The Weekly Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, O. [Ohio]) 1861-1???, 1864-04-13
LIBERATION AND RESTORATION
or THE SOUTH,
SPEECH OF HON. ]. NJ. ASHLEY,
Delivered IN the House Of Representatives Of the
United States, Wednesday, March 30 1864.

Mn, SrHASgR.-Thc hour has come in which
Congress must deal with the great crime OF the
niuctcepth century. Tho leading oouspimtors
must be punished by puuishments commensurate
with their terrible dccls. livery loyal citizens OF
the United States will expect this Of those to whom
they have at this time conided the destnies or the
nRton. They will demand that this great crimo
be so dealt with. that tho " Government shall Oh
tain "indomnty for the past and security for the
future" As one of the Representatives Of the
loyal people Of Ohio, | demanded at the beginning
otthe rcbollion, and demand now, that II shall be
So dealt with, that a like crime from the samo
cause shall In tho future be impossible.
The proper disposition by Congress of the causes
which produced the rebellion, aud all questions
intimately connected with it, have given me, rs
they doubtless have every loyal man, great anxiety
The question before us is How shall the States
whose governments have been usurpcd or over
thrown, be re-establshed and their loyal citizens
be reinycSted with all the rights privileges and
immnnitics of citizens of free States in the Amcri-
can Union 2
This is indeed question of transccndcnt im-
portance -ono with which the mere politician has
as little fitness as disposition to grapplc. To meet
and properly dispose of it, demands the highest
order of craftsmanship, The untried problem of
re-establishing loyal State governments over vast
districts of country, long in rebellion, involves
the grayest responsibility, and presents questions
OF constitutional power which have never before
been discussed, as they must now be discussed,
by the National Congress. | am free to confess
| tnat from the nrSt my anxiety mas been, not so
much how to conquer the rebels, as how to secure
an honorable and enduring peace after they were
conquered. This is question, which, until its
final settlement, will demand the serious consider
alton of the obcst statesmen in the nation.
II may be an unwclcomC question to many gen
| temen in this House. | doubt not that il is. |
| have reason to know that il was an unwelcomo
question to many in the last Congress- hut whether
welcome or unwclcome, it cannot now ba disposed
| Of or excluded from these halls, MS ii was two
ht-N moi 40 nd
| sional dodgng,
| The logic Of events is forcing the nation onward
| with such rapidity that we cannot il we would,
svadc this question, and many gentlemen are now
| prepared to act, who were opposed to all action
| two years ago. Thanks to our heroic army, the
rebellion is now so far suppressed that the ques"
ton of reconstruction is forced upon aud demands
| our immediate consideration. All can now sec
that it ought not to have been delayed long, and
am sure, all will agree, that II cannot longer be
neglected, without great injustice to the loyal peo-
| pie of the rebollous districts.
At the outbreak Of tho rebellion, practical men
saw and urged Che Importance and necessity of an
Act of Congress to provide temporary Governments
Of some kind, for the districts of country in robcl
lion; to authorize the loyal citizens residing therein
as soon as the rebellion was sufficiently suppressed
| to reorganize State governments, where they had
| been usurpod or ovcrthrown, and to guarantee to
them state governments, republican in form, MS
| prescribed by tho National Constitutions The bill
| from the Select Committee, now before the House,
