New-York tribune., 1866-04-30
XXXIXTH CONGRESS.
FIRST SESSION.
luSE.OF REpREsENTATIyE!

Mr. ScoFErD pa addressed the House on the subject
of Reconstruction The promises which he assumed were
that the dsloyal population of the south would not
exceed J0o0Uj0 that this population was so distributed
that if the late seeded States were admitted with CON
dons they would be able 10 elect - Senators aud ~
Representatives thus permitting OIc-scycnth OF the
whole population of the United States to control more
than oneihird Of lis legislative power ana that TINS CON
troll would be used for he destruction of the Government
lie argued that the Seeded States back 10 the Union
only by coercion; that IT was forced bridal th"t me
original Of secession hatred oi the NoTtb ana ls
anii-Sayery maiortcs, much stronger now than IN
1861 They did not profess themselves 10 be I'D ayor
Of the Union, though untluthtul men from the
| North pTeyaIiCaed for them. II they could, thoy
would revive the COnfdemey at once and they would use
their power provoke with Great britain OF France,
hoping thereby 10 secure lheiI own t'Auence. IIi
THIS state OF things three remedies Eau blen poloseu'
First; to d.sanchse the leading Rebels second, to ne-
traze their votes by enanchsng the blacks ana hid,
10 make the population minus the d -funoised cdssts or
The number of voters, the basis OF representation lie
advocated the third proposition, claiming That
it the Republican plan Of reconstruction. The dcay
in reconstruction he attributed 10 the opposition oi tic
democrats. They fought against al reconstruction That
did not allow the return # their l0nrmoufnsd friends,
more numerous and more mac,olcnt than lciore but
there was 10 need OF great haste ihe htt- ha bee loi
I'VE years out upon plague injected seas and could they not
tarry quarantine for single soason' The PrCsi-
dents policy, as exhibited n hs c"csl ondchcc WIN rs
Provisional Governors, not inconsistent with tbs
plan. His breath Tow the law If the land in
III So States. The Democrats were pursuing him with W.
roonine friendship and il they finally sCduced him. bis
friends C0uld rejoice that the past is az least secure
The Presidents patrotic thoughts Of the last five years
would still live, although only 10 Teproye him. The pro-
position 20 admit loyal Tprciertaycs irum The south, hc
ScOicN regarded as % snare just Semmes had hung
ont the nion Eag dccoy unarnod merchant vessels,
replacing IL with the pirate emblem when lie Lad occurred
his yicm Mr.. ScOcd replied % ugthi 10 the leading
objections made TO tie RePubicau plan 4 reconstruction,
contrasting ~ with The policy advocated iy the opOon'
If ho hitter 10 succeed the Coufcdernics would have
votes In the next electoral count and would need only
! - more g. elect President. OF these th,y claimed 81
| from se'nConicdcrio States and expected tlc Demo-
Gratis Of New ofk, New-Jclsey and Connecticut 10 make
up the remaining 10. Tie Go'eraurnt would ilen DE-
run entirely u The interests ~ the Rebels, and there
would b. realized what hr opl''ii ON n different lla-
ology stany asserted The object OF thc rraucy
TO compel The Rebels 'o become The rulers Of tc uanon
Mr.. HCBY The next tpcakcr. Ne'cuus iO the hI-
pontment Of tie Joint Committee ou Reconstruction and
20 its action in Reporting some constitutional oaGmens,
end large mass 81 testimony, De- sad c pol"ed now 10
direct h attention 20 The report made by hat Commit
on the 6tn OF Ae ch la, aud tie ont resolution then r-
ported for the adlnssi oi The state oi Ict -e- =.
the wscst men IN t"neIes' ~ regard t' -'i
roduced u that report. Two thing- wcr io lr observed
ia the joint re'ouuoL reported h} tNc '.lNMt '"
was that The Committee udOrHed tlt De-" 'as,iiiN"H
Tennessee ss republican u form, and th' o.L.T was U
declaration that hc only mean. by which ic Sl-is e9.t
have env rurcscntation u Concrre was io Toe through
/ he law making the power Of the United states. Tic
Constitution of the state of Tennessee presented VINO
-hoid De entitled . tho elective inchse and u "o4d
he ,und that the word white used iu almost every
sectiou Of H. The elective franchise was limited 10 ue
white loval citizens ol The state those Who hrd b'c en-
caeed in the Rebellion being di-mnchlscd Inc cooIed
population oi tennessee were l"it Dan "-'-i III q" Wv
whole population aud taking the relative contributions IL
Tennessee 20 the Federal and the Rebel armies o.. data Oh
/ which 20 fom an estimate, the Loyal Nhi'
| rorulntion did not exceed ouc-huuh ol The whole.
