history of the impeachment of andrew johnson-第10部分

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　State　which　had　attempted　to　secede。　Whether　the　territory　within　the　limits　of　those　States　should　be　held　as　conquered　territory；　under　Military　authority　emanating　from　the　President　as　head　of　the　Army；　was　the　first　question　that　presented　itself　for　decision。　Military　Governments；　established　for　an　indefinite　period；　would　have　offered　no　security　for　the　early　suppression　of　discontent；　would　have　divided　the　people　into　the　vanquishers　and　the　vanquished；　and　would　have　envenomed　hatred　rather　than　have　restored　affection。　Once　established；　no　precise　limit　to　their　continuance　was　conceivable。　They　would　have　occasioned　an　incalculable　and　exhausting　expense。　*　*　*　The　powers　of　patronage　and　rule　which　would　have　been　exercised；　under　the　President；　over　a　vast　and　populous　and　naturally　wealthy　region；　are　greater　than；　under　a　less　extreme　necessity；　I　should　be　willing　to　entrust　to　any　one　man。　They　are　such　as；　for　myself；　I　should　never；　unless　on　occasion　of　great　emergency；　consent　to　exercise。　The　wilful　use　of　such　powers；　if　continued　through　a　period　of　years；　would　have　endangered　the　purity　of　the　General　Administration　and　the　liberty　of　the　States　which　remained　loyal。　*　*　*　The　policy　of　military　rule　over　conquered　territory　would　have　implied　that　the　States　whose　inhabitants　may　have　taken　part　in　the　rebellion　had；　by　the　act　of　those　inhabitants；　ceased　to　exist。　But　the　true　theory　is；　that　ALL　PRETENDED　ACTS　OF　SECESSION　WERE；　FROM　THE　BEGINNING；　NULL　AND　VOID。　THE　STATES　CAN　NOT　COMMIT　TREASON；　nor　screen　the　individual　citizens　who　may　have　committed　treason；　any　more　than　they　can　make　valid　treaties；　or　engage　in　lawful　commerce　with　any　foreign　power。　The　States　attempting　to　secede　placed　themselves　in　a　condition　where　their　vitality　was　IMPAIRED；　BUT　NOT　EXTINGUISHEDTHEIR　FUNCTIONS　SUSPENDED；　BUT　NOT　DESTROYED。

Reports　had　been　circulated　in　the　North；　and　found　ready　credence　with　a　great　many；　that　the　people　of　the　South　were　as　a　rule；　insubordinate　and　indisposed　to　accept　the　changed　conditions　there；　and　that　insubordination　and　turmoil　were　the　rule。　To　ascertain　the　facts　in　this　regard；　during　the　later　months　of　1865　Mr。　Johnson　commissioned　General　Grant　and　others　to　make　a　tour　of　inspection　and　investigation　of　the　condition　of　affairs　in　the　Southern　States；　especially　as　to　their　disposition　with　reference　to　the　acceptance　by　the　people　of　those　States；　of　their　changed　relations　to　the　Union；　and　to　report　to　him　the　results　of　their　observations。

On　the　10th　of　December；　1865；　on　motion　of　Mr。　Cowan；　of　Pennsylvania；　the　following　resolution　was　adopted　by　the　Senate：

Resolved；　That　the　President　of　the　United　States　be；　and　he　is　hereby　requested　to　furnish　the　Senate　information　of　the　state　of　that　portion　of　the　Union　lately　in　rebellion；　whether　the　rebellion　has　been　suppressed　and　the　United　States　put　again　in　possession　of　the　States　in　which　it　existed；　whether　the　United　States　courts　are　restored；　post　offices　re…established　and　the　revenue　collected；　and　also　whether　the　people　of　those　States　have　reorganized　their　State　governments；　and　whether　they　are　yielding　obedience　to　the　laws　and　Government　of　the　United　States。　And　at　the　same　time　furnish　to　the　Senate　copies　of　such　reports　as　he　may　have　received　from　such　officers　or　agents　appointed　to　visit　that　portion　of　the　Union。

