Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1865-12-19
THE gOExr coMulTTrn ON sourn

? gress, no members shall be received into
either House from any Of the so-called
: Confederate States and al papers re-
lating 10 the representation Of said States
should be referred to the said committee
without debate.
Mr.. Howard, Of Michigan, Union, pre-
ferred the resolution as it came from the
House. We owe it, he said, TO the loyal
I, people of the North to exclude the Repre-
sentatives from the late rebellious States
until the report Of the committee was
received. The States in question were
subiugated provinces, whose inhabitants
were not loyal to-day, and only submit
ted to the Union authorities because they
were unable any longer to resist. He OBJ
jected TO the amendment because i5 left
the impression that one House Of Con-
gress might admit Senators or Represent
atives without the consent Of the other.
He did not believe either House should
readmit the Representative of eonstitu-
encies still disl0yal and unwilling to CO.
operate with loyal people.
Mr.. Anthony said Mr.. Howard had
not touched the reason Of offering the
amendment. He thought the concerted
action Of both Houses was Necessary in
this matter; but the words proposed to
be stricken out referred to a Joint COM
illllAEE cllIttt WHICH the IoAiSllLuAiDu
confined to each House for itsel-the
Judgment Of the qualification ofmem-
bers. Another reason for the amend
ment was that the words proposed to he
stricken out provided for the submission
Of all papers without debate. TheSenate
had always been sensitive on this subject,
and had always opposed any attempt TO
cut of debate.
Mr.. DOolittle, of Wisconsin, Union
said that, under other Circumstances, he
should not have spoken upon this sub
iect but rs Mr.. Howard had demanded
the yeas and nays, he felt it his duty TO
give his views on the subject. After
s~peakingin favor of the reference OF the
whole matter Of reconstruction TO the Ju-
dietary Committee as the proper place
for the consideration Of the sub
iect, Mr.. DOolittle spoke against the
adoption Of the resolution. He objected
to it because, if adopted, it became the
law of the land, and bound thenext Con-
gress as well as this, in case the commit
/ tee should not make a report in this Con-
gress. He objected also, because, on the
committee proposed, the Senate was
TO have but six members, and the
House nine, giving TO the House . major
fry of three votes. He denied the right
of the two Houses to act concurrent on
this subject: each House must act Tor it.
self and exclusively in determining the
qualifications ofits members. It would
be a sacrifice Of self respect on the part
Of the Senate to pass this resolution. The
resolution also cut of debate, which wa
contrary TO all practice n precedent.
The Senator from Michigan had referred
to the Southern States as subjugated ter
r~itories. This theory could not be main
tanned. The doctrine upon which the
war was fought denied the right Of seces-
sion. The object of the war was to save
and not to destroy the States. The flag
which waved over the Capitol contained
thirty-siX stars; and he would ask if that
was a " Haunting lie2" If there were
not thirty-six States in the Union?
Mr.. DOolittIe, IL referring TO the action
Of the House on the resolution, was in
formed by the chair that a discussion Of
the action Of the House was not in or
der.
Mr.. DOolittle then said But, Sir, it is
not improper for me to refer to the pro-
ceedings of a caucus held in the City of
Washington. By the published proceed
ings Of that assemblage it seems that on
the first Saturday in December, without
any discussion whatever, a certain resO-
luton, which reads word for word just
like this resolution which is sent here
from the House was adopted in that
caucus, under the leadership of a
certain gentleman whom ! viii now
speak of as a member Of the
House best known to history.
who resides in the SUateOf Pennsylvania.
His history is known Of all men, and
one thing we know Of him-he is most
bitterly and most UncomprOmisingly
hostile to the policy Of the present adj
ministratiOn. On the subject Of recon-
struction he goes with him who goes
furthest holding wen that the State of
Tennessee is an alien State. It was with
the United States, and, if l am not mis-
taken, in the convention at baltimore
which nominated Mr.. Lincoln and Mr..
johnson for President and Nice-Presi-
dent, Thaddeus Stevens objected to the
nomination Of Andrew johnson because
he was an alien enemy. / have seen
nothing in the history Of thar gentle
man TO lead me to suppose that
he has in any respect changed bis
opinions; for il is not long since we had
q speech Of his, delivered in the State of
Pennsylvania, marked with his usual
ability and with that coCi assurance that
sometimes rises to the sublime, in which
he proposed, if I do not mistake, almost
the entire and universal conGscation OF
the whole Southern States. Now, Mr..
