Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1866-02-16

WASHINGToN, II. u, FEB. Id, 10.
The business Of Congress Reconsivncfio,
Night Sessions-Chartes Samner''
Speech -JIsit 10 the, President VIA
the CopPerhcaas say Mr. Li"cot"''
btrih-ddy.
Mr.. EDITOR:
Congress is proceeding with the ordinary
business with as much dispatch as--undc'
the circumstances-coul well be expect.
ed The all tngrossing topic in debate Is
the grave aud mighty question of recon
.truction: This absorbs the attention oil
Congress. and in fine the attention OF the
whole country.
Several night sessions have been held
and many able speeches have been made
to empty boxes. These speeches never
theless, will be published and their in
Auenee upon the country will be- perhaps
as potential as though delivered to full
houses in regular session. .-.a
A naval appropriation bill has been un,
der consideration a portion of the time
this week, and the House in Committee oI
the whole have strengthened many propo-
sitions to appropriate money. which came
from the committee on naval affairs.
The bankrupt bill introduced by Mr.
Jeneks of X. l.. has also received some
considerable attention. 1t is thought that
this measure in some form will pass this
session. The great " orkof the week, ant
that which has excited the most attention
here, has been the great speech Of Hon
Chas. Sumner. 1t would be impossible 70,
acterize this magnificent and patriotic CT
fort. may well remark in passing. tina
there has never been delivered in tn,
American Senate a speech at all compar.
able to it, not excepting Web ter's grea
speech in reply to Haine. Sophists, fun
kies, and copperhcads may carp at it. II
may be said by all to be ahead Of tho
times. The nation is not up to it, Al
this NAV be true; but the speech neverthe
less, is fundamentally correct. and no man
can gansav its doctrines. Yet we give
you fact illustrative of its power. mel
on the evening after the delivery of this
speech, gentleman from Va, an old
school gentleman, and one brought mp un
der the influences and teachings of slavery
He said that he had always regarded Mr.
Sumner as a pad man, not patriot. but {
sour malignant fanatic. He dropped int,
the Senate as Mr.. :, commenced his speecl
and became attracted at once, and hcart
him ont fortwe DAYS. He eontcsscs thai
he has been wrong all his life, and now
saws that Mr.. Sumner is right. He called
on the great Senator and solicited hun
drcd copies OF his speech tic circulat,
among his ncighhors, whom he alleset
were in the same darkness which hitherto
blinded his own eyes.
Several delegates have waited ON til,
President the past week to whom he ha
made speeches. The call Of the oolorc,
delegation, and what took place at TIN
gathering is the most notable. twill b,
seen that the President points their p.opl,
TO his past record. and init mates that TIN
must suffice. lie is not evidently in favoI
Of unlimited suffrage, and he so states t,
these col0red people. The interview wa
not satisfactory to them, and the President
views donot meet the appreciation Of many
others; still no ono proposes to get up I
quarrel with Mr.. johnson upon this head.
The copperhcals hcrcabouts and partic
ularly the scliblers now in Washington
Of tina, genus, have suddenly discovered
marGs nest. 1t is no less than this, viz
that Mr.. Downing and Mr.. Fred, Douglass
were set ON by l heodore Stevens and IL,
radicals to visit the President and draw
him out so that they might get up quar-
rel with him. All of this stuff is a shee
fabrication, and is as false and impuden
as the brazcn fools who got it up. Man,
republicans regret that Mr. johnson doc
not approve Of universal negro suffrage
but they do not break with him in con
sequence of any difference of opinion upon
this NOTED point. The truth is, Their,
never was more shameful and sllameics
effort made to whccdlc a man from hi
stcadfastness and from the party whicl
elected him, than there has been to entra,
the President. VIII these copperhca,
toddjes and .dunkies succeed by their bland
islmcnt We shall see what We shall
see.
| Mr.. Bancroft's memorial address on tn,
occasion of Mr.. I.iucoln's birthday is to b,
delivered on Monday in the presence o
both Houses, the President and Cabinet
the Justices of the Supreme Court, an,
other official dgnitarics, both civil all,
military. lmay give you some account o
this in my next. PnARos.