Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1866-02-26
XXXIXth CONGRESS- First Session.
WASHINGTON, Feb. ~.
HOUSE.

NtVOSE.
The House went into committee of the Whole.
Mr.. CLARKE, Of Ohio, submitted his views on
the subject of reconstruction. He did not consider
il in point to argue the question OF dead or living
States but to LOOK forward TO such measures as are
requisite to restore at tho ea' 'es practicable day,
these States TO their original harmonious relations,
as faithful and loyal States Of the Union. with all
the rights and immuntes of the most favored States,
insisting upon such demand admission, that they
establish unquestiOnable loyalty in their representa-
ton and constitutions He was willing to vote for
the admission Of Tennessee and Arkansas at any
hour when the committee shall submit the question
to the House, and unless unexpected Developments
should show these states unqualified for such adj
mission. He proceeded in liberal and temperate,
yet firm view, to advocate distinct manifestation
Of loyalty the chief requisite of reconstruction of
the States, and said their Representatives sent hero
must be loyal men, who can take the oath required
Of members Of Congress.
Mr.. PLANTS, OF Ohio, next addressed the House.
In the opening Of his remarks he alluded 10 the
amendments Of the Constitution and declared that
il needed modification as the nation progressed -
Though the progress of the coun ry could not be
restricted, even If the Constitution was not amend
ed The Constitution was the result Of the ideas Of
eighty years ago, while the Constit Of Eng
land was the OutgrOwth OF thousand years. ,Whlle
the Democrats were in power they deiberately per-
Verte1 the Constitution to uphold the interests OF
slavery. He yielded to no one in his admiration
Of the Constitution but he did not submit to every
Interpretation. The evil OF the compromises with
slavery were now apparent; The agitation OF the
negro question here on the Democratic side seemed
only the interests Of political aims; The ladies of
the rebellion the ladies Of the Democratic par
ty and when they went into the rebellion they count
ed on and received the support Of the Northern
branch Of that party and to-day the De nOcras were
responsible for ali the outrages in the South and for
eohstacles in the way of restoration Of the Union
They ned to possess the ingenuity OF hends in in
ducing these Outrages and establishing these Obsta-
ces. He said thai he had full iaith in tne wisdom
ara OF Congress Tih Or & without Sb te , ara
peroraton on the future of the country, as estab'
lshed on the broa1 basis Of freedom.
Mr.. BEAMAN. Of Michigan, was tho next
speaker. He said that in April last the country was
cleo rifed by the declarations Of Andrew johnson,
that treason was crime and must be made odous,
and that mercy to the individual was treason to the
State. These sentiments met the appreciation OF
all the loyal North. But for expressing the same
sentiment pow, we f are Denounced as ianatica and
thus abusing us for these opinions, and where they
were when nies and money were being raised to
put own the rebellion? when Vallandigham was
arrested andlt writ of hd5sdS corpus was suspend
cd? They we're the 'ame mon who cried peace in
1868 and 1864, at the sacrifice of the national nor.
There nothing he much desired as the ad-
mission of these Southern States, but he was not
willing to effect that end without receiving guar
antee of the good faith and loyalty of their people
| 10 this Government. The Democrats, who were
so lately villifying and tradiclng the President,
| we're now his champions and admirers; MIR.
Beamen then proceeded to show that the So
| called Southern loyalty consisted mainly in hating
the Government, in killing Union men and IN abus-
| ing the freedmen. Tennessee was prlma facie
dsloyal. She had passed an ordinance Of So essiOn
and been without representation here since 1868 and
| tho greater portion of her people were dislOya,
| though admitting that the State Government was
lOya. He then read evidence u show that there was
| disoyal sentiment existing in Middle and West
| ern Tennessee, and that nOn soldiers were ind cited
by rebel grani jures for acts committed as long ago
| aS when General RDsecrans MAS in that state. II
WAS the duty Of Congress protect the loyal men Of
Tennessee. but Congress had the higher duty Of de-
Tending the national welfare Mr. Besmen then read
stating that the loyal men of East Tennessee stood
by the Radical party in Congress, and declaring that
the rebels of the South supported President JOhn-
/
Gov, BrOwnOw's organ, aud he did not think that 1t
WASH very strong recommendation for the rcpreseD-
| tatiOn of Tennessee in Congress. Me- Beaman con-
cudcd his speech by saying that the question here
rose above authority and power, and be would not
consent to the representation in Congress Of the
millions of rebels now in the late insurrectonary
| States.
MIR. BRO0MALL, of Illinois,. next addressed the
| House All loval men, he said, agreed that there
| should be some guarantee obtained from the people
| of these insurrectionary districts who had been
| overcome by the Uni'n arms. He cOntended that
tho whole question OF restoration belonged in the
hands of Congress-. lie then prOceeted to elaborate
the argument that be insurgent States had forfeit
ed Of their rights by the violation of the com
pact which ma 10 them members of the Federal
| Union. The naked question before this Congress
was, whe her these States living, actual States
| or whether they we're territories within area,
issue was, if the compact had been violated. could
the violators Of that compac. retain all of their
rights under it? He contended ! that AS;
the compact and thereby forfeited their rights in it,
II there were hrty-six States in the Union, as Mr.
Seward recently announced, he would ask whether
the State Governments Of 1861, those of 1855. in
the Southern Statos-the latter being made by q
single stroke of the pen-Were recognized. He con-
tended, in conclusion, that the States that
had rebelled had not besOught to come into
Congress and to participate in an equality with the
other States. in any legis atOn of the nation; II
was true that these States had sent some loyal Rep
resentatves here but they had been forced to do sc
| through the fear of the bayOnet. The constituency
which they represented were disoyal as ever. He
urged restoration on an enduring basis of security
|, | and freedom for the future.
Mr.. MCKEE. of Ky, then obtained the floor, ant
at z. NJ. the House adjourned.