| If thar onc-our,h 10 have exclusive p"hu-
cal control of the State there would De no Ifplh-
Ucanism In Il. lie held, however, that The Cr kThis
bil giving civil rights 10 the colored people gave mem
also political rights. There would Dee nothing checira by
giving them their civil nsls, un.., tNe{ ls',s',u Z .c
uocal power to protect those nights. IL these people
were citizens OF the United States, whce dd the power
lie 10 take away the elective franchise from hrmf lie
nnoied Worcester and Webster 10 the definition oi
/ Lg4fH "a "a
subject and cOncudcd that citizen had Iight 10 Noe,
aud ina, there was 10 power uulcr tho Goyernmen To DE-
priye him Of that night; but TINS l,nt Isou'on Hola m
only permit very small portion OF the whi'e popuhoh
Of Tennessee vote aad would exclude the cooed Pou
ation altogether. There was noelemeht OF ieubhehsh
IN it, that Government was not TcpuDheah III Iotl "mch
ercludcd large part Of It's citizens from participation IN
IT, Congress had control OF the natter and 1t was It's
dntv IA declare that no Constitution of Government was
republican IN form that excluded any portion oi its cl-
zens condtonally from the elective franchise. ii The
Joint resolution passed two points would DO estaD-
shed bv it, First The exclusion Of cored ciiHens rom
the participation in the Governments and second The
giving TO the voting population twice the number o rep
fescntatiyes i, had Of tic commencement Of the Rebellion
He could not believe that the people VI inc loyal oa'es
| were ready 10 submit 10 such sacrifice
| Mr.. HARDING Ky) discussed the question OF recon;
structon from the opposition pont ot .i,~ ne sid ,h
North and one at the South. Although differing widely
on some points they had been yet IN reality eagueu 2
gether and had been warring 10 overthrow ,ne consul
| tnton and dissolve the Union. The rebellion at the
south was ended The people had abandoned and repu-
they returned to their allegiance, now
welded obedience TO the Constitution and laws and ax-
onslv desired restoration Of the Union. But the North
en rebellion still rampant ana denaht aha ,hefe was
no hone for the restoration of the Union until that rebel
lion was subducd or al least reduced TO comfortable ni-
DoIty The country had gone through our eais oi er-
ribe and exhsustng war to keep eleven oa'es ron gong
ont of the Union, and now 1t had gone through four
months and was threatened with four years of Conges'
siona and political 10 dye these eleven ont ana pre-
vent restoration OF the Union There couid DO no slcn
thing az reconsructing the Union unless 1t had been
broken up and dissolved. The basis and central ldea
therefore Of the Northern revolutionary movement caed
reconstruction, was disnnon IL rested on 'e % %
that the Union had been dissolved, ana had no o'her
foundation or support The war waged by the southern
insurgents to take the States out oi the Cnon was ia
ure; the on the part OF the "o'erhen' 70 AgcP '
in was a success 10 say, therefore, that the ee,el se-
ceded States we're ont Of the Union was To say ha me
success of the Federal Government was failure ana ta'
the failure Of the Southern Rebellion was ~ success.
Ts nro,tr, discovery has been made by the superior
wisdom of the Northern Rebels. u was wholly uhhlo"h
in the South II the eleven States were out o Inc uhoh
then Jefferson Davis had not been gmIy oi ieas'H lot
ne owed il no aegsuce but owed II 10 the Confederate
Government, and his long mpisohhInl "as "' ~. -
cruelty. II that sO then the "aI Na' uIbt', o ", ~
keep the eleven States ia the Union .pi iV! !
ou,-bnt was war of mere conquesis and snugnlion,
and who would justify, for such eius ,up ni'ons @ y,
treasure expended and the rivers oi DooI sl.c' ~ ,
on the war The theory of the RecOnstrucon parry meant
dSuniOn and revolution, and meant n0thlhs o's'' nc
called upon the people To unite with the great ehoTac
hosts OF the North ard rally around ana support wy
dent in his noble sta I'd for the liberties Oi lhe t' mus
the Northern rebellion would be- crushed ana subluo 'ne
bool.bought heritage Of constitutional hbef! re''fed'
and the Constitution restored and preserved
| Mr. MoOREHEAD next addressed the HOUSE on ,.e
financial condition of the country he SAID thht IN as,
cu.sng the duty which the Government owed 10 apo ne
did wish to avoid considering the other duties "ieh
devolycd on this Congress III connection WIN we h -,
restoring the national authority over The latey eDeious
States The duties he considered as OF the hghesI inagh
tude and they must be performed faithfully, wisely anu
we'll There should be haste, rashness and no COW.
ardce but the contrary cautious waicfulnesS should
pIeeede every step sePosseslon guarantee tbe sous b