The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1866-03-27

said to place that test upon man VINO had
passed the years when learning was easy. A
Young man of the age of twenty-seVen can easily
! learn to read and write, and a test OF that kind
can be applied so as to exclude that mass OF ig
porapce which would embarrass the operations
of the Government and it holds out an oppor
| tunity for the negro to become entranchIsed,
and vet expressly disclaims any desire to coerce
the people eff the South 10 so doing, and places
! before them the questions regarding the rebel
debt and of compensation for their slaves He
was of opinion that the South cannot be gov
erned except by majority vote of the people,
and did not believe the majority could be gov
erped bv one tenth of the people. Either the
majority must govern arbitrary means must
/ be resorted to, and free government must be de-
stroyed.
! MIR Sumner said: [ welcome the Senator
from Nevada as a new convert to the necessity
of negro suffrage, and have already repeatedly
said that it was the only guarantee of future
peace and security in this country. l have in
sisted that it is necessity; that without it your
national debt Is imperlled; that without it your
freedmen stand in constant peril, and that this
| Republic cannot enjoy permanent peace without
it. Sir, welcome with open arms the Senator
| from Nevada.
MIR Wilson of Massachusetts,, said 81 desire
simply to say that [ thank the Senator from
Nevada for Offering this proposition. l have no
doubt it will receive the favorable consideration
of the committee to which it has been referred,
as we'll as of the Senate and Of Congress. | am
in favor fer one, and believe the country is
in favor of settling this whole question the
basis of universal liberty, universal justice, uni
versa suffrage and universal amnesty"
1t is palpable from these remarks that it is
not because the radicals really believe the south
ern people disloyal that they keep them out of
the Union, but the object is to force negro suf-
| frage on the South
The remark of Mr. Stewart that his plan does
not coerce the South or force negro suffrage
upon Southern people, is rather gratuitous, when
it is evident that it leaves the South no other
alternative but to accept it and go into the Union
or reject it and stay out. We see no difference
between Stewards plan and the schemes of Will
son and Sumner.
CONGRESS.
March l9-In the Senate, Mr. Fessenden
rose to personal explanation. He found in the
National Inteligencer Of the 18th instant, let
ter from William a. Graham, claimant for
seat in the Senate, from North Carolina in re-
ply to his (Fessenden's) remarks, few days
ago, concerning the nature of the Investigations
carried on by the Committee of Fifteen. This
letter of Mr. Grahams was intended to convey
the impression that the Investigations we're not
impartial. Mr. Graham had written to him
(Fessenden,) making two requests-one that
the witnesses suggested by him (Graham,)
should be examined, and another that the Re-
representatives. and Senators from these States be
allowed to be present to cross examine the wit
Tho III
because it was not customary, in cases Of inves-
tigation by a committee, and because the pro-
ceedings Of the committee were not in the ma
ture of criminal Investigation, when cross-ex-
aminations were necessary lie (Fessenden,)
did not regard the lately rebellious States IN the
light of criminals on trial, nor was be acting in
the capacity of prosecutor. Another error of
Mr. Grahams was his belief that the testimony
had closed, because it had been ordered to be
| printed 1t had not closed, except in the
| OF Tennessee. In the case of North Carolina no
testimony had yet been printed, it all being in
| the hands of Mr. Howard, of Michigan, now alb.
sent on account of domestic affiiction.
| Mr. Davis in reply to Mr. Fessenden, advoca-
ted the right Of the claimants for seats as Sena-
| tors and Representatives to be present and
cross-examine witnesses. Mr. Davis proceeded
| to read Mr. Grahams statement 10 the Intelli-
gencer
At the conclusion of Mr. Davis reading, MIR
Fessenden said .hat if Mr. Graham desired to
| introduce further testimony 10 the case of North
Carolina, he could do So
| In the House, Mr. Ancona, of PENNSYLVANIA,
offered a joint resolution providing for the ad-
| journment of Congress for the - day of May,
| 1866. The resolution agreed to.
Mr. CulIom, of Illinois, offered joint resolu-
ton, making an amendment to the Constitution,
which provides that person except a citizen
of the United States who has at all times borne
true allegiance thereto shall ever hold office
! under the United States Government. The
resolution referred to the Reconstruction
| Committee.
March 20-The Senate passed bill appro-
priating S25, 900 for the benefit of the negroes
congregated in and around Washington city,
thousands of whom said to be suffering
We suppose the suffering is caused by .ideness
and flthiness
March 81 The Senate passed a bill to-day
which provides for the punishment of certain
crimes against the United States 1t provides
for the punishment by ten years imprisonment,
of the crime of forgery os United States bonds
or securities.
In the House, Mr. Ward, of New York, said
he had received letters from the friends of de-
ceased soldiers buried at Arlington Heights ex
pressing fear to the title Of the Government
to that property, and asked that letter from
the Secretary o. War should be read in which
it is stated that the Government bought the
property at tax sale in 1861, and that the GER
tfcate of said sale is now in the hands of the
Government.
March GIN the Senate, the case of Sena
g. e