The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1865-10-06

AEOAuAs IL
Speech ~ Governof IEo93oa
We make some extracts from : recent
speech of Governor MoEros, Of Indiana, de-
livered at Richmond, Indiana, . few days
ago.
After referring to ths hvorsble ecsditio.
and prospects Of the country, Gov. MoRros
proceeded to speak of
PRESIDENT JOHNSON.
Mr.. johnson was elected by the Union par
| ty Of this nation, and Is entitled to have that
party support his Administration, unless he
shall commit some important error, or shall
depart, in some important and vital particu-
lar, from the principles upon which he was
elected. An impression has gotten abroad
in the North, that Mr.. johnson has devised
some new policy BY which improper facilities
are granted for the restoration of the rebel
States, and that he is improperly and unnec-
essarily hurying forward the work Of recoa-
struction, and that he is presenting improper
facilities for restoring those, who have been
engaged in the rebellion, to the possession OF
their civil and political rights. Il is one OF
my purposes here this evening to show that
so far ~ his policy of amnesty or reconstrue-
ton is concerned, he has absolutely present
ed nothing new, but that he has simply pre-
sented, and is simply continuing, the policy
which Mr.. Lincoln presented to this nation
on the 6th of December, 1863. Mr.. John
sons Amnesty Proclamation differs from Mr..
Lincoln's in some restrictions that it con-
tains, which Mr.. Lincoln's did not contain.
His plan of reconstruction is absolutely and
simply that Of Mr.. Lincoln, nothing more or
less, with one difference only, that Mr.. Lin
coin required that one tenth of the people oil
the disloyal States should be willing to en-
brace his plan of reconstruction, whereas Mr..
Johnson says nothing about the number, but,
so far as it has been acted upon yet, it has
been done by number much greater than
one-tenth.
| | believe the one thing that has contributed
more to cast suspicion upon Mr.. Johnson q
plan than anything else, is the fact that it has
been, to a great extent, indorsed by the Dem
ocratic party. That may be regarded by very
many as a suspicious circumstance, bat am
sure Mr.. johnson is not responsible for it.
The Democratic party could not live another
year upon the policy on which they have been
acting-the policy of opposition to the war,
in favor of the rebellion, and against the sup
preston of an insurrection aimed at the life
of the Government. Now that the cause of
the Union has triumphed, the Democratic
! party finds that it can no longer stand upon
its old ground: and hence in New York, in
the recent Democratic Convention, they not
only adopted Union platform, but with
one single exception they nominated Repub-
| licans for all the Offices, and that exception
was John Van Buren,, who has been every
thing by turns and nothing in particular.
Then he instituted comparison between
the plans of Mr.. LINCOLN aud Mr.. JOHNSON,
and showed that their theory of reconstruc.
ton was the same, and that JOHNSON was the
more stringent of the two in its practical APP
plieation. In the course of his remarks ON
this subject, he said;
REBELS CAN NOT HOLD OFFICE
want to make one remark right here. Ii
is said, that under Mr.. Johnson policy of re-
construction, these men who originated and
, carried on the rebellion can be returned to
seats IN Congress as Senators and Represen-
| tatives. The gentlemen who talk that way
| forget that on the I'd Of July Congress passed
an act. which has never been repealed and is
now in full force and effect, prohibiting any
person from holding any Federal Office. high
or low, great or small. who has directly or
indirectly been concerned in this rebellion.
and there is no danger of the rebel leaders
going into Congress, unless the members Oh
that body shall prove recreant to their trust
and fail to enforce a law now unrepealed upon
| the statute book. Mr.. Lincoln referred To
the act of Congress-, and said distinctly, that
he claimed no power to influence the admis
sion of members of Congress, and no power
| to bring forward q man and put him in Office
who had been disfranchised and rendered in
eligible BY an act of Congress. Mr.. johnson
has never for moment claimed that he could
do such a thing. The act Of Congress was
binding upon Mr.. Lincoln. and it is no less
binding upon Mr.. johnson, and it has not
been proposed by the plan Of either to inter
fere with the operation Of a statute, or bring
any man into Congress or into the possession
of any Federal Office, who has been made in
eligible by law.
| NEGRO SUFFRAGE.
come now to speak more properly on the
subject of negro suffrage. The Constitution
of the United State, has referred the question
of suffrage to the several States. Il his NAV
have been right or it may have been wrong.
| merely speak of the subject as it stands, aud
say that the question of suffrage is referred by
the Constitution to the several States. It FIRST
provides that such persons as had q right to
vote by the laws Of the State for . member oI
the most numerous branch of the State Legis.
lature should have a right to vote for mem
bers of Congress. 1t then in another proyis.
ION, declares that the States may, in any man
ner they see proper, appoint or elect thei,
Presidential electors, 30 that the whole ques
ton of suffrage has, by the Constitution, from
the beginning. been referred to the severa
States. Now, it has been proposed by some
to avoid the operation Of this provision, by
excluding members of Congress from the
Southern States until such time as they shall
incorporate negro suffrage in their State Con
stitutions, to say to them-''we will keep you
out of your seats until such time as the State
from which you come shall amend its Conbt
tuition so as to provide for negro suffrage"
CONQUERED PROVINCES"
That is one way in which to avoid the force
of these constitutional provisions. There il
another plan, and that is the theory which
regards these States ss being out Of the Uniol
and holding them as conquered provinces
subject to the jurisdiction of Congress, hkt
unorganized territory; saying that Congress,
has the power to provide for calling conven
tions in these States, just rs in the TERRITORY
| Of Dacotah. and may prescribe the right O
suffrage aud determine Who shall vote il
electing delegates to these conventions, JUS
as in the territory of Dacotah; that it may ther
determine whether they will accept the Con
stitution offered - might be determined il
L tho oasa of anv ofhar Torr;torv