The Norfolk post. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 1865-1866, 1866-02-27
getting up political wrangle with the
President of the United States. :,
Mr.. Sherman. did not use the WORD

Mr.. Sherman. did not use the wor'
wrangle.
Mr.. Conness. That's the word.
Mr.. Fessenden. beg the Senator
pardon. I understood him to use tina
very word. When the President of thu
United States tells Congress that 1T u
trandscending its proper limits of au
tborty, that it has nothing to do will
the great question of reconstructinf
these States, and because Congress as
sumes that it has that right, l think
wraDgle Is hardly proper term to ap-
ply to such state Of facts. ] am no
aware that there has been any effort tt
get up political wrangle with the Presi
dent of the United States. Certainly
have no disposition to do so. No mar
here ever heard me speak Of the Presi.
dent except In terms of respect. in my
place here or elsewhere. He Is the chie
magistrate of the nation, properly elected
and qualified, and am not sensible my.
self Of any excitement that would pre-
vent my speaking on this question pre-
cisely as / think it deserves. am not
carried away by passion. / have re-
fiected. i am ready to express my opin-
ion on this great question and the Sen
ator from Ohio will allow me to say that
in my judgment, the sooner that question
comes up the better. He talks about i'm
p0rtant business to be done by this Con-
gress. Sir, is there anything more i'm
portant than to settle the question
whether the Senate and House of Rep
resentatives have or have not something
to say in relation to the condition of these
so-called Confederate States; whether
their condition is such as to make II
proper that we should admit Senators
and Representatives to Congress from
them? If the President is right in his
assumption, that we have nothing to say
in the matter, we ought to admit them
at once If they come here with proper
credentials, aud not keep them waiting
any longer. 1t is very unbecoming in
us, officially, to assume power that we do
not possess. II we are placing ourselves
in the way of reconstruction of this
Union, by assuming an unconstitutional
authority to extend the time, and keep
men from their proper seats in this body,
and in the other House OF Congress
week after week and month after month,
we ought to know it. On the contrary,
il we have something to say about it, it
is proper that we should assert 1t before
the country before we proceed to act upon
the constitutional amendment now be-
fore this body, and which is intimately
involved in the very question under con-
sideratiOn. Now, sir, this is all / have
to say on it. / don't know how gentle
men around me may feel. They may be
in state Of excitement which will pre-
vent their speaking calmly and deliber-
ately but for me, l am too old man
not to be able to get over an excitement
ILL Tint aapaoiallv a ftar q N IA al lar,
which we have all had. My friend from
Ohio is younger man, and may not be
able to get over excitement so soon, but
from the speech he made [ think he is
quite over it, and can speak calmly and
coolly on il.
Mr.. Sherman. / have not word to
say in reply to the Senator from Maine.
wIa n Sat ree ne sass t RsHye used the word
Several Senators. Yes, you did.
Mr.. Sherman. Well, probably did.
/ would not apply that word to any de-
liberate action OF the Senate. But, in
my judgment, the events which trans
pred yesterday are too fresh in the
minds of any Senator not to have to-day
some influence upon them. 1 think it
is we'll to allow the influence of these
events to pass away. do not wish now
to reply myself to what was said by the
President yesterday. I would prefer
that the Senate OF the United States,
which is the only legislative body that
can deliberate fully without any limita-
ton to the right of debate--I would pre-
fer that we should deliberate calmly
until the excitement of the events of
the past few days has passed over. The
Senator from Maine says he is not excl
tnI xLal H. 10, Al. L
mind is excited, and the words used in
debate to-day cannot be uttered with
that deliberate care which the subject
1t may do good. The Senator says ne
measure can be of greater importance
than the concurrent resolution. In my
opinion, no question can be of great i'm.
portance which leads to no practical re-
suit. The only objection that / have to
it is, that it is brought before us under
peculiar circumstances, SO as to deny to
us the opportunity for careful considera-
ton which it deserves. 1t was passed in
the other House without debate. under
feelings influenced by the veto message.
After some further debate by Messrs.
Howe and Fessenden,
Mr.. DOOlittle rose to correct a state
ment made by these gentlemen. He
said he understood them to say in sub
stance, that the President of the United
States seemed to deny to Congress the
right ojudge upon not only the qualifi-
cations and elections of members, but
upon the right of representation on the
part of states or districts in the Senate
and House of Representatives. He TMr.
Doolittle1 did not infer any such thing
from the language of the President.
Mr.. Doolittle was proceeding with his
remarks, when he was called to orderly
Mr.. Trumbull, who made the point
that a Senator opposed to taking up a
resolution had no right to discuss the
merits of that resolution.
Mr.. Do0little. l am simply replying
to remarks from my colleague and the
Senator from Maine, who assume TO saw
that the Chief Magistrate denies To this
body right to Judge whether certain
States are inacondition to be represented
here.
Mr.. TrumbulI. / insist upon the
question of order. And when / call the
Senator to order, he must suspend his
remarks.
The Chair sustained the point of order
raised by Mr.. Trumbull.
The question was then taken on pro-
ceeding to the consideration of the House
concurrent resolution, that no Senator
or Representatives from. any of the so
called Confederate States, shall be adj
mitted to either House until Congress
shall have decided such State entitled 10
representation.
Mr.. Johnson called for the yeas and
nays, which we re ordered.
Yeas Messrs. Anthony, Brown,