198 



CONGRESS, UNITED STATES. 



To the Senate and Home of Representatives : 



While I am aware that the time in which Congress 

 proposes now to remain in session is very brief, and 

 that it is its desire, as far as is consistent with the 

 public interest, to avoid entering upon the general 

 business of legislation, there is one subject which 

 concerns so deeply the welfare of the country that I 

 deem it my duty to bring it before you. 



I have no doubt that you will concur with me in 

 the opinion that it is desirable to restore the States 

 which were engaged in the rebellion to their proper 

 relations to the Government and the countrv at as 

 early a period as the people of those States shall be 

 found willing to become peaceful and orderly com- 

 munities, and to adopt and maintain such constitu- 

 tions and laws as will effectually secure the civil and 

 political rights of all persons within their borders. 

 The authority of the United States, which has been 

 vindicated and established by its military power, 

 must, undoubtedly, be asserted for the absolute pro- 

 tection of all its cftizens in the full enjoyment of the 

 freedom and security which is the object of a repub- 

 lican government. But, whenever the people of a 

 rebellious State are ready to enter, in good faith, upon 

 the accomplishment of this object, in entire conform- 

 ity with the constitutional authority of Congress, it is 

 certainly desirable that all causes of irritation should 

 be removed as promptly as possible, that a more per- 

 fect union may be established, and the country be 

 restored to peace and prosperity. 



The convention of the people of Virginia, which 

 met in Richmond on Tuesday, December 3, 1867, 

 framed a constitution for that State, which was 

 adopted by the convention on the 17th of April, 1 868, 

 and I desire respectfully to call the attention of Con- 

 gress to the propriety of providing by law for the 

 holding of an election in that State at some time 

 during the months of May and June next, under the 

 direction of the military commander of that district, 

 at which the question of the adoption of that consti- 

 tution shall be submitted to the citizens of the State ; 

 and if this should seem desirable, I would recommend 

 that a separate vote be taken upon such parts as may 

 be thougnt expedient, and that, at the same time and 

 under the same authority, there shall be an election 

 for the officers provided under such constitution, and 

 that the constitution, or such parts thereof as shall 

 have been adopted by the people, be submitted to 

 Congress on the first Monday of December next 

 for its consideration, so that, it the same is then ap- 

 proved the necessary steps will have been taken for 

 the restoration of the State of Virginia to its proper 

 relations to the Union. I am led to make this rec- 

 ommendation from the confident hope and belief 

 that the people of that State are now ready to coop- 

 erate with, tne national Government in bringing it 

 again into such relations to the Union as it ought as 

 soon as possible to establish and maintain, and to 

 give to all its people those equal rights under the law 

 which were asserted in the Declaration of Indepen- 

 dence in the words of one of the most illustrious of 

 its sons. 



I desire also to ask the consideration of Congress 

 to the question whether there is not just ground for 

 believing that the constitution framed by a conven- 

 tion of the people of Mississippi for that State and 

 once rejected, might not be again submitted to the 

 people of that State in like manner, and with the 

 probability of the same result. U. S. GEANT. 



WASHINGTON, D. C., April 7, 1869. 



On April 8th, Mr. Butler, of Massachusetts, 

 from the Committee on Reconstruction, re- 

 ported the following bill : 



A bill authorizing the submission of the constitutions 

 of Virginia, Mississippi, and Texas, to a vote of the 

 people, and authorizing the election of State officers 

 provided by the said constitution, and members of 

 Congress. 



e U enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- 

 tive* of the United States of America in Congress as- 



sembled, That the President of the United States, at 

 such time as he may deem best for the public inter- 

 est, may submit the constitution which was framed 

 by the convention which met in Eichmond, Virginia, 

 on Tuesday, the 3d day of December^ 1867, to the 

 registered voters of said State, for ratification or re- 

 jection ; and may also submit to a separate vote such 

 provisions of said constitution as he may deem best. 



SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That at the same 

 election the voters of said State may vote for and 

 elect members of the General Assembly of said State, 

 and all the officers of said State provided for by the 

 said constitution, and for members of Congress ; and 

 the officer commanding the district of Virginia shall 

 cause the lists of registered voters of said State to be 

 revised and corrected prior to such election, and for 

 that purpose may appoint such registrars as he may 

 deem necessary. And said elections shall be held 

 and returns thereof made in the manner provided by 

 the election ordinance adopted by the convention 

 which framed said constitution. 



SEC. 3. And be it further enacted. That the Presi- 

 dent of the United States may in like manner submit 

 the constitution of Texas to the voters of said State 

 at such time and in such manner as he may direct, 

 either the entire constitution or separate provisions 

 of the same, to a separate vote, and at the same elec- 

 tion the voters may vote for and elect the members 

 of the Legislature and all the State officers provided 

 for in said constitution, and members of Congress : 

 Provided also, That no election shall be held in said 

 State of Texas for any purpose till the President so 

 directs. 



SEC. 4. And be it further enacted, That the Presi- 

 dent of the United S'tates may in like manner resub- 

 mit the constitution of Mississippi to the voters 

 of said State, at such time and in such manner as he 

 may direct, either the entire constitution or separate 

 provisions of the same to a separate vote, and at the 

 same election the voters may vote for and elect the 

 members of the Legislature and all the State officers 

 provided for in said constitution, and members of 

 Congress. 



SEO. 5. And^ be it further enacted. That if either of 

 said constitutions shall be ratified at such election 

 the Legislature of the State so ratifying, elected as 

 provided for in this bill, shall assemble at the capital 

 of said States respectively on the fourth Tuesday after 

 the official promulgation of such ratification by the 

 military officer commanding in said State. 



SEC. 6. And be it further enacted, That in either of 

 said States the commanding general, subject to the 

 approval of the President of the United States, may 

 suspend, until the action of the Legislatures elected 

 under their constitutions respectively, all laws that 

 he may deem unjust and oppressive to the people. 



Mr. Butler, of Massachusetts, said : " The 

 first section provides that the President of the 

 United States may, at such time and in such 

 manner as he may deem best for the public 

 service, submit to the people of Virginia the 

 constitution framed by the convention of that 

 State, and may submit any separate clause of 

 that constitution to a like vote. 



" The second section provides that the voters 

 of Virginia may at the same time elect State 

 officers and members of Congress; that the 

 registration may be corrected for that-purpose, 

 and that the commanding general may appoint 

 registrars and judges of election as may be ne- 

 cessary. 



" The third section provides that the Presi- 

 dent may in like manner submit the constitu- 

 tion of the State of Mississippi to the voters of 

 that State with like effect and under like cir- 

 cumstances. 