December　19th；　1865；　in　response　to　this　resolution　of　the　Senate；　the　President　transmitted　the　following　Message　to　the　Senate　inclosing　Gen。　Grant's　Report：

In　reply　to　the　resolution　adopted　by　the　Senate　on　the　12th　inst。；　I　have　the　honor　to　state　that　the　rebellion　waged　by　a　portion　of　the　people　against　the　properly　constituted　authorities　of　the　Government　of　the　United　States　has　been　suppressed；　that　the　United　States　are　in　possession　of　every　State　in　which　the　insurrection　existed；　and　that；　as　far　as　could　be　done；　the　courts　of　the　United　States　have　been　restored；　postoffices　re…established；　and　steps　taken　to　put　into　effective　operation　the　revenue　laws　of　the　country。　As　the　result　of　the　measures　instituted　by　the　Executive；　with　the　view　of　inducing　a　resumption　of　the　functions　of　the　States　comprehended　in　the　inquiry　of　the　Senate；　the　people　in　North　Carolina；　South　Carolina；　Georgia；　Alabama；　Mississippi；　Louisiana；　Arkansas；　and　Tennessee；　have　reorganized　their　respective　State　Governments；　and　'are　yielding　their　obedience　to　the　laws　and　Government　of　the　United　States'　with　more　willingness　and　greater　promptitude　than　under　the　circumstances　could　reasonably　have　been　anticipated。　The　proposed　amendment　to　the　Constitution；　providing　for　the　abolition　of　slavery　forever　within　the　limits　of　the　country；　has　been　ratified　by　each　one　of　those　States；　with　the　exception　of　Mississippi；　from　which　no　official　information　has　yet　been　received；　and　in　nearly　all　of　them　measures　have　been　adopted　or　are　now　pending；　to　confer　upon　freedmen　rights　and　privileges　which　are　essential　to　their　comfort；　protection　and　security。　In　Florida　and　Texas；　the　people　are　making　considerable　progress　in　restoring　their　State　Governments；　and　no　doubt　is　entertained　that　they　will　at　the　Federal　Government。　In　that　portion　of　the　Union　lately　in　rebellion；　the　aspect　of　affairs　is　more　promising　than；　in　view　of　all　the　circumstances；　could　have　been　expected。　The　people　throughout　the　entire　South　evince　a　laudable　desire　to　renew　their　allegiance　to　the　Government；　and　to　repair　the　devastations　of　war　by　a　prompt　and　cheerful　return　to　peaceful　pursuits。　An　abiding　faith　is　entertained　that　their　actions　will　conform　to　their　professions；　and　that；　in　acknowledging　the　supremacy　of　the　Constitution　and　laws　of　the　United　States；　their　loyalty　will　be　given　unreservedly　to　the　Government；　whose　leniency　they　cannot　fail　to　appreciate；　and　whose　fostering　care　will　soon　restore　them　to　a　condition　of　prosperity。　It　is　true；　that　in　some　of　the　States　the　demoralizing　effects　of　war　are　to　be　seen　in　occasional　disorders；　but　these　are　local　in　character；　not　frequent　in　occurrence；　and　are　really　disappearing　as　the　authority　of　the　civil　law　is　extended　and　sustained。　*　*　*　From　all　the　information　in　my　possession；　and　from　that　which　I　have　recently　derived　from　the　most　reliable　authority；　I　am　induced　to　cherish　the　belief　that　sectional　animosity　is　surely　and　rapidly　merging　itself　into　a　spirit　of　nationality；　and　that　representation；　connected　with　a　properly　adjusted　system　of　taxation；　will　result　in　a　harmonious　restoration　of　the　relations　of　the　States　and　the　National　Union。

Andrew　Johnson。

The　following　is　General　Grant's　Report　transmitted　to　Congress　with　the　foregoing　Message：

