A Territory by coming into the Union
becomes a State; a State by going out of the Union becomes a
Territory.
CHAPTER XIII.
RECONSTRUCTION.
The question of reconstructing the States that seceded will be
practically settled before these pages can see the light, and
will therefore be considered here only so far as necessary to
complete the view of the constitution of the United States. The
manner in which the government proposed to settle, has settled,
or will settle the question, proves that both it and the American
people have only confused views of the rights and powers of the
General government, but imperfectly comprehend the distinction
between the legislative and executive departments of that
Government, and are far more familiar with party tactics than
with constitutional law.
It would be difficult to imagine any thing more unconstitutional,
more crude, or more glaringly impolitic than the mode of
reconstruction indicated by the various executive proclamations
that have been issued, bearing on the subject, or even by the
bill for guaranteeing the States republican governments, that
passed Congress, but which failed to obtain the President's
signature. It is, in some measure, characteristic of the
American government to understand how things ought to be done
only when they are done and it is too late to do them in the
right way.
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