American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1868-07-25
TELEGRAE'EElC.

n STATES were never out OF the Union
and asserts they were PRACTICAL
constitutiOnally restored previous t
March -1Stj7. Narrating provision
T of the Constitution, the Presiden
!. says: The joint resolution, by In
pllcation at least, comedies tina
these States We're States by, virtu
OF their organization prior to the At
of March, 1861, but denied to then
the right to vote in the election O
the President and Vice President 0
the United States. 1t follows eithe
that the assumption Of power i
wholly unauthorized by the Consti
tuition, or that the States SO eXclud
ed from voting were out of the UnioI
by reason of the rebellion, and hay,
never been les1timatcly restored
Being fully satisfied that they wer,
never ont Of the Union, and thei
relations thereto have been legally
aud coustitutionally resumed, | an
forced to the conclusion that The
joint resolution which deprivcS then
of their rights to have their vote for
President and Vice President re
ceived and counted, is in conflict
with the Constitution, and that Con.
greSs has no more power to rejec.
their votes than those which have
been uniformly loyal to the federal
Union. 1t is worthy Of remark that
if the States whose Inhabitants were
recently III rebellion, were legally
and constitutionally organized and
restored to their rights prior to the
18th OF March, 1867, as am satisfied
theywere, the only legitimate author.
ity nndcr which the election for Pres.
idrnt and Vice President can be
held therein must be derived from
the governments instituted be-
fore that period. 1t clearly follows
flat all the State governments organ
lied in those States under the act Of
Congress for that purpose aud un.
der military control are Legitimate.
and Of no validity whatever; and in
that view the votes cast in those
States tor President and Vice ?resi.
dent in pursuance of acts passed
since the fourth of March, 1861, and
in obedience to the so-called recon
Struction acts Of Congress cannot be
legally received and counted; while
the only votes in those States that
can be legally east and counted will
be those east in pursuance of the
laws in force in the several States
prior to the legislation by Congress
upon the subject of reconstruction.
The President proceeds to argue
that while the people Of the Southern
States were not in rebellion, some
people in Northern States were in
rebellion, and that act for exclusion
applied logically and equally to New
York and Virginia. The message
that if Congress were to
provide by law that the votes of
zone Of the States should be received
u counted if cast for candidate
who differed in political sentiment
with majority OF the two houses,
such legislation !would at once be
by the country as an I'M
Constitutional and revolutionary
Of 20 ycrS. 1t would,
however, be exceedingly difficult to
ind in the Constitution any more
for the passage Of the Joint
under consideration than
TT an enactment looking directly to
he rejection Of all votes not in &C.
orlance with hepolitical preference
II Il majority Of Congress. Nopower
XiStS III the Constitution authoriz.
pg the joint resolution or the sup
Oscd law-thc only difference being
bat one would be more paIpably I'M
constitutional and revolutionary than
he other. Both wonld rest upon
he radical error that Congress has
he power to prescribe terms and
to the right Of the people
t the States to cast their votes for
resident and Vice President.
ScHdte-The rights of naturalized
tiZeus abroad were discussed all
ay, interrupted only by the reading
t the veto aud the passage of the
ectoral college bill Notwithstanding
' 10 to S-the Southern Senators,
lcept Pool, who was absent, voting
it'll the majority.
Senate went into Executive session.
ru. lH.#
HoUsG.--The credentials of Lash,
ON North Carolina, and Bowen. /
ON South Carolina, were referred
the election committee.
Jones presented bill extending
Ie provisions Of law passed July
In, 1864, limiting the jurisdiction I
the Court OF Claims over North I,
Referred to judiciary.
Nirnie Rran has been restored to
r studio i'll the Capitol, by resolu, :
On. :
Eldridge, of Wisconsin, asked Z
ave for resolution requesting the
,crptary of War to communicate to
{ House the names of the persons ::
der sentence of military commits
,n or court martial, ut Dry Ton tu-
IS, the crimes such persons are
arged with. and names of persons 5,
confinement, by order of military :
mmiSSionS, at Atlanta, Ga, aud i
Imleston, 5 G..
Schoiield, of Pennsylvania, object, :, !:
then withdrew the reso- !,
lion. U...
Lash and Bowen were seated.