The Plymouth weekly Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1860-1869, 1868-02-20
ution. would guaranty those governments.


gress as the source of power for the action o
the people, but appealing TO the people indc
pendently Of congress. He says that if they
will reorganize their state governments
Such shall be recognized as the true gov
ernment of the state, and the state shall re
ceive Hereunder the benefits of the constitu
tional provision which declares that the
United States shall guarantee to every state
> in this union republican form of govern
ment," Sc In this connection it is prope
for me TO say that Mr.. Lincoln declared il
that proclamation that the executive recog
milton of the state government would not bt
binding upon congress on the single question
of the admission of senator and representa-
tiveS, for the reason that 70 judge of theil
qualifications was, BY the constitution, lef
expressly to each branch Of congress.
But, sir, now come to the most emphatic
declaration that Mr.. Lincoln has made on
this subject, and after which you ought moi
to have elected him president, if your laws
now stand upon the true construct on of the
constitution. The Winter Davis bill passed
on the last day or two Of the first session OF
the thirty -eiggth congress. 1t provided a leg
islative mode of reorganization, legislative
policy, and Mr. Lincoln put that bill in his
pocket. Instead of acting under that bill
he threw it back in the face of congress and
said that congress should not tie his hands
to any particular mode of reorganization
Here is his proclamation, dated on the Sth
day of JulJ, 1864, after you had renominated
him but before you had reelected him. Mr.
Lincoln recites, in the first place, the passage
of the Winter Davis bill, and in his procla-
nation he says that the proposed mode was
enough; but he goes on to say
Now, therefore, L, Abraham Lincoln, pres
ident Of the United States, do proclaim, de
clare and make known, that. while am (as
/ was in December last, when by proclama
ton propoundeda plan for restoration un
prepared by formal approval of this bill
to be invexibly committed to any single plan
of restoration"
Because he was not willing to be
bound to any plan therefore he would moi
approve the congressional plan by signing
the bill; and he further declared that il
The people would act according to the
plan proposed by congress he would re.
had propo. cd it. but because he, as the ex-
ecutive of tie United States, judging for
himself under the constitution, had rieh
to prescribe the plan of restoration aud Sc
he held that congress should not do it
that his hands should not be tied by any
act IF congress.
After Mr.. Lincoln had declared this
doctrine in this proclamation he was re-
elected president of the United States
Now, ask senators, when your party
elected him president was there any more
important question before the country than
the question of reconstruction, as you call
it /; of restoration, as Mr.. Lincoln called
it. IOa claimed that the war was about
to close, and the great question of the ma
ton, the great question of the age, was
how shall these states be brought into
harmony and into practical relations with
the government of the United States? He
declared chat congress should not fix a
plan; that he intended to be left free ur-
til Il close of the war to adopt whatever
plan, according TO his judgment, might
seem to be right; and after he proclaimed
that to you aud to this nation you reeect
ed him president aud said it was right
now you say state governments do not ex-
ist in the south He did lot use the
term reconstruction he said "restora-
ton" He recognized these states as ex-
isting with valid forms of government, and
the simple question was, in his own Ian
guage, their restoration in their practical
relations to the government Of the United
States.
But, Mr.. president, congress is conclu-
ded upon this question. You say that re
bellion, that secession, that war putan end
to state governments in the south and that
there is no power to restore state govern
ments except in congress. That is your
doctrine to-day as proclaimed in your leg
islation. Let US see what you did, and see
if you have stood consistently upon tha,
doctrine. In the mouth of December
1864, the executive committee of Middle
Tennessee issued a call to the people oi
Tennessee for state convention, ito take
steps as wisdom may direct to restore the
state of Tennessee to its once hOnored status
in the great national Union" That was
the purpose of the call. 1t is signed by
TIllman, Spence, Bryan, Lase lie, and Fow-
Ter, believe the distinguished senator who
is now of our body. These gentlemen did
not undertake to call the convention unde,
any authority Of law, but as an executive
political committee they called the people
together, to meet at Nashville, to consider
what steps ought to be taken to restore
Tennessee to her proper relations to the
Government of the United States. Mark
you, Mr.. president, that was after Tennes.
see had passed an ordinance Of secession
that was after she had sent her regiments
iEto the southern army. After she had
done every act that state could do, or
the people Of state could do, in hostility
to tie government ofthe United States, and
before congress had authorized any resto-
ration, this executive committee called a
convention to meet at Nashville. That
conven zion did meet at Nashville i'm Jauu-
airy or February, 1865, and they adopted
certain amendments to the constitution OF
the state of Tennessee. They did not un.
dertake to make u new constitution. They
recognized the old constitution as still in
force. Tennessee had constitution which
held her to this Union when she went in
/