Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1865-12-22
Thad. Stevens Speech DeclaratOry
.l.n .. .-. r OF rna .ugau. ..
THE POLICY OF THE RADICALS,
In the House of Representatives, on
Monday, Dec. 49,

On motion of Mr.. Stevens Of Pa, the
House went into committee OF the Whole
on the State of the Union, with Mr.. Wash
burne of Illinois, In the Chair, on the Pres
ident's Annual Message, when Mr., Stevens
submitted a series of resolutions referring
the various branches of the Message to the
appropriate committees, and so much of 1t
as relates to reconstruction was referred to
the select committee.
SPEECH OF MIR. STEVENS.
Mr.. Stevens (Pa.) said: A candid exam
ination of the power and proper principles
of reconstruction can be offensive to no
one, and may possibly be profitable by ex-
citing inquiry. One of the suggestions
of the Message which we are now consider
ing has special reference to this. Perhaps
it is the principle most interesting to the
people at this time. The President assumes,
what no one doubts, that the late rebel States
have lost their constitutional relations to
the Union, and are incapable of repre-
sentation in Congress, except by permission
of the Government. 1t matters but little,
with this admission, whether you call them
States out of the Union and now conqured
Territories, or assert that because the Con-
stitution forbid them to do what they did
do that they are therefore only dead as to
all national and political action, and will
remain so until the Government shall
breathe into them the breath OF lite anew
and permit them to occupy their former
position--in other words that they are not
out of the Union, but only dead carcasses
lying within the Union. In either case it
is very plain that it requires the action OF
Congress to enable them to form a State
Government, and send representatives to
Nnhn1xy holiaun Yrafan6c thof
with their old Constitutions and forms of
government, they can be permitted to claim
their old rights under the Constitution.
They have torn their Constitutions into
atoms, and built on their foundations
fabrics of totally different character.
Dead men cannot raise themselves; dead
States cannot restore their own existence
as it was. Whose especial duty is it to do
it? In whom does the Constitution place
the power? Not in the judicial branch of
the Government. for it only adjudicates and
does not prescribe laws. Not in the Ex-
ecutiye, for he only executes and cannot
make laws. Not in the Commander-in-
Chief of the armies, for he can only hold
them under military rule until the
sovereign legislative power of the
conquorer shall give them law.
There Is fortunately no difficulty in solving
the question. There are two provisions In
the Constitution under one otwhieh the
case must fall, The fourth article says
.'new States may. be admitted by the Con-
gress into this Union" In my Judgment
this is the controlling provision in this
case. Unless the law of nations is a dead
letter, the late, war between two acknowl-
edged belligerents severed thetr, original
compacts, and broke all ties that bound
Al a. NkA f,,k. 80
the conquered power depends on the. will
new States, or remain as conquered prov
inces. Congress-the Senate and House of
RepresentatiVes-with the concurrence of
the President, Is the only power on earth
that can act on the matter. But suppose,
as some dreaming theorists imagine, that
these States have never been out Of the
Union, but have only destroyed their State
Goyernments0so 30 as to be incapable of polit-
ical action, then the fourth, section Of, the
fourth article applies, which says "the
United States shall guarantee to every State
in this Union republican form of Govern
ment.' Who is the United States? Not
the judiciary, not the President; but the
sovereign power of the, people exercised
through their Representatives in Congress-,
with the concurrence of the Executive, 1t
means the political Government, the con-
current action Of both branches of Con-
gress and the Executive. The separate &C.
tiUn of each amounts to nothing, either in
admitting new States or guaranteeing Re-
publican Governments to lapsed or out,
lawed States Whence springsithe prepOs-
ferrous idea that eitheRithe President; or the
Senate, or the House of Representatives
acting separately, can determine the right
of States to send members Or Senator'S TO
the Congrese'0f The Uhione To prove that
they are and have been out Of the bUnion
for all legal purposes, and are now cons
quered subjects at the absolute disposal of
Congress, I will suggests a few ideas and
add6ce aifew Authorities. If the so1calIed
Confederate States of Afnerica an Inc
dependent belligerent and were so , ae-
knowledged by the United States and by
Europe or had assumed and maintained
an attitude which entitled them to be con-
slderedI and ,tpeatedias albelligerent then
during such time they were precisely in
che condition of a foreign nation with
whom we were at war, nor heed their inde.s