American citizen. [volume] (Butler, Butler County, Pa.) 1863-1872, 1866-02-28
VOLUME 8.
SPEECH OF HON. THoS. WILLIAMS
In the House OF Representatives,
Out the reconstruct polio y
of Ihs, President.


Thomas Williams, OF the 23d District,
on DEMONSTRATION, delivered on the 10Th
lust. On account Of the great length
over nineteen columns OF the Globe -
we do no. think it advisable to publish 1t
entire, which we intended to do. {
will secure 1t more readers, and thereby
do MIR. - ilriams more justice, 10y print
ing extracts embracing the most promI-
nent points, aud giving h5eral abstract
of the rest in order to preserve the
thread of the argument from the begin.
ming to the end. The speech is regard
ed as Mr. Williams greatest effort, and
we have no doubt that there are many OF
his friends he c who will De glad to get
it in the form we present it this morning.
Mr.. Williams began with the alluslon
to the course he had taken in Congress
nearly two years ago on the question If
the relations that had been produced by
the war By the iufrm Of faith his
course then had been thought to be pre-
mature; but Congress thought otherwise,
aud passed bill, which did not, howcv-
er, meet the approval of the Executive
because IL lUJcTleICu Will plbu VI u
own that had not proved acceptable to it,
and the question was Adjourned without
advice from that body, and in such Il way
az to leave the field open for experiments
with which it was not in condition t. In,
terfere."
The people by their representatives.
the law making power--are here again
! 4. IL Il L.
done with the Territories that have been
conquered by their arms While it is
agreed on all hands that they shall event
uaIly be readmtted to the Union, it is
not pretended by any that they can
come back of their own vOlitiOn aud
without our consent. Our power to eI-
.clude them does not depend upon our
right to determine the qualifications of
our own members. There is an organic
lesion forbdding their return, which can
only be supplied by new organization
The first inquiry is, what is the posi-
tion of these Territories as it has bceu
affected by the progress and results of the
war, which has just been determined by
their enforced Submission to the authU.i
ty of he nation !
So far as armed resistance is concerned
the war is at AN end. The deludei com
munities lie conquered and helpless and
in social ruins AT our leet, deprived OF all
the organism that was essential to the
maintenance of their old relations to the
Union. The civil law of the Union is
.dethrnned, aud its military power is all
that remains to hold these States in sub-
lection to our authority, The President,
feeling that they were not IN Il cCnuIIiOn
to be trusted to themselves, instead OF
,sheathing the sword, has preferred TO
await the usual ,ierIud OF ou1 nssembllge,
anu appointed his leutenants aud pro- con.
sulS to govern the a IN the meantime with
the aid OF armies aud the arbitrary rule
OF martial law. Oar first duty is to re
Hove that officer, and to furnish some Sc
curlty To the Conquered people by the
substitution OF a gentier rule. lie dld
not question the exercise Uf such Il SOW
ereIgnty IN the absence of Congress a
2 be had previously maintained that these
States hld ceased to membcrs of the
Union, and had passed into the condition
Of territories. Had they continued to
be States until their resistance ceased
they would have at once resumed their
constitutional rights impaired, and ali
that has been done since would have been
elearest usurpation.
''Fakiug them, however, to have been
deprived, in the language of the proc
.lamations, 'of all civil government what
ever, it was but legitimate interference
of the Executive that they had not only
forfeited their elective franchise and lost
their property iH slaves, but placed them.
selves in condition where they were no
longer entitled even to tn benefit of the
constitutional guarantee without new
birth. The idea of any State, except
that of natdre, without any civil gov
ernment whatever, is as incomprehensi-
ble to me as that of State being in the
Union, or indeed anywhere, that is admit
ted to have no existence whatever.
"No more would b. inclined TO quar-
rel with those who, starting from these
premises, are still disposed to insist that
these States were never out. The differ
ence is perhaps only the result Of want
of precision in the use of terms, or a di-
versity of opinion in regard to tho ir mean
ing. Mr.. Burke has furnished US with
distinction here that meets the case pre-
cisely. = The word State, he remarks in
his letter to Sir Hercules Langrishe, on
the subject of the extension OF the elec
tive franchise to the Irish Catholics, 4.
one of much ambiguity. Sometimes i
i@ used to signify the whole common
wealth, SON pretending allits orders, with
the several privileges belonging to each
Sometimes. it signifies only the higher
and ruling part of the common wealth
(which is commonly called tho govern
ment.' In the former Of these senses, i
is not to be doubted that these com uni
ties still exist, and are in the Union. or o
the Union. because their territories belonl
to it, and their people owe it allegiance
In the latter. howeyer-aud that is tn.
one that connects them with our po.itica
system as the proclamatiJns concede-
they are admitted by the same precama
tions to have beeo destroyed, aad can, 0
course, te nowhere"
There can be no dispute between th
President aud his Northern friends as t
Abe fjosture oftbesc diiapidated members