Daily union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1865-1866, 1866-04-10
FIERCE AND UNDEGwTFIED SCENES
IN THE AMERICAN SENATE.
EXCITING SPEECHES.

WASHINGTON, April 6th.-The interest
in Congressional proceC dings centered in the
Senate again to-day. The galleries were
packed from the beginning to the end, and
during the greater part of the day, forty or
fifty members of the House were on the
floor. The session was one of unusual in
terest, and also one of unusual turbulence.
The journal was hardly read before Mr..
Lane, Of Kansas, offered his joint resolu-
tions proposing basis of reconstruction
He called attention to the fact that they en-
bodied the views Of the President as given
in his message, letters to State Conventions,
and the letter 10 Gov. Sharkey. There was
at once an effort to learn if the measure was
held ont as an olive branch by the Presi-
dent and for moment Mr.. Lane seemed
inclined to let it appear that he spoke for
the President, but the cross-questioning OF
Mr. Trumbull and Mr.. Brown forced him
into admitting that he had no assurance or
warrant for assuming that the Executive
would now sanction a measure embodying
the idea Of the Sharkey letter. Mr.. Lane
opened the debate with a most violent and
vindictive assault upon Mr.. Wade, for his
brief speech Of last night.
The Ohio Senator responded in very much
the same spirit ard manner, and for an hour
or more the most direct personalities were
hurled across the chamber from one Senator
TO the other. Mr.. Lane took the opportunity
to air his services in Kansas, and talked
himself hoarse in defense of the President.
He said that the Republican party was going
topieces, and he had been labcring for day and
night, for weeks and months, to prevent it.
The burden of his speech was that he had
concluded it could only be done by sustain
ing the President, and finally he announced
that hereafter he should be found with
Cowah, and Doolittle, and Norton, and the
Democrats Of all shades, from Hendricks to
Salisbury. The unreserved manner in
which he made the avOwal, prompted Mr.
Wade to characterize him as ready to wear
the collar of Andrew johnson, which, of
course Lane denied with much warmth,
saying that everybody who knew what Jim
Lane had done in Kansas, would pronounce
it false. The fact that Mr. Lane said to two
or three Senators yesterday that he should
vote for the civil rights bill, and against the
vote message, gave additional interest to the
lively debate. 1t was, Of course, seen that
his views had undergone change during
the night or morning, and there was a gen
eral desire to know what had induced the
change.
Mr.. Lane, without any apparent shame,
finally gratified this desire by avowing that
he, yesterday, intended to vote for the bill,
his action therein contingent upon some adj
justment which could not now be made.
This was what Judge Trumbull waited for,
and he at once fastened Lane, by asking him
if he wanted it understood that his vote was
to be given in consideration of something, or,
in other words, THAT it was to be given as
part Of bargain. There was great interest
TO hear Mr.. Lanes answer He was very
careful not to deny the suggestion, and the
galleries and the Senate were left to believe
that Mr.. Lane found reason, within eighteen
hours, TO change his purpose on this most
important measure. There is, of course
considerable query az to the means used to
effect this change. He answered by saying
that the fierce speech of Mr.. Wade, made
last night, was the cause.
The debate between Mr. Wade and Mr..
Lane having closed, Mr.. Doolittle got the
floor on the veto message. He distributed
pretty freely among the mem
bers of the Judiciary Committee, and other
gentlemen who supported the bill, and then
made a long and labored speech to show
that the johnson policy of reconstruction
was inaugurated by Mr.. Lincoln.
Judge Trumbull and Mr.. Henderson
worried him seriously with questions and
brought out the point very clearly that Mr.
Lincoln never by word or deed indicated a
belief that the Executive could dictate as to
the admission of members of Congress.
Mr.. Doolittle read letters from gentle
I 4 LII
that that those States were in & condition to
be admitted to representation, and that the
evidence before the joint committee of ff-
teen, and as furnished by the correspondents
of Northern newspapers, is incorrect as in
diCative of Southern opinion. Mr.. Davis
got the floor at about half past three, fer
few remarks, and saying he would proceed
a good deal like an October rain-viz: with
and very much at his leisure
he wearied the Senate and galleries with a
harangue of two hours and a
half, closing at a little after six. Mr.. Saus-
bury followed in a brief and furious speech,
which plainly indicated that the private
on the floor had settled the fate
Of the veto and the passage Of the bill. He
denounced the measure as unconstitutional,
and said its passage would be the beginning
Of revolution. He affected to depiore
war, but said il must come. There was no
Judge in his State, who would attempt to
execute the provisions of the bill, and the |
people of Delaware would see their land
in blood before they would per
NIT it. He had opposed the war of the last
four years, and was now more than ever glad |
that he had done so, for he knew it preluded |
iisunion. For his part he could see nothing
in the future but blood.
Mr.. Davis responded that if the bill |
passed he should consider himself an alien |
to the Government, and justified in herein
after resisting its action.
Mr.. McDougal also denounced the bill, |
and predicted that its passage would inau- |
yurate a revolution.
This closed the debate, and at quarter |
past six the vote was called, amid the most |
intense excitement. The galleries were
crowded, and hundreds of people rose to
their feet, forgetful of the place and the |
rules of the Senate. Mr.. Wright, who APP |
peared in the chamber for few minutes in
the early part of the day, and then retired |
to one of the committee rooms, was now sup |
ported to his scat by his friends. Mr.. Dixon |
was not able to leave his bed, When, in |
calling the roll, the name of Mr.. Morgan |
was reached, and he responded yes" in a |
clear but nervous voice, the galleries broke |
out into a burst of applause, which con- |
iinued some minutes, in spite of the rap |
ping of the mace of the President and loud |
calls TO order from every part of the cham
Der. When silence had been restored the |
calling of the roll was finished. The an
of the Votes to l5-led to a |
scene never before witnessed in the Senate, |
,nd very rarely equaled in the House, for |
excitement Two thousand per- |
sons in the galleries shouted and appauded; |
handkerchiefs were waved and hats were |
thrown up. The scene was of long contin- |
nance, and during it the opposition Senators |
gathered up their hats and canes and |
retired. leaving Judge Trumbull to move \
the usual order for informing the House of |
the action Of the Senate, and the friends of |
bill 10 adjourn TO Monday. That the meas |
ARE will be taken up and promptly passed |
by the House is certain, unless the Oppo- |
'ition resort TO tillihustering movements
Special Dispatch to the Cincinnati Enquirer.l
WASHINGTON, April 6.-Another session |
Of deep interest, accompanied with OCCASION
n scenes of excitement took place in the |
Senate this afternoon. Shortly after the |
Senate convened Mr.. Lane, Of Kansas, Of |
rered joint resolution for the admission Of |
the States lately in rebellion, embodying the |
suggested by the President in |
his letter Of August Is, addressed 20 Gov
Sharkey, Of Mississippi
The conditions laid down as TO the terms |
Of admission of the representatives Of these