The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1866-05-25
THE OBSTRUCTION SCHEME.
speech Of Hon. Chas. A. Eldredge, of
Wisconsin, Delivered in the House
of Representatives May 3, 1865.

OF Representatives may ., 1906.
Mr.. ELDRFDGE. Mr.. Speaker, I 60
not intend 10 make an Argument on the
merits Of this Joint resolution on the pres
ent occasion. On the 25'h, of January
last gave my views and made such ar
guments as occurred to me against SIMS
lar proposition to one ofthese then report
ed from the Joint committee Of fifteen as
an amendment to the constitution.
have rot had occasion to change the views
| then expressed. l still believe, as | did
then, that we ought not to amend the con-
stitution SO as TO provide fundamental
law for a people not represented IN the
action on that amendment. believe now
as / did then, that the states formerly com
posing the Union were then and are now
states of tie Union. do not believe the
rebellion was successful in any manner to
accomplish secession. | do not believe it
had the effect to take away any of the
rights of the loyal citizens OF any of the
confederate states, but that our success vas
the preservation of all their rights under
the constitution in the Union.
But, Mr. Speaker, | AN opposed to the
recommittal of this joint resolution, and |
believe that is the pending question before
the house. | do not wish to express any
sentiments Of disrespect tor the individuals
composing that committee. entertain
for them entire respect AS individuals, but
do aver that that committee has utterly
and entirely failed to perform its duty, and
has disappointed the country in the action
it has taken That committee to-day
stands, in my judgment, between the rep
resentatives of the late So called conteder-
ate states aud the resumption 0: their pro,
per duties and functions in The Union and
10 this congress.
That committee, sir, was raised and or
gained in the spirit of party. The teso>
luton by which it was raised did not orig
mate in the house of representatives., but
in a party caucus outside of this hail, and
for party purposes. And the committee
in what it has done has acted in the inter
est of party. 1t has done perhaps what
that caucus and those composing it
expected.
What has it done2 1t has delibera.ed
for FIVE months. 1t was by the resolution
creating it organized for special and
specific purpose, distinctly and clearly ex-
pressed in the resolution, and allege that
after having performed that duty as re
quired by the resolution, it ought to have
reported and then been discharged
The resolution organizing the committee
is as follows:
ResolUed by the Senate and House OF
Representatives, IN Congress assembled,
That joint committee of fifteen members
shall be appointed, nine of whom shall be
members of the house and six of the SEN
ate, who shall inquire into The condition
Of the states which formed the so called
confederate states of America, and report
whether they or any of them are entitled
to be represented in either house of con
gress, with leave to report at any time BY
bill or otherwise; and until such report
shall have been made and finally acted up
on by congress, no member ehall be re-
oeiyed into either house from any of the
said SO called confederate states and pa
pers relating to the representatives of the
said states shall be referred TO the said
committee without debate"
Mr.. Speaker, it appears that the duties
of that committee were simply TO inquire
" whether the so, called confederate states
of America are entitled to be represented
in the two houses of congress p | ask
how have they discharged that duty
Have they reported to the house on the
subject referred to them, that any one OF
those states is or is not entitled to repre-
sentation Have they inquired, and il
they have inquired, what information have
they given US on that subject? Nothing,
absolutely nothing. Their sessions have
been secret; their acts and doings have
been kept from the public and from this
house. And when they lave reported, ii
has been only mass of testimony | pre-
sumo no representative upon this floor has
had time or patience or opportunity to
read, if he has the inclination. 1t has
not been laid before the house yet for any
available purpose. There is no oppoltu-
nifty for us to Judge what is the nature anC
character Of that testimony. The public
printer has not been able to print it before
we are called upon to act upon measures
said to be shown a necessity by it.
The committee report no facts what
ever and give us no conclusions. They
simply report amendments to the consti-
tuition. Was that the purpose for which
the committee was organized Was it TO
change the fundamental law Of the land
under which we of the loyal states assem-,
bled here? Was that the duty With
which the committee was charged! Were
they to inquire and report an entire change
OF the fundamental law Of the nation
which would destroy the states and create
an empire? | say they were charged
with no such duty. The resolution can
not fairly be construed as giving to the
committee any such power, any such
jurisdiction.
What, then, has been accomplished
Do we understand from the committee TO
Gay any better the situation of these
states than we did at the beginning OF
this congress2 Have they enlightened us
upon the question whether those states are
entitled to representation in coDgress9 |
say, as said before, the committee have
not onl y stood in the way of the repre-
sentaton of those states IN this congress,
but they have stood ID the way of proper
information to this house. If the mem