The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1866-10-06
THE ISSUE STATED.
SPEECH OF
HON. G.. II. BUCKALEw,

Felio,c citizens Of MontoW County:
ss THERE are two capital questions pro.
per for discussion at this time by those
who address the people in meetings such
'ns this. These questions are, first, the
restoration of the Union; and, second
f s.the extension of the right Of suffrage
~ no the c0lcred population of the United
y States. shall pass all topics of minor
Nsetrtahce ana confine myself on this
"casioh Ee these; and shall entleavor
a., 'eak to yea with entire fairitess
~ neak briefly
c. nau.,o,nor r in the month Nf Detenr-
her last tbc Thirty. .,uinth Congress ccn-
vened in its first session "",e, 'ne pros
"a visions of the Constitution o, 'i'e ohiteo
- States. A message was transmit. III 10
the two Houses by the President, in til.
performance Of q constitutional duty.
In that message he communicated to
the two Houses, and through them to
the people OF the United States, the po-
a. ,litical situation Of the country, and his
views upon public affairs and upon pub
a lie policy. He found it necessary to
detail at length, and he did it very ably,
sswhat had occurred between the date Of
the assassination of Mr.. Lincoln in
p, April 1865 and that time /; that is, dur
ing the period in which he had exercis-
ed the Office of President of the United
States. He stated to the representatives
of the people and of the States in Con-
gress assembled, how the country stood
lat the time when he assumed the duties
OF his high Office; he detailed the sue
cessive steps which he had taken with
reference to the States of the South he
portrayed the existing condition Of
things; and finally he submitted to Con-
gress the question of the admission of
members from those States; and the
submission of that question was in Pc
culiar form. 1t was not to the two
Houses jointly; it was not to them in
their collective and legislative capacity |;
but it was to each House separately and
distinctly. His language was, "you
fell6w-citizens of the Senate, and you
fellow-citizcns of the House of Repre-
.sentatives, each of you for yourselves
have charged upon you the duty of judg-
ing of the elections, returns, and quail
fications of the members of your respec-
tive Houses"
Prior to the meeting of Congress the
President had proceeded, in accordance
with his convictions of public duty, to
instigate the organization of what were
called loyal governments in the States
of the South which had seeded He
held those which had been concerned
in the Rebellion as unlawful; that, in.
asmuch rs they were hostile to the Gov.
prnment of the United States and had
cast off all allegiance TO the Constitution
,isOf our country, they were not to be re-
garded as legitimate and lawful institu
tions for purposes of local govcrnmen,
s.-even in the States where they were es
tablished. AT his instance, then, upor
the conclusion of the war, the inbab
tants of those States proceeded to reor
ganize their local governments, and il
reorganizing them they followed the ad
vice which he gave them with referenc,
TO the form in which that reorganiza
tion should be made. He suggested t.
them that they should in their Stat,
Constitutions insert provision for th'
permanent abolition of slavery in th
Southern communities. They followed
his advice and his opinion also, in put
ting in their State constitutions an eX
press Reputation of the Rebel indebt
edness as it is called; and in other re
spects they conformed to the view
which the President held and expresse,
ito them in connection with this proces
tof reorganization.
At the time of the assembling of Con
'grcss all the southern States which ha,
ibeen engaged in the Rebellion were re
iorganized with the exception of two
think, Texas aSd Florida. ObEerve
that the proceeding of rcorganizatio
had been prosecuted thus far with tn
igeneral assent Of the people of the Uni
ted States. No fact iS more certain
none is betterestaNlishe6 .iian that ther
wasagencral acqaicsence through0utth
whole Of the adhering States (by whic
term i mean those States which wer
represented in the Federal Governmen
during the war and represented now il
this policy of the President connects
with reorganization of government il
the South. You all know that fact
h ni,., n. when the President cOmmunirate'
ITO GoBgress ut the opening of the sessio
s,an account of what he had done, is
mot the fact that throughout all the nd
ihering States, all thestates of the Nort
sand of the West, there was q generl
approval of what he had done, genei
al popular assent to what he had cause
to be done, or had instigated in tn
;s;outhern country, general approval I
of his conduct throughout? l doul
whether there ever was message frol
az President of the United States to Coz
gress which received more general an
hearty assent and approval from Il
people Of the United States than tn
message OF Andrew Johnson, commun
Gated to Congress in December 1868, +
ceived from them. l am speaking no
to matter Of fact within your Ov
knowledge ard to the point of tin
only to which have alluded,
Then those States, rterganized, a
peared before the respective Houses
H. a..