Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1865-12-19

rFrOm the MY, Tines CRsDublican,. Dec. ie.l
Tho Lntesf Action Of the House
Abn. fAe Adnsisslon Of tIae Southern
DeIegatiops.
Fhose who were disposed to give credit
to Md Stevens and his more immediate
friends for their graceful and prompt adop-
ton Of the Senate amendmentto the reso-
luton appointing a committee on recon-
struction, were as much puzzled as dlsap-
pointed on finding that 1t barely took these
gentlemen twenty-four hours to recede
from their position. The original resolu-
tion read thus: -
"Resolved,s b. the Senate and Huse Of Rep
resentatiUes III Congress ASSen,DIed That a.
jOinteommittec OF fifteen shall disappointed,
nine oil whcm shaltbe members ofthe House,
and six of the Senate, who shall inquire
into the conditioned the States which tornl-
ed the s0-called Confederate States, Of
America, and report whether they or any
of them are entitled to be- Represented In
either House of Congress, with leave TO re-
port at any time, by bill or otherwise; and
until suchreportsh shall have been madesand
finally acted upon by Congress, no member
shall be received In either House from any
Of the said so-calledI Confederate States,
and all papers relating to the representa-
tiVes of the said States shall be referred to
the said committee" "....- i.- .. tig
Inthe Senate, ON Tuesday, Mr.. Anthony
(Rep.), ofRhode Island, called up the reso-
luton, and moved to strike out the latter
clause, t0-wito;l -ri-Ir.. .4-.i it hrr .iso.r. &
y sand until such report shall have been
made and finally acted on by Congress, no
members shall be received into either house
from any of the said so-ealled Confederate
States; and all papers relating to the repre-
sentation of the said States shall be referred
to the said committee without debate."b 4
~ This was agreed to by a vote, the strength
of which showed unmistakably the temper
in which the Senate proposed to approach
the question of restoration. Although the
whole, so-called, conservative strength of
the Opposition was mustered against the
amended resolution, Mr.. Anthony's prop
osition was eminently of a conservative
character. AS such it was regarded bVthe
whole country, and gave universal satisfac-
ton to men ofmoderate and rational views.
This satisfaction was enhanced by the re-
port of Wednesdays proceedings in the
House, when Mr.. Stevens moved its con-
currence in the resolution as returned from
the Senate. 1t Is stating the fact temper
W, UIltU, BO Sdy blidJ biiC PuDhc 0ClO
hardly prepared for the practical repeal OF
the concurrent resolution which followed
on Thursday, when Mr.. Wilson, of Iowa,
moved in the House, and carried by a large
majority, the following:
''ResolUed, That all papers which may be
offered relative to the representation OF the
late so=called Confederate States OF Ameri-
ca, or either of them, shall be referred to
the Joint committee OF fifteen, without de-
bate, and that no members shall be ad-
mitted from either OF the so-called States
until Congress shall declare such States, or
either Of them, entitled to representation"
This does not, it is true, interfere with
the power which the Senate reserved to
itself of being the sole judge of the qualifi-
cation of its own members. 1t does not de-
clare, as in the original resolution, that mo
members shall be received into either
House." &C.; 1t simply declares shat no.
members shall be admitted from either OF
the so-caled Confederate States" until eer-.
tain conditions are fulfilled. In the latter
case, 'members," OF course, means members
of the House. But the essential Disagree
ment in the two resolutions-that amended
by the Senate and this of the HOuse-is
none the less apparent, and may be the
cause of no little embarrassment in reach
ing safe and satisfactory solution of the
grave questions which the joint committee
will have before them.
1t cannot be overlooked at this crisis that
the action of ftheSena was more in harmony
with the policy which has guided the Pres
ident throughout his whole course in deal
ing with the unrepresented States. While
the Senate was celebrating on this very
question of committee, the President was
engaged in preparing a dispatch to the
Provisional Governor of Georgia,
of the Inauguration of the GOternOr-elect,
Judge Jenkins; and while heartily apprOv-
ing of the course of the former, recon-
mending him to issue no commission TO
members of Congress, but to 'leaUe that for
the Incoming GOUernor!" Anticipating by
few hours only, the moderating action of
the Senate on the House resolution, the
President says, in the same dispatch, "Why
can't you elect Sendtorg" No one will be
disposed to the belief that this dispatch was
not known to the majority who voted, on
Tuesday, in the Senate, on the question of
q committee. Most people will be Inclined
to believe that the favorable progress in
Georgia, which elected such emphatic APP
prOVal from the Executive, was one of the
strongest inducements to the majority in
the Senate to retain In its own hands the
right of opening its doors to the members
from Individual States, without abiding the
of concurrent resolution, as sub
mitted by the House!
The majority that followed Mr.. Wilson
on Thursday doubtless acted from what
they considered the highest motives of pat
riotism in undoing as far as possible the
agreement between the two Houses. But it
will shortly be seen, we doubt not, that the
nearer the policy of the Executive and OF
Congress harmoniZes, the safer, the surer,
the speedier and the more satisfactory will
be the work Of restoring all the States to
their true relations to the Union. The
President does not invite the election of
from Georgia without knowing
that there has been an honest conformity
in that State to the requirements laid down
in his plan of reconstruction. 1t isa ques-
tion mainly, then, as far as Georgia is con-
whether the Presidents policy has
the approval of Congress, OF, has iG not.
The credentials of the Individual delega-
tions tha6pfesent themselveswillof course
be still amaGter for thorough Congressional
scrutiny. But aside from that, q decision
on the claims of such States as Georgia and
Tennessee must now resolve, itself into an
approval or disapproval of the Executive
policy sim dealing with the whole broad
question of the rehabilitation of the unrep-
States. 'AsSF