The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1866-05-09

xxx CONGRESs---fIR 6kS6l o y
HOUSE
WAsHINGTos, May s.
Mr.. Washburne, of Illinois, offered reso
luton, which was adopted, directing the
Committee on Banking to examine into all
the fac.s and circumstances connected with
the recent failure of the Merchants National
Bank of Washington, and other banks, and
to report to the House the amount of Govern.
ment money deposited in such banks, and By
whom the cause of their failure. and also
what further legislation is necessary in rela-
ton to the national banks to protect the pub
lie and the Government, with the power TO
send for papers and TO examine witnesses un-
der oath. The House then proceeded to the
consideration OF the special order, being q
joint resolution reported by the Reconstruc-
ton Committee, proposing an amendment TO
the Constitution Of the United States The
debate was opened by Mr.. Stevens in support
Of the joint resolution. Mr. Stevens said that
the proposition before the House fell far short
of his wishes, but he believed that it was all
that could be obtained in the present state OF
public opinion. Not only Congress but the
several States were to be consulted On a
careful survey of the whole ground the Com
mttee did not believe that nineteen of the
loyal States could be induced to ratify any
proposition more stringent than this. lie re-
peated nineteen States, for he utterly repudi-
ated and sccrned the idea that any State
not actually in the Union was to he
counted in the question of ratification
It was absurd to suppose that any more
than tnree-fourths of the State which
proposed the amendments were reauir-
ed TO make it valid, believing then that this
was the best proposition that could be made
ehectual, he (Stearns) accepted it. Referring
to her constitutional amendments, passed in
the House this session, and which waited in
the Senate. He said it was slaughtered by
apurlle and pedantic criticism; its death pr O.
dnced by selfrighteous republic ms and unright
eous Copperheads had postponed, perhaps
for ages, the federation Of the colored man.
But it would not do for those who had for
thirty years fought the beasts at Ephesus to
be frightened at the fangs of modern cata-
mounts. Heaven forbid that the Southern
States, or any OF them, shall be represented
in Congress until the monuments of freedom
are built full high aud firm against the will
of Congress. The Southern States had been
absent for four bloody years, and must wait
till Congress is ready to receive them. He
believed that Congress would not approuch
the full pressure of justice, until every full
grown man in the late rebellion was provided
with homestead on the land where he had
been held as a slave. Forty acres Of land
and hut would be of more value to him than
the right to vote. Unless Congress give them
that measure of justice, it wouid receive the
censure OF mankind and the curse of heaven.
MIR. Stevens in order to have control of the
bill, entered motion to recommit it.
Mr.. Blaine called the attention of Mr.. Ste.
nd of ho
the third section of the amendment which he
deemed serious if not fatal That section
provided that until the 4th of July, 1870. ali
persons who voluntarily adhered to the late
insurrection, giving it aid and comfort, shall
be excluded from the right to vote for Repre-
sentatives in Congress, and for electors for
President and Vice President of the United
States. 1t appeared to him that that was a
violation OF Government faith in reference to
that large class of people in the South who
come within the terms Of the amnesty procla.
nation of President johnson. and were
thereby restored to all their civil rights. He
asked MIR. Stevens for an explanation on that
point.
Mr.. Stevens admitted that the pardon .ex-
tinguished the crime. After pardon there
was no such crime in the individual. Those
who we're fully pardoned did not come within
the operations of the third section.
Mr.. Blaine understood then the gentleman
from Pennsylvania to say those who come
within the terms of the proclamation of am
nesty would not be considered as having vol.
unfairly adhered to the late insurrection.
Mr.. Stevens assimilated their condition to
that Of person convicted Of felony, and
thereby rendered incompetent to testify, bu1
who, if pardoned, and If his testimony were