Mr. COWAN. That committee decided “It is " the opinion of your committee 1. That theStateslately in rebellion were, at the closeof the war.disorganized communities, without civil government, and without constitutionsor other forms by virtue of which political relations could mlegal.ly exist betweenthemand the federal Govern 932.That Congresscannot beexpectedto recognize asvalid the election of representativesfrom disor ganized communities.which, from the very nature of the case.were unable to present their claim to representationunder those established and racenized rules. the observanceof which hasbeen hith ertorequired." That report was presented to the Senate of the U.S. on the 8th da of June, 1866, about 40 days ago. Now, ly should like to know what has occurred in the meanwhile to change the right of Tennessee to be represented in these Houses. Is it pretended that anything has occurred since to change what a pears to have been the deliberate decision an opinion of the reconstruction committee? If so, what has it been? If nothing material has occurred, then the action of Congress yesterday and to day is an abandonment, an utter and total aban donment of the whole ground that has been maintained by the dominant majority here during the session, and there is no escaping from it. It was said that we must have guarantees, that we must have securities, and that we must have 1,000 things. Where are they, I should like to know? It is said that Tennessee has ratified the amendment to the Constitution. That is the secret of it. That is seized upon as the pretext to do that which Senators fcefthey should have done lou ago. it is a mere pretext, pretending that because a Legislature, scrambled up by the military, and brought in by a sergeant at urmsand forced to sit, have ratified an amendment to the Constitution, therefore Tennessee is purged, her garments are clean, all stains are washed from her robes, and she is immediately entitled to be represented on these floors! Are you better off now than you were before? What have you got by the ratification of the amendment to the Constitution by Tennessee? Does that give it any validity? Nobody pretends that it does. There is no more amendment to the Constitution than there was yesterday, or ten days 0, or 2 weeks ago. Hence I say that this IS an abandonment on the part of the majority of both Houses here, a distinct, clear, clean runnin away from their ground on this subject of the a mission of members from Tennessee, and I want the country to know that, and to know it now upon this proosition. It the Senate believe that Tennessee is entitled to representation upon this floor for any cause whatever, and if they believe that the gentlemen elected here, whose credentials are upon our table, were elected by the Legislature of Tennessee, the legitimate government, (as we have voted half a dozen times today that it was the legitimate government and that the legitimate Legislature,) then why hesitate for one moment to admit that State to her rights upon this floor? We have been taxin her; we have been making laws for her; an she has had no voice in the councils of the country; she has not been heard. Then, I say, to make your repentance complete, to make it effectual for salvation, to save you, it must be‘ accompanied by works meet for repentance; and the proper work is to admit upon the in stant, I things, according to the terms of the resolution, I propose to substitute for the one now before the Senate, her Senators; and I trust the House will follow your example, and that then this vexed question will be settled as the Constitution intended it to be settled, for the Constitution intended that each House should for itself, not in conjunction with the other House, determine the elections, returns, and I qualifications of its members. Here I may remark that there never was any necessity for a reconstruction committee to get at questions which gentlemen alleged lay down below the election of Senators. If we have a right to determine upon the election of senators, if we have any right to determine upon the qualifications ofSenators, are we not obliged in settling that question to determine what isa valid Legislature and what is not a valid Legislature? Could we not have done all that for ourselves?