[Sidenote: The precedent set by Tennessee.] As a matter of fact, however, the legislature of Tennessee ratified the proposed Amendment within about a month after receiving the Article from Secretary Seward, and Congress thereupon passed the following joint resolution and sent it to the President for his signature: "Whereas in the year 1861 the government of the State of Tennessee was seized upon and taken possession of by persons in hostility to the United States, and the inhabitants of said State, in pursuance of an act of Congress, were declared to be in a state of insurrection against the United States; and whereas said State government can only be restored to its former political relations in the Union by consent of the lawmaking power of the United States; and whereas the people of said State did, on the 22d of February, 1865, by a large popular vote, adopt and ratify a constitution of government whereby slavery was abolished and all ordinances and laws of secession and debts contracted under the same were declared void; and whereas a State government has been organized under said constitution which has ratified the amendment to the constitution abolishing slavery, also the amendment proposed by the thirty-ninth Congress" (the Fourteenth Amendment) "and has done other acts proclaiming and denoting loyalty: Therefore, _Be it resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives in Congress assembled_, That the State of Tennessee is hereby restored to her former practical relations to the {83} Union, and is again entitled to be represented by Senators and Representatives in Congress." [Sidenote: The Tennessee precedent.] These proceedings made it certain that, while Congress had failed to pass any formal act making the acceptance of the proposed Fourteenth Amendment a condition precedent to the readmission of the other "States" which had been in rebellion, Congress would not readmit any of them which did not do this. Tennessee, it was thought, had sinned the least of all, and, therefore, should be readmitted on lightest terms. More might be righteously required of the others, but not less. [Sidenote: The President's message in regard to the rehabilitation of Tennessee.] The President signed the resolution, but accompanied the same with a short message in which he made a rather telling criticism upon the procedure of submitting proposed constitutional amendments to bodies not already "States" in the Union, and warned Congress against construing his approval as committing him to all of the statements of fact contained in the preamble to the resolution, or to the doctrine that Congress had any right "to pass laws preliminary to the admission of duly qualified Representatives from any of the States." These latter words manifest the fact that the President was still holding on to the idea that the whole function of Congress in Reconstruction consisted in the power of each House to judge of the election and qualifications of its members.