these States, through their conventions and legislatures, had adopted
and ratified constitutions "of government whereby slavery was abolished
and all ordinances and laws of secession and debts contracted under the
same were declared void." So far, then, the political existence of the
States and their relations to the Federal Government had been fully and
completely recognized and acknowledged by the executive department of
the Government; and the completion of the work of restoration, which had
progressed so favorably, was submitted to Congress, upon which devolved
all questions pertaining to the admission to their seats of the Senators
and Representatives chosen from the States whose people had engaged in
the rebellion.

All these steps had been taken when, on the 4th day of December, 1865,
the Thirty-ninth Congress assembled. Nearly eight months have elapsed
since that time; and no other plan of restoration having been proposed
by Congress for the measures instituted by the Executive, it is now
declared, in the joint resolution submitted for my approval, "that the
State of Tennessee is hereby restored to her former proper practical
relations to the Union, and is again entitled to be represented by
Senators and Representatives in Congress." Thus, after the lapse of
nearly eight months, Congress proposes to pave the way to the admission
to representation of one of the eleven States whose people arrayed
themselves in rebellion against the constitutional authority of the
Federal Government.

Earnestly desiring to remove every cause of further delay, whether real
or imaginary, on the part of Congress to the admission to seats of loyal
Senators and Representatives from the State of Tennessee, I have,
notwithstanding the anomalous character of this proceeding, affixed
my signature to the resolution. My approval, however, is not to be