Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1864-07-21
THE RECONSTRUCTION BILL.


which we published on the 9th instant, giving his
reasons why he refused to sign the bill passed by
Congress at its late session to guarantee to certain
States whose governments have been usurped or
overthrow republican form of government" will
have been sufficiently able to develop for himself
the proportions of the conflict which has arisen be-
tween the Legislative and Executive branches of
the Government on this subject.
The Congress expressly declared that in its judg-
ment the plan of reconstruction propounded by the
President in his lest annual message anti-repub-
lican in its nature and revolutionary in its origin
In opposition to the views of the President, who
declared that he would recognise one-tenh of the
people Of any seeded State as the lawful govern
ing power Of such State on their subscription to
certain test oaths prescribed by the Executive, the
Congress declared that the number competent for
this purpose should not be less than majority The
.ohole people as sceItained by enrolment which
should develop the fact that such majority of the
whole people had taken an oath to support the
Constitution of the United States This was the
first radical difference between the Presidential and
the Congressional plan of reconstruction. The
President makes one tenth of the people represent
the State. The Congress requires majority Of
the people to represent the State.
Speaking in support of this feature of the bill
and in opposition to The plan of the President,
Mr. WADE, of Ohio, held the following language
in the Senate on the LIST instant:
Whst is the relation that these seeded States hod
to the General Government now Gentlemen differ wide
hat, rfln hftxt
ever be ascertaned and declared by Congress- far The
Ezccutire ought not to be permitted TO handle this great
question his liking 1t does not belong under the
Constitution TO the President to prescribe the rs, aud it
is a base abandonment of powers and du
ties to cast this great principle upon the dec ion of the Exc
cuve branch of the Government II belongs to and the
House of Representatives in the performance of their duty
have in my judgment wisely performed this great function
know very we'll that the President from the best motives
undertook to fix rule upon which he would admit these
States back INFO the Union toas mot upon any prni-
pile of republication; toould not hare guaranteed to the
States republican form Of government because he pre-
scribed the rule to be that hen oneenh Of the population
,ooud take certain oath and agree back iao he
Union they might in States. Hhen consider
that the light Of american principle to say The least Of
IT, absurd The idea that State shall take upon
itself the great priDige of self government ohen there
only oneien Of the people that stand By the principle
anirepubcan anomalous and entirely suB1ersiUe
ohegreat principles that nndertie all State Gopern
and The General Government Msorities must rule,
and until msjoes be found loyal aud Trustworthy for
State government they must be governed by stronger
hard 1t is necessity imposed upon the General Govern
ment by the Constitution itself"
As Mr. WADE was charged with the conduct of
the bill in the Senate, and represented the views
Of the Republican majority by which it was passed,
it will be that this language is very explicit
and significant fecting the views of the Senate.
To this effect he added
Il know it 1.-THE bill got up with great by a
gentleman no thoroughly undr the workings of the
institution Of slavery whose mind had been drawn to it,
and who is exceedingly capable Of framing instrument
OF the kind believe it met the appreciation Of the
tire Republican Union party the House OF Represen-
tves / can objection to its provisions here
shall make further argument upon it unless Sena-
tor points cut something IN It's provisions that he deems
unjust inequabe, wrong II he does that shall at
tempt to answer"
The qualification of suffrage prescribed by the
Presidents plan the test of loyalty, requires the
voter to swear to support not only the Constitution
and Laws of the United States, but also all procla-
nations of the Executive respecting slavery far
forth and SO long as the ,ad proclamations shall rot
be repealed by Congress or pronounced unconstitu-
tional by the Supreme Court. The qualifications of
suffrage prescribed by Congress are as follows
"The delegates to the proposed State Convention
shall be elected by the loyal white male citizens OF
the United States of the age of twenty-one years,
and resident at the time in the county, parish, or
district in which they shall offer to vote, and
rolled as aforesaid absent in the military service
of the United States, and who shall take and sub
scribe the oath of allegiance to the United States
in the form contained in the act of Congress Of
July. I'd, 1862"
These are the great fundamental differences be-
tween the Presidents plan of reconstruction and
the plan adopted by Congress. Both plans pro-
ceed the principle that slavery shall be prohibit
ed by the constitutions Of the reconstructed
States"
The President, it has been seen, refuses to recog
mise the right of Congress to interfere with the
proceedings taken under his direction in Louisiana
and Arkansas, where 90 one tenth of the people Of
the States" have been already organized according
to the terms of his December proclamation. And
he also confesses,. as an additional reason why he
did not sign the bill Of Congress, reluctance on
his part "to declare a constitutional competency
in Congress to abolish slavery in States"
These reasons will be very unsatisfactory to all
tho adherents of the Congressional plan, for was
in great measure, to undo the proceedings taken
in Louisiana and Arkansas that this measure wa.
conceived and passed-tho said proceedings being
taken under q plan denounced by MIR. WADE "a