Year: 1868




The Committee on Reconstruction, TO whom
was referred the application of Alabama ask
ing admission into the Union as sovereign
Siate, report


IL not the letter OF the law OF March y 1857 or
titled "An act supplementary to an act 70 pro-
vide for the more efficient government of the
Rebel States, passed March 2, 1857, and to ia


They especially intend to enforce the spirit
of that law when there seems 70 be any conflict
in the facts in evidence between the spirit and
the letter. Such is the true principles laid
down by moral jurists for the government of
judges. BY the act two things were evil
IDENTIFY intended -one was to admit Ala
bama as q State if, after full registration,
with time for deliberation, a majority of
her citizens should be in favor of admission.
The other was to prevent hasty and precipitate
legislation before the people should have dnly
that not only Alabama. but all the conquered
territory, should have all her legal voters regis.
tered by proper on1cers, and II majority OF
legal voters thus registered should cast their
votes in favor of a constitution, a convention
should be ordered for the purpose of framing
one. But If a majority Of all the registered
votes by either their own volition or casualty,
should not be cast against a constitution,
they should still be counted in the
negative, most unusual provision in
our or any other Government, but in ordinary
movals and deaths took place bet ween the time
OF registration ana the time of voting. On the
day of the Alabama election a most extraordi-
nary and unexpected state of things existed. In
q very large portion Of the State, especially in
the Republican portion. Of the State, a very
severe storm ragged from morning to night
The streams were swollen to such an impassa-
BILE degree that it is testified to by Gov. Smith,
now elected Governor Of the State, and other
responsible gentlemen, that it kept from the
polls numbers of voters, who would otherwise
have attended. In attempting to reach places
OF election one or more persons were drowned
deferred fur rth har
Thus, all those who chose to stay away were
counted as voting against the constitution,
though II they had all gone and voted againstit
1t would not have changed the result from a
positive majority for ii to majority against it.
This feature alone of this unfortunate election
is sufficient, in the opinion of the committee to
admit the State, because large majority of the
legal voters then iE the State, and known to
have cast their ballots for il, besides q very
large proportion of the regst. red electors, were
deferred by the most Infamous threats from
coming to the polls, or when there from casting
their votes for the constitution. Very few
white men did, and very few black men
dared thus to cast their votes, lest th-y
should be deprived of food for which they are
greatly suffering. All this is distinctly proved
by the sworn testimony of the most res pectable
portion Of Alabama. Indeed, nearly two hun.
dren lRborers have voluntarily come forward
singly, and testified to their violent discharge
since the election by their cruel employers, for
having exercised the elective franchise accord.
ing to their own will and pleasure. A careful
analysis has been made, as nearly as could be,
Of the number Of votes that We're DESTROYED
boxes seized and thrown out Of the window,
and other modes OF violence used to destroy
them, and il is believed from all this
that the number of votes thus destroyed and
deferred from the polls by violence, outrage,
and fraud, had they been cast would have over
whelmed all those counted against the Consti-
tuition, whether cast or enumerated as cast by
reason OF sickness, absence or death. Some-
time before the Alabama election the Con yen-
tion saw the injustice of the law and req Guested
Congress to restore the majority principle in
the vote upon the Constitution. The House did
not hesitate perceiyi ing its justice, to pass an act
and sent 1t to the Senate. The Senate. by some
unaccountable delay from motives which il is
hard TO fathom, suffered that act to sleep upon
their files tor two months, until after the fate
of the Alabama election was announced They
then took it up and passed it, and it has now
passed both Houses Of Congress. The princi-
ccst should govern has been restored, and
your committee can see no reason why
1T should not govern in the present case.
The circumstance Of the almost unheard
OF storm on the day Of election, the violence of
human pressure but little less malignant and
raging and the wild phrensy OF the former
masters at the polls, together with the evident,
injustice OF the principle in question upok
which no one has yet acted, seem to your
committee TO demand that Alabama should be
admitted to the Union, as one Of the States
thereof. But while this free people are re.
building a mighty nation, in which there must
be no taint Of despotism or In INJUSTICE,
they have examined carefully all the provis-
ions Of the Constitution, and as a precedent
which they hope will never be departed from,
but which becomes necessary by the injustice
Of the sister States, they have determined that
no State shall ever be admitted into the Union
when the light to universal suffrage shall not
be made permanent and impossible Of VIOLA
ion. Fearing, also, that some cunning scheme
might be devised by " hlch peonage such as is
already established in some OF the North Amer
lean States might be created, they recommend
the passage Of the following act:


1.-THE bill referred 70 above will be found in
the House proCeedings.l


SECRETARY McCULLoCH WILL NOT RESIGN
We are authorized to say that all reports that
Secretary McCulloch will shortly tender his
resignation are without any foundation what
ever. The relations between the President and
Secretary McCulloch, both official and perso-
nal, are Of the most pleasant character, and
the Secretary this morning declared that moth
ing was further from his mind than rendering
his resignation, especially at this time when
the President is surrounded by troubles


THE TREATY WITH THE GERMAN SrATRs-
This afternoon the President sent to the Senate
the treaty recently negotiated by Mr.. Bancroft
with the German States in regard TO the rights
OF American citizens abroad.


On motion OF Mr.. Sumner, Chairman of the
Comuhitcc Oh 4 oIelRn AnalrS, the Senate lfnme
diately went into Executive session in order to
take up the treaty. Secretary Seward was on
the floor Of the Senate to-day urging that i'm
mediate action should be had upon the treaty.


AIR LINE RAILROAD TO NEW YoRK.-Mr
Cook. from the Committee on Roads and
Canals, to-day reported the bill 10 authorize
the building of Il military railroad from WASH
ington city to the City of New York, with
amt ndments, and II was ordered to be printed
and recommltted. The amendments name new
and provide that the company
shall never consolidate its stock and fran chises
with those OF any parallel or competing road.
nor to condemn the property OF any railway
company except so far as may be necessary for
crossing the line of such railroad.


THE TAX BILL.-At two o'clock, Mr. Schenck
called up the bill reported by him yesterday
from the Ways and Means Committee, to take
tax of ON all manufactured articles, after 1st
day OF next April, except on gas, mineral oils,
or product OF distillation, wines, snuff, tobacco,
and cigars. At three o'clock the previous
question was called ON the bill, and it passed
by a vote of i22 yeas to nays-the letter being
johnson Of California, and Hawkins Of Ten.
nessee. AS the bill now stands, the March tax
will have to be paid. This bill will undoubtedly
pass the Senate.


NEW HAAPsHIRE.-The latest returns re-
ceiyed from New Hampshire this afternoon in
dicate that the State has gone Republican with
out doubt Further returns received this even
ing will be bulletined at the STAR ONCE.