The Portland daily press., 1866-02-21
BY TELEGRAPH.
Wednesday Morning, February 81, 1866.
xxx CONGRESSES Session.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 20.
TO THE DAILY PRESS,

"A ieooiution was oHereu 10 amend the Con-
stitution SO as to render the President inelligi-
bic to Office second time.
A resolution was adopted instrlctine the
Reconstruction Committee to INQUIRE how far
the late rebel States have conformed to the
requirements OF the Presidents reconstruction
| policy.
At l o'clock the Chair announced the morn
ing hour as having expired.
The unfinished business of yesterday (which
was the bill returned by the President with
| his exceptions to it. was before the Senate
Mr.. Davis of KY, took the floor, and read a
long argument in opposition to the bill.
| Petitions from citizens of Missouri, Wiscon-
| sin and Massachusetts, were presented, asking
| Congress to annul the act of the President in
establishing civil governments in the South
and to secure equal rights to all without dis
tinction of color. Referred to the Committee
| OF Fifteen.
Mr. Wade spoke at some length, abiding to
the declaration of the President so often re-
peated, that treason was great crime and
ought to be punished, and said that no man
had been punished. Why did he not carry
out this declaration? What has occurred to
change his position on this question? 1 will
not say that the ambition which has tempted
all who have gone before him weighed upon
his mind to tempt him, but it is exceedingly
singular that so far from rendering treason
|
most exalted position some of the leading
traitors in the South. Who else, at any period
OF the worlds history, ever thought of taking
a rebel, red with the blood of his countrymen,
and placing him in the position of Governor
of State? His policy is that States should
suffer nothing nor forget nothing by rebellion,
but that they should be admitted unwashed,
and red with the blood of their countrymen,
into tull communion with honest loyal men,
and into the councils of the nation. What
has brought about this change? 1t all points
to this tact-that it will not do to tempt men
in this way. This policy of bringing these
States into the Union, with all their rebellion
and treason in their hearts, is no better than
treason itself. lay down the rule here, and 1
DEFY contradiction, that if there is any man,
| be he high or low, who is an advocate for
bringing traitors into the councils of the ma
ton. that man is a traitor in his heart He is
an enemy to the Government and the nation,
and nothing can make it appear differently
He who invOkeS the aid of unrepentant rebels
to come into the councils of the nation, to
participate in their deliberations, is no better
than rebel, and a rebel at heart.
MIR. Cresswell introduced bill to protect
children Of African descent from being en-
| shaved in violation of the Constitution of the
United States. Referred to the Committee on
the Judiciary.
Itprovides that it shall not be lawful in any
State where slavery has been abolished since
the year 1861, to indenture as apprentices chill
dren OF African descent, without the consent
of the parent or parents guardians, or next
friend. aN 's,sa 90 saj',.as q isbIapg1s e
Mr.. Trlmbull spoke in review of the Presi-
dents veto message. He stated the purport
of the bill, which was merely an amendment
of the original act, and does little more than
give the sanction of law to what already is
being done without statute or provision. He
4 denied that the bill intended to make the Blu
reau permanent. 1t is not intended that the
bill shall go into States and control the domes-
tic affairs of the States. 1t is simply bill de.
signed to provide, not for four millions Of
emancipated slaves or refugees, but only fol
the INDECENT, for those who are unable to take
care OF themselves, so that they could become
selfsuppOrting Where in that bill was any
provision that extends military jurisdiction
over all parts of the United States containing
refugees and freedmen. The bill contains nc
such clause. 1t is misrepresentation of the
bill What does it say? The clause of the
bill upon that subject is this: The President
of the United States, through the War De
partment and the Commission, shall extend
military jurisdiction and protection over all
, employees and officers of the Bureau, in exer.
else of the duties imposed or authorized by the
act, or the act to which this is amendatory.-
S Is not the difference manifest to everybody,
between bill that extends military jurisdic-
ton over the officers and employees of the Bu-
rea, and bill which should extend military
jurisdiction over all parts of the United States
containing refugees and fieedmen? Why, this
bill makes the Freedmen's Bureau part OF
the War Department. 1t makes its officers
and agents amenable to the rules and articles
4 of war. Does that extend military jurisdic-
ton over the whole country? How do they
differ from any other portion of the army Of
the United States? The army of the United
States is governed by rules and articles wher.
ever it may be, whether in Indiana or Florida
I and all operations in it are portion of the
military establishments and are subject to the
rules and articles of war. But did ANYBODY
ever suppose that the whole country where
they were was under military jurisdiction? y
tolt company OF soldiers are stationed at
one of the forts in New York harbor, and the
officers and soldiers are of course subject to
military jurisdiction, was it ever supposed that
2 the people OF New York were therefore under
military jurisdiction? 1t is an entire misap-
prehension of the provisions of the BILL ii
extends military jurisdiction nowhere. 1t
merely places under military Jurisdiction those
persons belonging to the Freedmen's Bureau
who are nearly all of them now under mill
tary jurisdiction. r ,sl..5
The Commissioner at the head of that bu-
reau is an officer Of the army and under mill.
tary jurisdiction, and believe every Assistant
Commissioner is an officer Of the army under
military Jurisdiction. But the bill does au.
thorize the President, if he thinks proper, in.
stead OF detailing military officers, to appoint
civilians, and in case he does appoint civilians
they are to be subject to military jurisdiction
and entitled to military protection in the Der
formance OF the duties imposed by the act.
The next objection OF the President which
sr. 1rumbull noticed was, that the countie:
are to be diveded into districts and sub-dis
tricts, and the number of salaried agents to be
employed may be equal to the number of coun.
ties and parishes in all the States where relu
gees and freedmen are to be found. He denied
that it was necessary to appoint any such mum
Der, Notwithstanding it was provided in the
bill that they might be appointed. To appoint
such number he said would be an abuse Of
the power entrusted in the President.
!. - Mr.. Trumtull continued in reply to the OBJ
lection that this bill establishes military iuris
diction in civil cases, and denying that it ere
. ated any military jurisdiction whatever no,
now existing. as N y e. w
the army of the United States, who are now
holding military commissions by order of the
President all over the South. But short
time since, in Georgia, two citizens were ar
raigned tor crime, not before civil Court by
process of civil law, but before military com
mission, and he thanked God these culprits
being found guilty would be sentenced to deatl
and hung in the city of the President himself
Was it then unconstitutional to do by virtue O
the law of Congress what is being done every
day without one? He referred to the ordel
issued by authority of Gen. Grant, Jan. 18th
1866, to protect persons against civil suits fol
actions done in pursuance of military author
ity. ColOred persons, for offences, are punish
ed as in the cases of white persons in the same
manner Of degree. He alluded, also, to an or
der issued by the Lieutenant General, direct
ing copies of newspapers in rebellious States
containing expressions of disloyalty to be sent
to his headquarters, and declaring that per
sistent publication of such articles could MOI
be tolerated. by what authority he would ash
in the time of peace-could we confer this au
thority on one branch of the army and deny
it to the other? ~ fN