Headquarters　Armies　of　the　United　States；　Washington；　D。　C。；　Dec。　18；　1865。

Sir：In　reply　to　your　note　of　the　16th　inst。；　requesting　a　report　from　me　giving　such　information　as　I　may　be　possessed；　coming　within　the　scope　of　the　inquiries　made　by　the　Senate　of　the　United　States；　in　their　resolution　of　the　12th　inst。；　I　have　the　honor　to　submit　the　following：

With　your　approval；　and　also　that　of　the　Honorable　Secretary　of　War；　I　left　Washington　City　on　the　27th　of　last　month　for　the　purpose　of　making　a　tour　of　inspection　through　some　of　the　Southern　States；　or　States　lately　in　rebellion；　and　to　see　what　changes　were　necessary　to　be　made　in　the　disposition　of　the　Military　forces　of　the　country；　how　these　forces　could　be　reduced　and　expenses　curtailed；　etc。；　and　to　learn　as　far　as　possible；　the　feelings　and　intentions　of　the　citizens　of　those　States　towards　the　General　Government。

The　State　of　Virginia　being　so　accessible　to　Washington　City；　and　information　from　this　quarter　therefore　being　readily　obtained；　I　hastened　through　the　State　without　conversing　or　meeting　with　any　of　its　citizens。　In　Raleigh；　North　Carolina；　I　spent　one　day；　in　Charleston；　South　Carolina；　I　spent　two　days；　Savannah　and　Augusta；　Georgia；　each　one　day。　Both　in　traveling　and　while　stopping；　I　saw　much　and　conversed　freely　with　the　citizens　of　those　States；　as　well　as　with　officers　of　the　Army　who　have　been　stationed　among　them。　The　following　are　the　conclusions　come　to　by　me：

I　am　satisfied　that　the　mass　of　the　thinking　men　of　the　South　accept　the　present　situation　of　affairs　in　good　faith。　The　questions　which　have　heretofore　divided　the　sentiments　of　the　people　of　the　two　sectionsSlavery　and　State　Rights；　or　the　right　of　a　State　to　secede　from　the　Unionthey　regard　as　having　been　settled　forever　by　the　highest　tribunalarmsthat　man　can　resort　to。　I　was　pleased　to　learn　from　the　leading　men　whom　I　met；　that　they　not　only　accepted　the　decision　arrived　at；　as　final；　but　that　now；　when　the　smoke　of　battle　has　cleared　away；　and　time　has　been　given　for　reflection；　this　decision　has　been　a　fortunate　one　for　the　whole　country；　they　receiving　like　benefits　from　it　with　those　who　opposed　them　in　the　field　and　in　council。

Four　years　of　war；　during　which　law　was　executed　only　at　the　point　of　the　bayonet　throughout　the　States　in　rebellion；　have　left　the　people　possibly　in　a　condition　not　to　yield　that　ready　obedience　to　civil　authority　the　American　people　have　been　in　the　habit　of　generally　yielding。　This　would　render　the　presence　of　small　garrisons　throughout　those　States　necessary　until　such　time　as　labor　returns　to　its　proper　channels　and　civil　authority　is　fully　established。　I　did　not　meet　anyone；　either　those　holding　places　under　the　Government　or　citizens　of　the　Southern　States；　who　think　it　practicable　to　withdraw　the　Military　from　the　South　at　present。　The　white　and　black　mutually　require　the　protection　of　the　General　Government。　There　is　such　universal　acquiescence　in　the　authority　of　the　General　Government　throughout　the　portions　of　the　country　visited　by　me；　that　the　mere　presence　of　a　military　force；　without　regard　to　numbers；　is　sufficient　to　maintain　order。　The　good　of　the　country　and　economy　require　that　the　force　kept　in　the　interior　where　there　are　many　freedmen　（elsewhere　in　the　Southern　States　than　at　forts　upon　the　sea　coast；　no　more　is　necessary；）　should　all　be　white　troops。　The　reasons　for　this　are　obvious　without　mentioning　any　of　them。　The　presence　of　black　troo