould, however, be exceedingly diff.
| fcult to find in the constitution any more au
thority for the passage of thh joint resolution un
| der consideration than for an enactment looking
directly to the rejection OF all votes.