Evansville daily journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1863-1866, 1866-03-03

0Lat6 al 0NkA0A Weo
brought by party attached to one gov
eminent against q party attached to the
other, and the Supreme Court decided
that it was for Congress to determine
what was the legitimate State govern
ment of State.
This part of the message am consid-
ering is, as it seems to me, somewhat
foreign to the bill, unless il be intended
TO assume that the Congress of the Uni
ted States can pass no lay in reference
to these rebellioas States because they
are not represented here. Why, sir, is
the fact that We impose taxes on them
to aut horize them to representation 2
We impose taxes on Territories. We.
have imposed taxes all the time upon
the people of these rebellious States,
and it would be strange doctrine if q
man by becoming rebel and the enemy
of his country was to deprive his coun-
try of the means of taxing his property.
The President says "the bill under
consideration refers 10 certain of the
States as though they had not been fully
restored in their constitutional relations
to the United States" i. does; and il
seems to be matter of surprise to the
President Ishould be greatly surprised
to learn that certain of the States had
been fully restored = eertainlywas cred.
ulous enough to believe, when the privi-
lege of the writ of habeGs corpus was
suspended in them, when martial law
was prevailing all over them that they
were not restored to their constitutional
relations as States in the Union But it
seems that the President Is surprised
that that should have been assumed in
this bill. : SIS 1ul s4a9gG -.- a
In my Judgment, il lconstitntes no sort
of objection to this bill, that certain
States were unrepresented, in Congress
when it passed. They are not repre-
sented in consequence of their own
fault, and for the reason that the Presi-
dent himself gives, because they are
contumaciously engaged, if not in open
war, in hostility to the Government.
Some of the State organizations are
controlled by men who are passing un-
constitutional laws, ash have shown you
today; by men, some of whom went
from the rebel Congress to the guberna.
torial chairs in their States, and some
from the field where they had bean in
hostile array against your Government.
But, says the President, in this connec-
ton:
"The President of the United States
stands toward the, oountryin a some
what different attitude from that eff any
member of Congress. Each member of
Congress is chosen from single dis
trict or State; the President is chosen
by the people of all the States. As
eleven States are not at this time repre-
scented in either branch of Congress, it
would seem to be his duty, on all proper
occasions, to present their just claims
in Congress- = ioe4IeV&A
{ Ifitswodld not be disre :pectful, l
should like to inquire how many votes
the President got in those eleven States.
Sir, he is no more the representative of
those eleven States than am, except as
he holds higher position. came here
as representative chosen by the State
of Illinois, but came here to legislate,
not simply for the State of Illinois, but
for the United States of America, and
for South Carolina as well as Illinois. I
deny that we are simply the representa-
eAFGo VI tuO Qi6tAlCtb auu OtAtE6 WHICH
send us here, or that we are governed
by such narrow views that we cannot
legislate for the whole country; and we
are as much the representatives and in
this particular instance received as much
of the support Of those eleven States as
did the President himself.
Now, sir, have gone through with
this message My comments have been
made without an opportunity for pre-
paration or much reflection. I have
probably repeated much, but as had
taken an active part in urging this bill
upon the consideration of the Senate be-
fore it passed, and as it was denounced
as so unconstitutional, no extraordinary,
and so unusual, thought it due to N.Y.
self, at least, that l should place before
the Senate and the country the consid-
erations by which was governed in sup
porting the bill. The President believes
it unconstitutional; believe it consti.
tutional He believes that twill involve
great expense; / believe it will save ex.
pense. He believes that.the freedman
will be protected withoutit; believe he
viii be tyranized over, abused, and vir.
tually re enslaved without some legisla-
ton by the nation for his protection.
He believes it unwise; believe it to be
polite. thought, in advocating it,
that was acting in harmony with the
views of the President. L regret ex-
ceeding to differ from him, not so much
on my own account, as on account of
the autagonism, which his message pre-.
sents to the espresso views of Congress,
not only as to the proper mode to be pur-
sued in reference to protecting the refu-
gees and freedmen, but as to the present
condition of the rebellious States.eisI
shall rejoice as much as any one to have
those States restored in all their con-
stitItional relations at the earliest
period consistent with the safety and
welfare of the whole people / shall re-
joice when those States shall abolish all
distinction between their inhabitants on
account of race or color; and when that
is done one great object of the Freed
mems Bureau viii have been accom-
plished. ts di'las ~ 90
The Senator from Kentucky (Mr.
Guthriel told us he believed the same
civil rights ought to be extended to all
inhabitants, now that slavery is abol-
ished Sir, if the Southern States will
do that, and protect the negro and the
mulatto just as well as they protect the
white man. there is no necessity and no
occasion for the operations of the Freed
mems Bureau. l knew that the bill con-
tanned powers which could be abused in
reckless hands; but I knew, also, they
are to be under. the Presidents control,
who, trusted, would not suffer them to
be improperly exerted; and if not abused
| thought they we're salutary provisions
to accomplish the object which we all
had in view. asses Bs4f
Now, sir, with these remarks, made
without any unkind feeling toward the
Executive, with whom should be glad
to agree, bat in Justification of my own
position, submit the bill, SO far as am
concerned, to the decision of the Senate.