Baltimore daily commercial. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1865-1867, 1866-01-20

sary guarantees. Under the Federal Constitution no
otIe could exercise any power and perform any duty
while l spurned every obligation We had the right
TO hold the conquered enemy in the grasp of war
until we carry out all of the pledges of good faith
which we made during the progress of the war. He
would not permit these organized rebellions-caed
by courtesy confederacy of States-to come back
without the most lmperishable guarantees Hewould
hold them where we have right to hold them, in
the strong grasp of war.
By no consent of his should the public faith be
sentatives to these halls until the mperishable jewel
of security was Incorporated in the very buwarks of
the Constitution. He would require as conditions
precedent to readmlSSlOn Of the South as follows.
First-Ihat the Government shall be absolutely pro-
teced from the repetition of secession by the nser-
tOn of a provision in the organic law of the land
Second-The freedmen shall be secured in absolute
equality with the whites before the civil and criminal
law, and endowed with every political right neces-
sary to maintain their liberty. Third-That the
public credit shall be protected completely by or
ganic Jaw against any repudiation. Fourth-There
must be protection from taxation, direct indirect
for the payment by the people of the loyal or the
rebel States Of the rebel debt. Fitth-An amend
ment to the Constitution, as proposed by Mr. Bing-
ham, giving Congress the power to make all laws
necessary and proper to to all persons every
oven this could not be done under the second clause
OF the late Constitutional amendment.
Much more than this said Mr.. D. we have right
to demand-a reasonable right to claim-but not one
Jot less than this could accept without treachery
to the living and dead. These conditions he would
ceden to the readmisson of any State. The country
had been told that the South had accepted the sua-
toni But 1t seemed to be of thrt stubborn kind with
which the assassin Payne met his fate. Some gen.
tlemen were weak to thank God for the CONVEX
sion of the South ts loyalty whose heart for violent
and vindictive passions had become a reproach for
thirty years. But he claimed that there was no low
atty in the South worthy of the name. The only
OF their still hanghy neeks to the military power
to the sword of Ulysses. He quoted from the report
of Gen. Schurz, whom he characterised as patient
of public sentiment in the South rs utterly disova
He alluded to tw0. ways which the South might
have pursued when Mr.. Lincoln delivered his first
fight against the Government, as they had done for
years past or to go outside, they did and fight it
there. They chose the latter and their shor-lived
banner went down in the dust with humiliation and
defeat. They now asked thgt they might again come
back here, Inundated and defeated to srangle the
Government in its sanctuary. II contended that in
accepting emancipation, the South had accepted the
abolition Of slavery the abolition Of Il mere chat
teliSm. He referred to reconstructed North and
South Carolina, where in the former they were sell
ing freedmen into slavery for petit larceny and had
legazed contract system that partoo of the char
acter OF the saye-pen. But it is said that they have
repealed the ordinances Of secession.
He would inquire if the next State LEGISLATURE
could not re-enact them, az well rs re-afirm the
rebel debt which they had repudiated. So they had
piled them up like Pelion on Ossia but they had
taken just such 0aths before. He therefore argued
that from the Independent, general and separate
sources of information there was but one voice and
that was there was no loyalty in the South exccpt
the dogged submission of tho people who were quietly
abiding their time to return these halls to control
again the Government.
Mr. Deming's speech was delivered ertcmDore in q
correct manner, and was listened to with profound
attention, large number Of members gathering
around him as he spoke, and congTatuatng him on
his concludng.l
Mr. Green Clay Smith, of kentucky. proceeded to
address the House at length the assumption that
the States were within the Union, declaring thar he
held position with the President that the southern
States were not now and never had been without the
Union. lie alluded to finding but one man in the
Congress Of thesummer of 81 who declared that the
States not in the Union and that was the gen
teman from Pennsylvania, Mr.. Thad. Stevens) In
alludlng to the theory which the Southern STATES
were kept out, Mr. s.. cited the cases of Kentucky
and Missouri, which States one time had rebel GOV
ernmentS within their borders and yet the loyal por
ton OF the States always duly represented on
this floor. He argued at length that there could be
no secession of State, except by the consent of
three-tourths OF all OF the States by the act of
successful revolution.
lie traced the history of the admission of the States
into the Union and attacked the position assumed in
this House that any so admitted were without the
Union. He claimed that they all were in the Union
and none should be taxed without representation
He alluded TO the case Of the Tennessee delegation
and declared that while members were here on their
softly cushioned chairs, member Of that deega-
uon Colonel Stokes, away from home and friends
without money and without assistance was fighting
Tor the country IN the mountains of Tennessee With
out concluding, the committee rose and the House
adjourned till Monday, with the understanding that
Mr. Smith shall have the floor. [Note-Owing to the
great confusion the floor ofthe House last evening
Mr.. John l.. Thomas, of Maryland was understood to
have voted against the negro suffrage bill Although
he voted the previous question, he did vote on
the BILL being absent from the hall when the vote was
taken.