Year: 1866

The Report of the Congressional Committee
upon Reconstruction is so able and conclusive that
wish il might be universally read. Ii is the
Constitution aud common sense applied 10 the
situation; and after the passionate and pettifog
gng spirit in which Reconstruction, the most i'm
pOrIant OF all our present questions, has been so
often discussed its tone is manly and dignifed.-
There is nothing exactly new in the arguments of
the Committee, but the Report is an unsnswerable
statement of the conclusions to which the com
mon sen-e of the loyal part of the country had ar
rived, and upon which, as we believe, it now re
poses.


Those conclusions are in brief that the rebel
lious States left, at the close OF the war,
without other valid government than the military
authority of the United States, directed by the
President as Commander in chief; that the civil
government Of those States could become valid
only upon recognition by Congress. and that the
resumption by those States of their relations in
the Union can occur only upon such conditions as
Congress may prescribe. The folly OF the assump-
ton Of Alexander III. Stephens and the late allies
os Tie rebellion, that the moment rebel State was
forced BY arms to surrender il regained untouched
and without condition every right and privilege il
had enjoyed as part of the Union is conclusively
exposed by the Committee. "To admit such u
principe for one moment would be to declare that
treason is always master and loyalty blunder- -
Such principle is void by its very nature aud es
sence, because inconsistent with the theory of
government and fatal to its very existence"


To know the condition OF the late rebel States
it was necessary either to take the opinion of the
President solely, or to sift the evidence upon
which that opinion was founded and enlarge the
range of testimony. This latter course was adopt
ed, and the impression LEFT upon the Committee is
again that of the great mass of Union men in the
country. The condition of the States in question
is precisely what was to be expected. 1t is feel
ing Of intense regret that the struggle could not
be prolonged, and of bitter hostility to the Gov
erI.ment. But while this is natural to any party
defeated in so fierce contest, the Committee find
that it is peculiarly strong in the States IN ques
ton. "The concatory measures of the Govern
ment do not seem to have been met even half way.
The bitterness and defiance exhibited toward tie
United States under such circumstances is without
parallel in the history of the world" Ii is re-
markable that Mr.. Seward in his Auburn speech
states the situation exactly the other way. 1.-THE
work OF reconciliation he says. "has outr,n ex-
pectaton. Indeed. it has never bad parallel in
human affairs" We presume that the private
conviction of most of us, based upon all the various
public and private evidence OF the year, will con-
firm the Committees judgment rather than Mr..
Stewards.


After the most careful consideration upon am
ple evidence the Committee believe that adequate
security should be required for future peace and
safety, and they suggest, as the result of mutual
concession, the amendment determining civil
rights equalizng representation, disqualitying GER