Year: 1866

: ulate supply and demand VIII MAINTAIN thel
force, and the wages Of the laborers will b.
regulated thereby. There is no danger tha
the great demand for labor viii not operate
in favor of the laborer. Neither Is suffcien
consideration given to the ability Of the freed


men to protect and take care Of themselves


It is no more than Justice to them to believe


that. as they have received their freedom


with moderation and forbearance, they viii


distinguish themselves by their industry; and


they feel, and will soon show the world, that
in condition of freedom they are self-sus-


tanning and capable Of selecting their OWL


employment and their own places of abode


of insisting, for themselves, on q proper re-


muneration, and of establishing and main


tanning their own asylums and schools. 1t is


earnestly ho2 ed that instead OF wasting away,


they will, by sheir own efforts, establish for
themselves a conG:tion of responsibility and


prosperity. It is certain they can attain to


that condition only through their own merits


and exertions. In this Connection the query


presents itself, whether the system proposed
| by the bill will not, when put into complete


operation, practically transferred the entire


care, support and control of four millions Of
emancipated slaves TO agents, Overseers or


task-masters, who, appointed at Washington,


are to be located in every country and parish
| throughout the United States containing


freedmen and refugees. Such system would
! inevitably tend to such a concentration Of
power in the Executive as would enable him,
! if so disposed, to control the action OF nu-
merOus class, and use them for the attain


ment of his own political ends.


can not but add another very grave OBJ
| IL. l.
lively declares, in connection with taxation,
that each State shall have at least one Rep
resentative, and fixes the rule for the num-


Der to which in future times each State shall
be entitled. 1t also provides that the Senate
of the United States shall be composed Of
two Senators from each States, and adds,
with peculiar force, that no State, without
its consent, shall be deprived of its suffrage
in the Senate. The original act was neces-
sarily passed. in the absence of the States
chiefly 10 be affected, because their people
were then contumaciously engaged in rebel
lion Now the case is changed, and some,
ut least, of the States, are attending Con-


greSs, by loyal Representatives soliciting the
allowance Of the constitutional right Of rep
resentalion. At the time, however, Of the
consideration and passage Of the bill, there
was no Senator or Representative in Congress
from the eleven States which are to be main
" affected by its provisions The very fact
that reports were and are made against the
good disposition of the country, it is addition
al reason why they need and should have
Representatives of their own in Congress to
explain their condition, especially as to ac-
cusatione, and assist, by their local knowl-
edge, in the perfecting Of measures mmedi-
ately affecting themselves. The liberty OF
de'iheration would then be free, aid Con-
gress would Have lIilpower to decide accord
ing to It's judgement. There Could be nc
objection urged that the States most interest
ed had not been permitted 10 be head. The
principle is firmly fixed in the minds of the
American people that there could be 70 tax
siion without representation. Great burdens
are now TO be borne by all the country, and
we may best demand that they shall be- borne
without murmur when they are voted by a
majority of the Representatives OF all the
people. I would not interfere with the un-
questionable right OF Congress to judge each
House for itself of the elections, returns and
qualifications of its own members; but that
authority can not be construed as including
the right to put out in time Of peace any



entitled by the Constitution.


At present all the people OF eleven States
are excluded, those who were most faithful
during the war, not less than others. The
State Of Tennessee, for instance, whose au-
thorities engaged in the rebellion, was restor- !
ed to all her constitutions! relations, to the
Union by the patriotism and energy OF her
injured and betrayed people before the war
was brought to a termination. They had
placed themselves in relations with the Gen
eral Government, had established a State
Government Of their own, and as they were
not included in the Emancipation Proclama-
ton, they by their own act have amended
their Constitution so as to abolish slavery
within the limits of the State. I know no
reason why the State Of Tennessee, for ex-
ample, should not fully enjoy her constiIu-
tional relations to the United States.


The Presiden of the United States stands
toward the country in somewhat different
attitude from that Of any member Of Con-
gress chosen from a single district or State.
The President is chosen by the people of all
the States. Eleven States are not at this
time represented in either branches of Con
rress. II would seem to be his duty, on all
proper occasions, to present their Just claims
to Congress. There always will be differ
ences of opinion in the community, and IN
dividuals may be guilty of transgresslons oil
the law, but these do not constitute valid
objections against the right OF State to re-
presentation. It would in no wise interfere
with a discretion of Congress with regard to |
the qualifications of members. But hold 1t |
INV duty to recomme d to you, in the in
rerests G! the Union, the admission of every |
State to its share of'pubiic legislation, when,
however insubordinate, insurgent or rebelll- |
ous its people NAV have been, it presents
itself not only in an attitude OF loyalty ana
harmony, but in the persons OF representa-
tiyes whose loyalty can not be questioned
under the existing Constitutional or legal |
test


It is plain that an indefinite or permanent |
exclusion of any part of the country from
renresentation must be attended by spirit |
of disouiet and complaint. 1t is unwise and |
DANGEROUS to pursue a course OF measures
which will unite any large section oil the
country against another section Of the coun-
try no matter how much the latter may pre-
dominate. The course Of immigration, de-
velopment, industry and business, and natur-
al causes. will raise up at the South men as
devoted to the Union as those OF any other
port Of the land; but if they are all excud-
ed from Congress, If in a permanent statute
thew are declared not to be in full Consutu-
t;onal relations to the country they may
think they have cause to become a unit in
feeling and sentiments against the Govern
ment


Under the political education of the Amer
icon neople, the idea is inherent and ineradi-
cable, that the consent of the majority OF the
whole people is necessary to secure willing
acuuieseucs in legislation. The bill! under