Year: 1866

when the rebellion in Massachusetts
was put down, did that put Massachusetts
out OF the Union and destroy the State I?
And when the rebellion in Pennsylvania
was put down, did that destroy the State
and put it ou. Of the Union So when the
recent great rebellion was put down, and


the Constitution and laws of the country
restored, the States engaged in it stood as
part o. the Union. The rebellion being
crushed, the law being restored, the Con
stitution, being acknowledged these States
stand in the Union, constituting part Of
the glorious and bright galaxy of States. x


We said to the Postmaster General =
Let the people have facilities for mail
communication, and let them begin again
to understand what we all feel and think
that we are one people" We looked out
again and saw that there was blockade :;
that the custom houses were all closed.


We said: "Open the door OF the custom
house and remove the blockade. Let trade,
commerce and tie pursuits of peace be
restored;" and it was done We thus
Travelled on, step by step, opening up Gus
tom houses, appointing collectors, estab
lishiug mail facilitie, and restoring all the
relations that have been interrupted by the
rebellion. Was there anything under
taken to be done here that was not author
ized by the Constitution, that was not jus.
titled by the great necessities of the case,
that has not been clearly concurrent with
the Constitution and the genius and theo.
ry of our Government (Checrse What
remained to be done? One other thing re
mained to demonstrate to the civilized and
Pagan world that we have passed success
fully through the third ordeal of our ma
tlonal existence, and proved that our Gov
ernment was perpetual


a great principle was to be restored
which was established in our revolution.
When our fathers were contcnding against
the power of Great Britain, what was one
of the principal causes Of their complaint
1t was that they were denied representa-
ton. They complained of taxation with
out representation. Que ofthc great prin
ciplcs laid down by our fathers, and which
fired their hearts, was, that there should be
no taxation without representation. How,
then, does the matter stand Who has
been usurping power, and who has been
defeating the operation OF the Constitution!
And what now remains to be done to com.
pete the restoration of these States TO all
their former relations under the Federal
Government, aud to finish the great ordeal
through which we have been passing? 1t
is to admit representation. And when We
say, admit representation in the constitu.
tional and law abiding sense, as was intend.
ed at the beginning of the Government.


And where does that power lo ? The
Constitution declares in express terms that
each house, the Senate and House of Rep
rescntatives, each acting for itself, shall be
the Judge of the returns, of election and
qualifications OF its own members Ii is
Tor each house to settle that question un-
der the Constitution, and under the solemn
sanction of an oath and can we believe
that either house would adult any member
into its body to participate in the legisla
tion OF the country who was not qua flied,
and fit to sit in that body and participate
in its proceedings? They have the power
not the two houses, but each houses, but
each for itself.


The Constitution further declares that
no State shall be deprived of its equal suf.
iragc in the Senate Of the United States
without rs consent. Then where do we
stand? All that is needed TO finish this
great work of restoration is for the two
houses respectively to determine these
questions. "Oh !" but some will say, "a
traitor might come in p The answer to
that is {: Each house must be the Judge :;
and. if traitor presents himself, cannot
either house know that he is a traitor, and
if he is traitor, can they not kick him
out Of the door and send him back, saying
to the people who sent him, "You must
send us loyal man" Is there any diff
Guilty about that! Cries of "No, no."l


fla traitor presents himself to either
house, cannot that house say to him, "No,
you cannot be admitted into this body. Go
back. We will not deny your people of
the right of representation, but they must
send loyal representative" And when
the States do send loyal representatives,
can you have any better evidence of their
loyalty to the Constitution and laws? There
Is no one, learned in constitutional law,
who will say that if a traitor happens to
get into Congress the body cannot cxpel
him after he gets in. That makes assu-
rance doubly sure, and conforms the action
oil the Government to the Constitution of
our fathers Hence I saw lot mo s,o,I -