The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1866-09-01
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ADDRESS
HON. JOHN L. THOMAS, JR.,
Delivered at Baltimore, on the 22d day Of August,
1866, before the Union Congressional
N0mindiina COnpentiOn.

1866, beforethe Union Congressional
Nominating Convention.
Mr.. President and Gentlemen Of the Convention
II appear before you in response to the invita-
tion of your Committee to accept for the second
time the unanimous nomination of this conven-
ton of the Unconditional Union party as their
candidate for the next Congress. To say that /
am deeply sensible of the high compliment which
you thus pay me in selecting me as yonr stand
ard-bearer at this time, and that / am profoundly
grateful for this additional evidence of your con
fidence, is not to express tithe of the emotions
which thrill me at this fresh example of your
consideration in the unanimity with which you
have thus again renewed your confidence in me.
One year ago, when / was selected your candi-
date for the Thirty-ninth Congress [applause] it
was at time and under circumstances requiring
a choice of such men as the party and the coun-
try could rely upon as determined to pursue such
a national course, as whilst the efforts of their
representatives would be devoted to the bringing
back of peace and fraternal feeling, would at the
same time see that the republic received no det-
riment at the hands of its assailants. When /
accepted of your nomination, ] spoke in plain
terms as to the issues then before the public and
to what the Union party of my district might
expect in case their nomination was ratified at
the polls. After stormy session of eight
months in the national councils, can appeal to
the utterances which / made at the time accept
ed of that nomination to bear me out in the state
ment that no man dare put his finger on single
act during my course in Congress, and say that
have have betrayed either my constituents or
my country [applause ], or ever acted in any 9TH
er manner than as q representative of the Uncon-
ditional Union sentiment of Maryland. which in
1861 arrayed itself ON the side of the Government
and which for four years battled manfully and
boldly in behalf of our republican institutions,
and aided by the help of God, in extirpating sla-
very from our State and in placing her alongside
of the free States of the North. Applause1 Whilst
the resolutions of the convention which nomina-
ted me at that time expressed great confidence in
the patriotism and wisdom of Andrew johnson
it at the same time pledged the support of that
Convention and its nominee to such wise meas
ures, and to such only, as he should pursue in
reconstruction of the Rebel States of the South
+ Applause When | entered the Halls of Con-
gress, and took upon myself the solemn oath Of
Office, made up my mind faithfully to carry
out what conceived to be the true wishes of the
Union men of my district and at the same time
to vote for such legislation in relation to those
States as would put them on a basis of justice
and Of right, and yet that would prevent the re-
currence Of another rebellion. did not conceive
it TO be my duty, in voting upon those grave
questions of reconstruction, to- yield my Judgment
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any one man or of any set Of men, but that it
was my duty as a free representative of an inteli-
gent constituency, to exercise my Judgment free
" as an honest man and as patriot, and to do
all in my power to devise and to vote for such
measures as would firmly settle the results OF the
rebellion without any loss to its grand develop
ments. TApplause7 When therefore, the Pres
ident of the United States, in hisannual message
to congress on the first of its session in speaking
about the rebellious States, stated that the exclu
Sive right belonged to Congress TO judge, each
House for itself, as to the qualifications and the
rights of admission of any of its members, and
after resolution was offered that no State lately
in rebellion should be entitled to representation
until Congress, in its wisdom conceived that it
was loyal on the side of the Government | con-
sidered that | was doing no more than what 1t
was my bounden duty to do in acting as have,
and no more than the President of the United
States conceived to be our duty, and power, and
right, when he uttered those words. Great ap-
plause Because although the President now
says that Congress, by passing concurrent reso-
luton, takes away from each House its power to
Judge of the elections and qualifications of its own
members yet the sequel shows that Congress, by
the admission of the representatives from the
State of Tennessee, voted each House for ITSELF as
to the qualifications and the right of the Sena-
tors and Representatives to seats in their respec-
tive bodies whilst they voted conjointly or con-
currently in declaring when and how the State
of Tennessee was entitled to representation. Con-
gress did not by that resolution, Intend to de-
prive either House of its exclusive right OF judg-
ing of the qualifications of its members, but left
that right where it remained under the constitu-
tion and in the Joint resolution referred to, only
prescribed a mode by which the status of each
State could be properly determined as to its 10y
atty and as to the form of its governments, before
any of them could be entitled to representation. -
The President himself, in the reorganization OF
each of the State Governments of the rebellious
States, had taken upon himself the law making
power of the Government when he assumed the
right to establish Provisional Governments and
to prescribe the qualifications of electors and the
mode and manner Of reorganizing these State
Governments he was acting in strict accordance
with the law and the Constitution, yet it will be
found by reference to his dispatches, sent to the
Provisional Governors at the times of their ap-
pontment, that he conceived, as we'll as did his
Secretary of State that exclusive power was in the
law-makng branch of the Goyernment-the Con-
gress of the United States-to determine finally
as to the kind of State Governments to be formed
by these people and when and how they should
be admitted to representation. Applause. |
shall not attempt at this time to read you these
dispatches and show you how the President, by
his subsequent acts, controyerted the position
which he first assumed in relation to the fOrma-
ton of these State Governments, and | only al
lude to the subject now to vindicate my vote on
this concurrent resolution about which SO much
has been said, and to show to you that, in sup
porting that resolution, / carried out not only
the power that resided in the people through
their representatives to determine exclusively for
themselves the manner and the terms upon which
the people of those States should resume their
rights in the Union, but, at the same time to
prove TO yon that when the President aud his co
iaborers of the rebellious and Democratic party
attempt to cast odium upon Congress for its ac-
ton in this behalf they equally stigmatize the
first and best expression Of opinion OF the presi'
dent in the reconstruction of these States. APP
plause This question of reconstruction, my
friends is a very grave one. 1t is the fundamen-
tai question of this great political contest upon
which we are now about to enter, upon proper
solution of which depends the life or the death
of this nation shall have occasion hereafter be-
fore the people to discuss this great question, and
not only to bring home TO their minds the i'm.
portance of the ISSUE but to justify all Of my acts
thus far in Congress, and to show that the Presi-
dent and his party are aiming more at the recon-
struction of the Rebel element OF the Soutn ana
of that old Copperhead sympathizing, rebellious
element of the North, than in the reorganization
of these Rebel States upon sure foundation or
Justice and Of truth. The Congress Of the Uni-
Ted States has already developed and placed
before the people the terms upon which 1t
Is willing to admit these States to representation
in Congress and thus to restore them to all OF
their rights under the Constitution, Congress has
taken no steps to deprive these States Of their To-
cal Governments, and, although it has been
charged upon Congress that there was q party
there in favor of disorganizing ali Of the local
Governments formed by the President and of or
ganizing others upon different terms and subject
10 certain conditions, yet | defy any man to
place his finger upon single act or resolution OF
Congress to indicate any such purpose or show
any such design. [Applause. Although the
President in the formation of these local Gov
ernments in allowing every Rebel who
fought against the Government during the
rebellion to take part in the formation of
such Governments, has thereby handed them