The Elk advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Elk Co., Pa.) 186?-1868, 1868-06-27
PPESIDFNY'S MESSAGE.
VETO OF THE ARKANSAS BILL.

The President has transmitted to the
House the following message, returning
with his objections the bill for the ad~
mission Of Arkansas:
70 the House of Representatives.:
IrctuIn without my signature a bill
entitled "Au Act to admit the State Of
Arkansas:
The approval of this bill would be an
admission on the part of the Executive
that the "Act for the more efficient gov
erument 6l the rebel States" passed
March ID, 1867, and the act supple
mentary thereto, were proper aud con.
5titutioual. My opinion however, in
reference to these measures has under
gone no change, but on the contrary, has
bocn strengthened by the results which
have attended their execution.
Even were this not the case, I could
not consent to bill which is based upon
the assumption either that by an act Of
rebellion OF portion OF its people the
State Of Arkanaas seeded from the u
MON, or that Congress may at its pleas
rrc, expel cr exclude a State FROM the
Union, or interrupt its relations with the
Government by arbitrarily dcpriving it
OF representation in the Senate aud
House Of Representatives. If 1rkan-
sas is State not in the Union, this bill
does not admit it as State in the u
mon. IF, or the other hand, Arkansas
is State in the Union, 10 legislation is
necessary to declare it entitled "to rep
rcsentation in Congress as one OF the
States in the Union" The Constitu
ton already declares that "each State
shall have at least enc Representative !"
"that the senate shall be composed Of
two Senators from each State )" and
''that no State without its consent shall
be deprived Of its suffrage in the SEN
ate" That instrument also makes each
House "tho judges Of the elections, re-
turns and qualifications Of its own mem
bers," AMI therefore all that is now ne
c1ssary to restore Arkansas in all its
constitutional relations TO the Govern.
ment is the decision by each Hodso up
on the eligibility Of those who, present,
ing their credentials, claim seats in the
respective Houses Of Congress. This, is
the plain and simple plan of the Con
stitution; and believing that had it been
pursued when Congress assembled in
thesmonth Of December, 1855, the res
toratioa Of the States would long since
have been Completed | once again re
commend that it be adopted by each
House in preference to legislation which
| respectfully submit IS not ouly Of a
least doubtful constituionality, anc
therefore uuwiso and dangerous as ;
precedent, but is unnecessary, not so eff
tectiye in its operation as the mode pre-
soribed by the Constitution, involves thl
additional delay, aud from its terms may
be taken rather as applicable to Terri
tory about to be admitted as one Of til,
United States than to State which ha
occupied place III the Union for up
wards Of a quarter Of a century.
The bill declares the State of ArSan-
sas entitled aud admitted to representa-
ton in Congress as one of the States Q
the Union upon the following funda
mental condition
That the constitution OF Arkansa
shall never be so ahicndGd or change
as to deprive any citizen or class of cit
zens of the United States of the right t
vote who are entitled to vote by the cor
stitution herein recognized, except sue
crimes as are n)w ielonies at commol
law, whereof they shall be duly convic
ed under laws equally applicable to a
the inhabitants Of said State. Pr0rideo
That any alteration of said constitution
prospective in its effect, may be made i
regard to the time and place Of resi-
dencc OF voters.
| have been unable to fud III II
Constitution Of the United States an
. warrant for the exercise Of the authorit
thus claimed by Congress. la assuu
ing the power to impose "IuDdamol
tai condition upon State which Il;
been duly admitted into the Union o
an equal footing with the original Statc
in all respects whatever, Congress a.
serts a right to enter a State IS it may
: Territory, and to regulate the hj2Lc
, prerogdtiyc Of free pe0plc-the clct
tive franchise. This question IS roseTy
ed by the Constitution to the State
themselves, and to concede to Cougres
the power to regulate this subject won,
, be to reverse the fundamental Princip