The States and Union. [volume] (Ashland, Ohio) 1868-1872, 1870-01-26

/ people of Virginia that President
, Lincoln had assured him of Federal
protection to the State Authorities
Of the State of Virginia.
After the ordinances Of secession
was passed, the President recognized
Virginia as being State in another
and very significant manner. In
1841 an act of Congress was passcd,
distributing among the States of the
Union their proportionate shares re-
sulting from certain sales of public
lands, and the State of Virginia, not
having received her proportion; it
was gi en- by the President and Con.
gress to the restored State govern
1 ment of which PierpoiRt was Cover
nor, long after the ordnance of secess-
sion had passed. - Y. '.-I
But more solemn and formal rec.
ognition of Virginia as a State was
made by the proclamation Of the
President under date ofApril 10, 1868
in which he announced that, by and
with the consent of the Legislature Of
the State of Virginia and of Congress,
West Virginia had been made State
of tho United States. ~ vs{ a.,
VIRGINIA RECOGNIZED AS ASTATE'
IN THE UNION DURING AND AT
TER THE>WAR BY THE CHIEFS
OF THE VARIOUS DEPARTMENT.
OF THE GOVERNMENT,
But, sir, Virginia was not only res.
ognized rs a state within the Union
by the President, but also BY each of
the chiefs of Department.
BY THE SECRETARY OF STATE.
1t is not for me to tell the members
of this honorable body that the, Con-,
stitution of the United States can on,
ly be amended by the concurrent ac-.
ton of three-fourths of all the States
Of the Union. ~. =. - -.
Well, sir, Congress by two thirds
vote recommended what are known
as the thirteenth and fourteenth amend
ments to the Constitution of the Uni
ted Statea, and the Secretary of State
of the United States transmitted those
amendments to Francis III. Peirpoint,.
Governor of the State of Virginia,
for ratification by the Legislature of
that State, and when they were rati-
fed the Secretary of State certified.
that the State of Virginia had ratifeds
those amendments and all this, sir.
was during the war. -
RY THE SECRETARY OF WAR.-
Now sir. as to the Secretary of War
on the 25th day of June, 1861, Secre-
tary Cameron requested Francis III.
Peirpoint, as Governor of the State OF
Virginia, to commission the field. and
company officers in the regiments fur
nished by the State of Virginia to, the
Union Army, and they were 80 com.
f ass Il ss.5s -.I.i.
THE INTERIOR DEPARTMENT..
Now for the Interior Department
On the 26th day of fJupe, 1861, Sec
retary Caleb Smit Informed Francis
II. Peirpoint, Governor Of the State
of Virginia, that Virginia was entitled
to eleven Representatives in Congress.
THE TREASURY DEPARTMENF. o!
And on the 2Sth of November,
1861, Secretary Chase notifieds'Fran-;
els FL. Peirpoint, Governor of the,
State of Virginia" that direct taxes
had been levied on that State, and,
requested him to aid in securing sths.
collection of her quota. .-..f 49,
And this apportionment Of taxes,
was made under that clause of tho
Constitution which provides: ,,ro.r
Representatives and direct taxes
shall be apportioned among the sever
Il States which may be included with,
n this Union, according to their res
oectiye numbers" - 80 i....
And when that assessment was mado-
Virginia was recognized, 'sas q State
within the Union,n. by Congress. By
he President, and by the Secretary,
# the Treasury. -
Hence NJ = ispeakessrr; We see that
he President Of the United States
luring all these long years Of FIRE and
Hood, dnring all that period of ,sterm,
nd tempest, recognized Virginia ~ D.
tate of the Union; communicated
nth its chief magistrate as Gbverner
f the State of Virginia; and. receivedT
lto the military serviceIof the, United
tates regiments organized a. Virgin.
regiments and Commanded by on.
ers holding commissions under the
and of Francis H. Pie.point - Gov,
rnor of the State of Virginia, and
no fought in, the common cause Of
1r common Union. ..'.a ~ -''
EcOGNITION OF VIRGINIA AS X
STATE OF. THE. UNION BY THE.
CONGRESS OF TIL E q M 1T = D
STATES DURING AND SINCE THE.
CLOSE OF THE WAR. n5stI ESQ
/ have heard it asserted, sir, upon
is floor that Congress had not by any
It's recognized Virginia as a State OF
e Union since the Richmond ordir~
lnce of secession. And I propose to
ow that Congress by frequent solemn
is recognized and treated Virginiaas'
State, and held those who were in
ms within Virginia against the Fed
al Government as insurgents, from
e time the first gun was fired on the
u of that State until two years after
e close of the war, for it was not un-!-
March, 1867, that Congress seized
irginia by the throat and drove her
majors and Representatives from the
alls of the national Legislature and
she was re recognized as aState within
, Union during the war and two,
ars after the close of the war, viii
the world believe that there was. .
lden motive for denying her repre-
ltation in Congress since 1857, 9TH
than the fact that portion of her
,ple had risen in insurrection against
, Federel Government? VIII not
world believe that there is too,
Ich truth in the charge that the
ole legislation of Congress for some