recognizes fully and clearly the authority of Con-
| grcss to pass all laws which arc necessary and
| tonnl gurron,So Ttc nutLor;,v IN lc~islotc IN
this subject, once admitted, whether under the war
| powers or peace powers of Congrcss-thc only
questions which can possibly divide the uncondi-
country will he as to ,nnticrs nf dotniI Il viii hc
| noticod that tho Comm;ttn, bovc snu~ht ~ avoid
the adoption of any especial theory, in the bill
which they have presented. Whether the rebel
mcnts of the seeded Stntcs, ar whcthor these
| State governments ore simnlv susnnndnd or in
Allowance bv reason ortbe ahdcstnn thrr officers
or whether hy the acts of treason and rebellion on
the part of their citizens and constituted nuthori-
| ties, the States fins n rchnllinn bnvn coumitteI
! State suic dc, the COMMITTEES have thoupht host IN
leave to the deternination or zach mnmber far him
self. Hence no report Il submitted with this bill,
| For tho same reason M rrnort occomnonicd thn
bill submitted bv ma nm this suhioct two vnors
ago, with the anproyal of a minority of tho Com
u;iltec on Territories The soyefegntv oftho United
States nnl tbe mower Of Conorass Under tbc Con
stitution 10 lcrsotc for he districts of country in
rebellion Is fully recogniznd nv ths hill All ihat
have ever confenJed for toucbinU the oucation of
Congressional nower is hcrc o5mittsJ Dstrrmin-
ing from tbe on thrnak of ho rIoii;o u,at Ia
should die / have sonEht only for such Conprns;
soroI ,c,io, a, ,,IJ 30 ,t,,, thn rcbal Stntes to
V'i, a. IT.; 'u'; ; 10 ""IN 'oe'Vto cl,i 1870
H. ,i; A., @ as iuq'1u' as tieA "i'V'". "a
49, @ =" i aias eoi, l"1's'G" i %iu NV
VI Itt unl Sucl t't,o as the ioyal cltzehs III each
90 1Vatos, "'o n','' In'"Sr W
ttti ,I't. c,u a'', , "ool'. " o"" w.
o o'p's @ s,"Eoly durenur 'Soy oTk"t W
Ii,u HortIHe' us Glt1ens " w rIiiIou
nSsI''ng "i,i'l tto NStu'1 lu'isulolo'i,
w W., m ~ tolriVly wlpuI oSuo uoNcrntehtS'
~ -, ',;u S ,'s po'm 'VI. Wy ie tc ~ ihPor
iii ua tue' 'oi aus t,lc ci'-
- D.s' us ot'o l' Ni'oticL tno lpMcI 10
SS,;j ~ " "co,'uu ny tnu
I'LL 'o'',lietu.i w. w ~ r'Jo.oni e'ter
.ioy SUI miao psgn SuouS.tou, Is ucrivcu M rom
fto W.. ioWors vi i'lc pouVV p'WeTs vi Oumgress'
stOt " W Vp1s.''''.ii'' ~ ui' sum- ion,'
= nclio'u We my es'aolsn eoFur tVnporary MI
tS'ry I''los, or o,sn
Nerl"nly' Consress hlty, rs t,ie reP'osoh'IeEe Oh
the so!eiplsn power oil the nation, pass such laws
as III us "pinlon! may oe necessary 70 secure 'no
SEa H, s.o'r,ius VI tno 'Iy", Peop,o i .,os
otltes WlloSe governments nave ocen uesUoyeu
oy traitors 10 lhls ena congress may, py author
IVY ol inc N"t'ohal Oonsttuuon, Preserloo Such
conditions Tor tho restoration OF the states, whose
@oWerhuenlS haVo poeh uSurpeu or overtlroWnj as
wll Dest secure inc poace ana stlol'Iy ol the ma
u"u, ~ genF99g9o 10 suc ota'cs gov
eIhiHehts. beltephH ih@ tlls can pe uone IA no
way SO salely anu 30 wen MS py organizing npl rec
eesmHlng new SlaVe governments, US Pro'lued
lor Wy tnis Dul' am III iaVor ol us passage
mr' speaker III attempting solutloh OF the
ulhcutes Wh9ch environ us ON lhls question OF re-
CONSTRUCTION, nave souSn only lor the auoPuon
vi Such mehShrSS as "1u'u secure the "ye anu
T%m9dy restoration pthe Om9P OF a'l States IN re-
Ecllon, on DaSis thAt Wou'u command inc ap,
pr0Yal OF thc ablest statesmen OF the country. !
nave hau ana now nave no "eorg thot VIII not
yleid 70 accomplish tls most desirable result.
oeileVe ITO 0e tne illperalco uuty OF congress
'sy uScP ulc i1'nu1uuh VI our WpP9Seo ac',h
on thls suoJeeb' pelleVo ~ 10 pe npr uuty 10 &C.
clare, III hG most soolh iia'ner' !iat II leTeatsTJ
any Stae shall fenouhcc lts ailegance 10 the VA"