The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1866-05-31
RECONSTRUCTION.
Differences Between Congress
and the President.
Speech OF Hon. y. ShelIabOrger,
at Springfield, o.

berenHueu at MS IeSlueuCS, III spring
field, a few evenings since, and we
find in the Republic, of that place, an
interesting synopsis of his remarks.-
We quote from that journal
"He felt compelled in the outset to
say that he feared the difference of
views between the President and Con-
gress, upon the policy to be pursued in
the present crisis of our affairs was,
on some important points, Of q perDld-
nent character. 1t has not been the /
desire of Congress to provoke this diff
ference. Every Union man in that |
body, he felt confident in saying, had |
sincerely wished for harmony and con-
cert of action between the Executive
and legislative branches of the Gov
ernment. From the various bills
which had been passed, having q
bearing on the work Of reconstruction,
all features had been stricken out
which were thought to be inimical to
the views Of the President, so far as it
could be done without wholly depriv-
ing those measures of their inherent
virtue and efficacy. Pilgrimages had
been made day by day, until within
few weeks, and were even now con-
tinued, from the Capitol to the White
House, in the hope of establishing
common basis of action without yield
ing to the paramount conditions of the
integrity and welfare OF the natiOn.-
Everything that it could honorably do
in the direction of harmony, Congress
had striven to accomplish but on the
essential and indispensable features of
safe and loyal reconstruction it would
: stand firm, and upon that ground
would appeal to the country in the
fall elections.
"He would further say, that the ex-
treme men, as they were called, in
either House, would not insist on their
peculiar notions upon the policy to be
adopted. He instanced Mr.. Stevens
in the House, and Mr.. Sumner in the
Senate, who were regarded as eXtrem-
lists at what the President called their
end of the line,' but who would, he
was convinced, yield in the necessary
degree their individual predictions
for the common object of a united and
practicable policy. He alluded to a
vote of the House, but a day or two
, before he left Washington, upon the
Report of the Reconstruction Commit
tea solid vote of 12S, including every
, Union member from the Northern
: States, not excepting even Mr.. Ray
| mond,-as a conclusive refutation of
: the charge that the Union party in
Congress was being disintegrated.-
Neither in Congress nor in the country
[ was there any token of this disintegra-
? tion-but, on the contrary, Congress,
/ in spite of individual differences of
l opinion, would be inflexibly firm and
3 unanimously faithful to the integrity
of the Union cause-as he was sure the
people would be. El
4 "Mr. Shellabarger briefly enumera-
, ted what he regarded as likely to be
I the features of the plan of reconstruc-
ton upon which Congress would agree,
= and would appeal to the country for
e approval. The Constitution would be
: amended in several particulars: .frSt
e in such acise as that a rOter in South
r CdrOliRG should not possess do, BE TIE
r influence in the Government tbat is en-.
:, jOyed By a rOter ia Ohio second, thai
# no dollar should eceg be paid from tie
treasury of the Government to Hquiddtt
the debt incurred IN an effort to Orer
: ttro,o the Government third, that the
{ protection of the Government would
g be extended to all its citizens alike, in
: the rights of life, liberty and property
, so that no man who is liable to be re
quired to take up arms at the peril o
his life in defence of that Government
should be denied the shelter of it
guardian hand. IIe thought thert
'l could be no simpler, juster, or grande
l. principle than this, which had beer
e embodied in the Civil Rights Bill. H
, also alluded to the bill introduced b,
8 himself some time since in the House
N for the protection of citizens of on
l. State removing to another State, tn
object of which was to enable Unio
man or Union soldier to take up hi
L. abode in safety in South Carolina O
le Louisiana, under the protection of tn
Of General Government, instead of bein
r turned over to the tender mercies {
the courts of those States.
There was another amendmer
re which might, and he thought shoul
le be made, but upon which there wf
is disagreement of views. IT was that
ut disfranchising, for longer or shortc
os time, all participants in the rebellion
u" Such Acknowledgement had been II
n uniform practice of all governments
at history. 1t was done in our countr
10 in the time of the Revolution, II
Tories being both banished and di
franchised. 1t was done in Mass
Ir- chusetts in the time Of Shay's rebel
he ion. 1t was done in Switzerland wht
ot an attempt was made TO overthro
lie the government OF the country.
nd might be done, though he could n
N. positively predict that such Won
ly be the case, in the present instance.
he "Upon the grounds thus briefly d
in scribed Congress would take its po
ws sion, immovably and irrevOcably.
ice would demand such guarantees
these before readmitting the insurgc