The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1866-01-25
THE PRESIDENT AND CONGRESS-.
Authentic Statements from Written
Records, or What the President
says.
Special correspondence OF the Cincinnati Gazette.
WASHINGTON, Jan. II.

Special correspondence OF the Cincinnati Gazette.
WASHINGTON, Jan. IL.
| have not been swift TO run into print with
garbled statements Of what the president said
to Senator Smith and Representative Jones
las retailed by them on the Rvenue) concern
ing his relations to congress, and the existing
differences Of policy. | thought 1t more rs
spectful, at once to the president and 10 my
readers, to say nothing till | could speak ad-
yisediy.
But it is we'll the country should under
stand precisely how the PRESIDENT does talk,
and how the representatives Oh The people talk
to him. If 8 breach between them Is widen
ing the country should know who wIdens II /;
if disposition 10 couclIIate IS Ha0wn-wh no
shows it; if an Indifference TO consequences
who nanifests that. | have therefore taken
pains to procure correct accounts CT several
recent interviews with the president Care
full minutes of some were at made she Tune,
and / AN writing.with these before ne.
WHAT CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS HAVE
BEEN SUGGESTED.
In one case several menu --s, popularity
known as radicals, said to the president that
if he would be satisfied with constitutional
amendments, basing representation on voters,
making all men equal before the law, except
ing in the matter OF Suffrage; repu mating the
rebel debt and guaranteeing national ohsiga
tlons, they would make an effort bring tua
party in congress to an adjustment OF the re-
construction question on that basis, and would
even 90 to the length of admitting Tennes-
see in advance OF all the other states, and of
the general adoption of this policy by the
south, if he would Individually agree to these
amendments.
WHAT THE PRESIDENT SAYS OF CONSTITUTIONAL
AMENDMENTS.
Without entering into any serious consid-
Grafton of their subject matter, the president
said that be had objections on general
grounds to any constitutional amendments
He had once been in favor of some himself,
and was on the record in their favor but
these were changed times. and the tendency
was too great toward unsettling the founds-
tons of things. These frequent amendments
were calculated to weaken the force and SOL
emn sanction of the constitution, and make
it's provisions like the work of town meetings.
As to any propositions for making the psy-
ment of the rebel debt unconstitutional, he
considered them unnecessary, and doubted
their propriety. The southern people were
in no danger of ever wanting to pay those
debts. The objections in the south to their
payment would every year grow stronger
by constitutional amendment that the Uni
ted States debt should not be repudiated p
Yet this would be no more improper than
the other. Furthermore, there was gross in
consistency IN the proposed mode of securing
these constitutional amendments. They
were to be proposed by q congress from which
the south was excluded. Then the rebel
states, who were unfit to be represented in
congress, were to be considered fit to ratify
constitutional amendment. If they were ex-
pected as states to act upon the question of
ratifying them, they should be permitted,
through their representatives in congress to
act also in proposing them. In effect, he did
not think it light to demand the adoption of
any constitutional amendment as q condition
OF admitting southern members to congress
because those states were in now and emit
tied to all the rights of states.
LEGAL GUARANTEES SUGGESTED.
Perhaps the most generally accepted plan
of reorganization involves constitutional
amendments. But there are others in con.
gress who prefer to regulate the whole SUBJ
ject by law. Among these are the most no
wish to meet squarely the rugged issue of me-
gro suffrage. In the last congress Mr. Win.
ter Davis came very near carrying through
such law Substantially the same measure
IS now before congress again and is known
sas Ashley's bill, Numerous congressman