President, Of the dOings Of that assem-
bly, in connection with This resolution.
feel at perfect liberty 10 speak without
violating the rules Of the House, viii
say hat within three minutes bv
the clock of the hour when that assem-
bly, was called, Thaddeus Stevens had
moved his Committee on Resolutions.
and, Withdrawing with his committee
from that body to make his report. with
IN ten minutes, without any discussion, F.,
without any consideration whatever, IL
vas by that cool tact Of his pressed
through the body and declared 70 ae uu-
aninOusly adopted. Why this hot haste?
What necessity for such hot haste, Sir? :
Who does not know that the leaders Of {
caucus did not desire to wait? Nor q
did he wait until the President had spoken S
10 the country in his annual taesssee on ]
the state OF the country. The Constirl- q
ton requires the President, from time to d
time, to give Information on the state Of [
the Union; and we have no right to pre-
thatthe President would not furnish ]
the information which his constitutional I
duty requires, He has at his control all
the agencjes which are necessary for the I
purpose. There l. an able cabinet which d
surrounds him, and is able TO furnish him {
with assistance. Mr.. DOolittle then de- o
-lared it 10 be the duty OF Congress and v
.he country 10 support President johnson V
N his policy Reconstruction, which was 81
imilar to inst Of Mr.. LiHsa,4. S
Mr.. ~tessenden, OF Maine, Union said p
did not like to hear &c in the Senate e
Urged TO support the Administration. Il
The Senate itself was a part Of the Adj b
ninistration, and he, as aSenator, should
lain the right Of examining every "
Measure brought before die Senate. He t;
at first IN favor Of the House resolu- il
ion, but SINCE had come 70 the oQaciu- a
ION that the alnehGuentofM Mr.. Anthony ii
10 be adopted. n
Mr.. HOW0rd withdrew the call for the a
-eas and nays, and the amendment TO II
trike out the last clause was adopted. C,
Mr., COWan moved to strikeoutt the word b
nine, - and insert "siXn in the second a
ne, that the number from each Hoase a
hould be equal. Il
This was negatiyed by the following 81
ote: o.
Yeas-Messrs. Buckalew. Cowan.
'iXon, Doolittle, Guthrie, Henderson, p.
ohnson, Lane ofKansas, Nesmith, Nor "
Riddle, salisbury, Stockton Wright it
fourteen. L
Nays-Messrs. Anthony. Brown.
handler, Clark, CONFESS, Cresswell, re
essenden, Foot, Grimes, Harris How tn
%, Howe, Lane of Indiana, Morgan. re
-@orrill, Nye, Poland, Pomeroy, Ramsey. m
herman, sprague, Stuart, Sumner. Van
mike, Wade, Wiley, Williams, VIII d.
n, Iates-twenty-nine. tn
Mr.. salisbury, Of Delaware, Demo n;
at, said he was opposed to the resolu-
)n, and believed 10 open to certain seri- IN
Is objections. The first day after the pa
sembling Of Congress after the battle of gu
aQassas, it was declared by Nlint reso- .
ton that the object for which the war OF
As Waged, was Tor no purpose Of con- IN
lest or subugation, but 10 preserve the "
lion Of the States. While that war NJ
Is being waged, there was no change no
this assertion, Throughout the whole an
ntest the cry to preserve the Union. -
e protested against the resolution. ~
Mr.. Hendricks, of Indiana, lDem..3 II
jeeted 10 the resolution because il re- -
red TO a jointcOmmitteecEeo of dentials.
rich should be acted upon by each
for itself.
Mr.. Trumbull, Of Illinois, rep did not n
ink the objection OF Mr., Hendricks
Id good. The object Of the committee
h NOT 70 naoe rr4aon a~ralanffaIz hint O..