Mr. RAYMOND. If I understand the gentleman, he holds that the rights of the States are now not only impaired but destroyed, and that theyare not in existence now. Now, as the object of the war We to reserve those rights unimpaired, the war must have failed to accomplish the objectfor which, by the common conSent and positive declarations of Congress, it was carrie on. What, then, diditaccomplish, it not the object for which it yvas waged f I hold that the war was not a failure but a success; that it did achieve its declared object; that it suppressed the rebellion, and by so doing “ maintained the inte“ ty of the Union and preserved the rights of a heStates unim aired.” We 1, sir, the Gentfrom enn lvnnia, [Mr. Srnvnxs, although I have heard him complimented (an be will excuse me for saying I ponsider it a very questionable compliment) or ices. c491 having always held that the States were out of the Ifnion, has not, I believe, always held it or always desired that others should, for I find him introducing a resolution in this House on the 4th of December, 1862, declaring “ That if any person in the employment of the U. S. in either the legislative or executive branch, should propose to may o peace or should accept or advise the acceptance of any such proposition onany other basisthan the integrity and entire unity of the U.S and their Territories asthey existedat the timp of the rebellion, he will beluilty of a high crime. I do not propose to be guilty of that “ high Crime.” and now, with one more authority on this subject, I will drop it; and that shall be the authority of the present Chief Justice of the U.S. on the questlon whether the States are in the Union or not. In a discourse which Chief Justice Chase delivered about a year ago at Dartmouth College, he said: “It is my opinion that the States remain States and the rebelirovernmentsof the southern States have been destroyed. All the me chinery of these governments has come to an end; and now, holding as I do that these States remain States. the 2ndprocessof reorganisation is that the governments new revert into the hands of the southern people. They are to rebuild the governmentsof thesestates. ". I leave this opinion to speak for itself, and with that I leave the discussion, already too much extended, of this part of the subject. I have thus endeavored to showwith how much or how little success I leaveto the House to fudge that the States latelyin rebellion are sti 1 States of the Union that their people are not “ vanquished enemies”. in any political sense, Orin any sense which subjects them to be disposed of accordin to our political discretion; that they are still within the jurisdiction and protection of the constitution; that they enjoy all the rights under that constitution which they had before, that they are bound to perform all the duties which the constitution devolves upon them; and that we are bound by that constitution in our dealings with them, and have no right to do anything in regard to them which the constitution does not permit and empower us to do. We have taken a solemn out to protect and maintain the constitution of the U.S. By the 10th amendment of that instrument all the rights not conferred upon the General Government are retained by the States or by the people thereof. I submit that it is our duty to ulfi lthe injunctions of the constitution in that respect as in an other, and toward those States as towardal others. Whether members may be disposedto concede it as a right or not, or to grant it practically even if they do concede it in theory, we have no right, acting under the solemn obligation of our oaths, to set the constitution of the U.S or its authority aside fora single moment. Having thus, in a somewhat desultory manner, and I am sure very tediously, discussed this question, I will come to amore practical application of the principles I have endeavored to establish. The contest ended in April or May of last spring. The war, which was to crush the rebellion, restore the integrity of the Union and maintain the rights of the States and Territories as they existed before the rebellion, came to an end, having accomplished its object. The president had carried on the war by virtue of his power as Chief Executive of the U.S., and usCommanderinChiefofits armiesand na vics. By the constitution, article 2nd, section 1st, the executive power is vested in the President alone. B the 3rd section of the same article it is dechired that he shall take care that the laws are faithfully executed. He car ried on the war for that purpose by the power directly conferred upon him by Congress. e of ten hcarit said, in regard to the southern States, that if not out of the Union their practical relations to the GoVernment have been suspended. Now, that is true unquestionably. But whatis the precise meaning of that language? In what phrase known to the constitution can the fact be clothed? Is it anything else than this: that in consequence of their condition the laws of the U.S. could not be executed within those Mr. States, and it was necessary so to change that condition asto render their execution possible? Well, the war came to an end. the president found this state of things existing: the authority which had opposed the execution of the laws had been destroyed; the usurpation had been expelled; the laws were there; your statutebooks wore full of laws applicable to all these States; there was no lac of laws; the only lack was of agencies and agents for their execution; the machinery of the government stood still. There was, for example, a law upon your statutebook imposing stand“ of duties on goods imported into southern ports; there was nobody there to collect them. There was a law imposing internalrevenue taxes all those States, and there was no machintehrryough y which they could. be collected. There was a law upon your statutebook assigning to those States, by districts, members of Congress; but there were no voters dul qualified under the constitution of the U.S. to elect them, and no Legislatures to direct and regulate the manner of their election. N ow, sir, what did the President do under these circumstances? Congress Was not in session, and moreover, it was an executive duty that devolved upon him. He went forward to put the States in a condition to enable him to execute the laws. He proceeded to put the States in such a condition that he can d start the machine of government, so that the laws of the U.S. might be faithfull executed by him within the mits and juris iction of those States. r