The Portland daily press., 1866-03-06
Speech of MIR. Fessenden.

In the course of the debate of Friday. which
preceded the adoption of the concurrent res
olution by the Senate, Mr.. Fessenden spoke
very forcibly in defence of the joint commit
tee on reconstruction against the charge made
directly by Mr.. Van Wrinkle, and indirectly by
several other senators and various presses, that
they were delaying the work of reconstruc-
tion. The following is the summary of his
speech reported by telegraph to the Boston
Adrertiser: .'
Mr.. Fessenden showed that the resolution
ordering the formation of the COMMITTEES was
passed by the Senate Dec. %; that the Senate
part OF the committee was appointed on the
2lst; that Congress then took recess to Jan.
0, during which, Of course, the committee
could do nothing. Immediately on the reas.
sembling, Mr.. Sumner had offered and the
Senate had passed a resolution calling on the
PRESIDENT for copies Of all orders. letter., di-
Spatches, instructions, commissions proceed
nSs OF conventions, ordinances, acts of leois-
latures, DC, bearing upon the subject of re-
construction. A resolution of similar import
was offered in the House, January 10Th. by
MT raymond, and at once passed. These
papers pa the committee urgently desired to have.
They necessarily lay at the foundation of the
investigation which they were ordered to un-
dertake. The President had all these papers.
he could have given them to us at any time.
Dlu he do so? No, sir. He did nothing at
all. he did not tell us that it was deemed in
compatible with the interests of the country
to make them public. He did not tell us that
he had not clerical force enough to make the
necessary copies. He did nothing but wait
and keep US waiting. He says nothing, and
he gives us nothing. 1 am not making a COM
plant. lam only stating the facts briefly and
concisely. Yet, he had all these papers. There
was Governor Perry, Provisional Governor of
South Carolina, man whom we all know as
having been rebel judge. He had been
elected senator, but we don't yet know in anv
official manner that he has even been pardon
ed. Then, too, there is Humphreys. a rebel
brigadier-general, a man covered all over with
treason. He is reported elected as Governnr
OF Mississippi, even before he was parloned.
we should like some official information as To
ms status and to the status of Perry, and all
the rest. 1t is an important matter whether
these mpardoned rebels have. or have NOT
been elected to high offices of honor and trust,
ana the PRESIDENT was the only person who
couid give us the facts in the cases, on which
10 base an opinion for the guidance of Con-
gress. These papers and documents, called
ior Dy both Houses, were just what we wantei
at the flrst stage OF our inquiries. / make no
complaint. only state facts, and say that,
up to this day, we have neither been able to
get the information called for, nor any reason
why it is withheld. In view OF all these facts
how can any one have the face to charge US
with delay, or with delaying the work OF re-
construction? While we have been waiting
ON the President, we have done the best we
could under the circumstances. Failing to
get the Information in his possession, we have
necessarily resorted to the taking of evidence
The committee was divided into four SUBJ
committees, and one or more of these has
been almost constantly engaged in examining
witnesses, in getting facts and opinions on
which we may make up the judgement that
we are required to make under the resolution
OF the two Houses. We have other duties to
perform, and, OF course, have not been able to
give all our time to this work; but we have
been engaged in it early and late, whenever
there was opportunity. Meantime, the testi-
mcny, for which both Houses respectfully ask
ed, the papers in the control of the President,
are all kept back, are all shut up beyond our
reach. Where has been the delay? Whose
the blame that we are not yet able TO reach a
well founded conclusion? / don't say reasons
may not exist for not furnishing US with these
documents. don't say any thing about 1t,
for know nothing about it. / only say that
il there has been any delay, 1t is not the COM
mittee's fault. They have sought for informa-
ton ON every hand, while the great source of
the very information they first wanted has