Year: 1866

f cons tItutIonrI smc numCnt. anu making
their Constitutions and laws conform 10
its provisions


President johnson IN ais plan for re
constructing the Safe Governments
treated the rchellious inhabitants of those
States having by their treason tor
feited their political and civil rights,
and he granted them permission to re


organize State Governments only upon
certain conditions, and excluded from
all participation certain classes Of per
sons specially designated, unless they
should first receive a personal and speci-
fic pardon II provided that no one
should participate in the work Of recon
struction without first having taken an
oath. the terms of which he prescribed


He then provided that the Govern
ments which might be reorganlzed should
not he reorganized until they had tor
maily abolished slavery In their several
States, had ratified the amendment of
the Constitution of the | uited States,
which forever prohibited slavery within
the States and Territories, bad Tepudt
ated their several war dchtsr nor until
they had bv law secured 10 the negroes
within their limits the right to sue and
be sued. and testify as competent VIII
nesscs in the courts he second part
Of reconstruction, the admission ot Sen
ators and Representatives from the reh


el States to seats in Congress, Is mat
ter over which the President has no con-
troll or jurisdiction The Constitution
declares that each House shall be the
Judge of the qualifications of its own
members and in this respect one House
has no control over the other Each
House Judges for itself whether the per
son claiming to be admitted as mem


ber has been properly elected by peo-
ple who have a right to be repre- ented
in Congress. or whether he ls a man OF
such character as would be entitled TO
sit IN their body as man and equal
j for if he be convicted felon or a TRAITOR
who has shed the blood OF loyal men IN
efforts to destroy the Government, they
have a right to say they will not give
him fellowship.


But beyond and above these rights,
which it may he said are special and
technical there is the broad and compre-
hcnsIve right essentially inherent IN ali
Govcrnm ents, to protect itself against
the nalignity and future machinatIon OF
vanquished rebels In this work of re
construction. so called, two leading pur-
poses should he kept in view.


/. That nothing shall be done To IN
/ jure or destroy the general theory or
scheme Of government As bequcathed to
us by our fathers.


. That such security be taken can
be to prevent the recurrence OF future
rehelllons, and to prevent those who
I have been in rebellion, hut are restored
to their political rights, from defeating
necessary legislation. or bringing about
legislation which would be reasonable
or dishonorabic and thus accomplishing
in the Government what they had failed
TO do by force of arms. If it should be
deemed essential TO the safety Of the
Government that Senators and Repre-
sentatiyes from the States lately IN re
hellion should not be admitted TO seats
in Congress until the representative
pow er Of those States had been so re
duccd that they could not by uniting
with a reasonable faction in the North
control the Government and perhaps de
stroY it, Congress would have the right
to exclude the members from such States
until such time the measure OF reduc-
ton had been accomplished, provided
such measure of reduction Is not in ylO-
latlon of the general theory and scheme
OF the Government, and il within the es
seutial powers of Congress In this
case. the measure Of reduction would be
"a
izing the representa- ion in Congress, and /
in the election OF President and Vice /
President, Ivy taking from the white peo
pie of the Southern States the right to
represent and act for four millions aud
half of groes whom they deprive of
political rights This measure, so far
from violating the general theory or
scheme OF the Government is IN accor /
dance with it. because it gives to the /
same number Of people in the North an |
eqaal power with like number in the !
South. Il depriyes the people OF the
South of 10 Just right, becauss it leaves I
to them the enjoyment OF the same
power that is possessed by an equal
number in the North. and surely they
ought not, by reason or justice, to ask
for more This measure would be &C
compllshed hv an amendment TO the
Constitution, which is always in order /
and proper There is nothing revolu-
tionary in amending tie Constitution, /
on the contrary, 1t is q safety valve, pro I
vided by itself, by which revolutions are
avoided by making the instrument con
form - the changed conditions and cir /
cumstances OF great nation But If 1t
be SAID as soon as the rebellion was con
cluded. the Senators and Representative



mediate right, without condition, to re
sumo their seats in Congress. how could
auy amendment to the Constitution he
lopted to guard against future rebel !.
lions or the consequences Of the one
from which We have just escaped =
. Twenty Senators from the rebel S. tes,
added 10 the presen. number of Demo I
cratic members, would constitute CON
siderably more than one third of that
| body, and would effectually prevent the /
adoption of any amendment. and would I
. thus secure to the Southern States. per
haps for all time, the gross and wicked
/ inequality of representation which they /
now possess If it shall BE- said that
upon the conclusion Of = rebellion,
rebels shall have right 10 run from tie .
battle field, or from the floor OF rebel .
Congress back to seats in the Congress .
OF the L Ditcd States in time to prevent .