Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1866-05-21
XXXIXth CONGRESS--ls; Session,
WASHINGTON, May 10.
HOUSE.

HOUSE.
The SPEAKER presented a message from tho
President, transmitting in further response to the
Iou,e resolution of the 7th inst, reports from the
Secretary OF the Navy, Secretary of the Interior,
and Postmaster General, rs tO the clerks and en-
ployes OF those departments, and whether any have
served n the rebel army. Laid on The table.
The SPEAKER announced that by order of the
House no bu mess would be la order to-day except
debate on the Presilents inual message, ia com
mittee of the Whole.
Mr.. MORRIS, of New York, took the floor, and
made speech on the subject Of rec instruction IL
might well be said, he thought, that the joint com
mitee on Reconstruction was only Of the several
instruments made essential in perfeetug the series
OF acts in the great drama Of events rendered neces
sary to save the nation aId 10 restore il to hnmogen
US concord, and IT might also be that these
schemes were severally indispensable to check the
growth of the .ernicous shoots likely to spring
from the remaining root Of the recently feled tree OF
reasonable planting. He laid down the following
propositions, an supported them by argument -
First The incidents connected with the revolt
Of the Southern States had in no respect
abridged the powers on the jurisdiction Of the Gov
ernment Of the United States; Second Those Incl.
dents had chanOed the relations of the revolving
States toward the General Government, and ha al
fscted some Of their rights Third, The relations
stored to those States only by the Legislative
franchise Of the Government; Fourth, Those rela-
tions and those rights should be restored as speedily
a5 the interests OF all the parties concerned will per-
init.
To restore the Southern States to their normal
condition without any restrictions would he held to
make no distinction between virtue and vice, would
be contrary TO precedent in conflict with analogy,
repugnant to justice, and in opposition to the Jain
teachings of the Baltimore platform. the repeated
and well known sentiments OF the present Executive
Of the nation Of his predecessor and of both branches
of Congress. He regarded it as Of little moment
whether the Governments Of eleven States were con.
sldered as dead, suspended or only derangcd, or
whether they were. treated as in or out Of the
Union; for in his view il required inter-
probation to reconstruct, restore or resurrect
them. Reconstruction was the natural fruit of the
rebellion. and If the fruit we're bitter, it was TO be
attributed to its wckeddlanning aud its most per-
nicious culture. Reconstruction involved such
weighty il terests that no desire, be it ever so
worthy, for a speedy restoration, would justify
sacrifice of them; What, he aSkel, would the reb-
And should such conspirAtors be received back with
unwashed hands yet dripping with the blood of the
loyal saiu? If they were, osterity and the uni
verse would pronounce the Thirty Ninth Congress
as infamous as mbecie. He would compel the re-
boiOus inhabitants of the eleven States to protect
the loyal men wi hin their borders, would require
them to send loyal mea to Congress, would exclude
every traitor eduea'ed At the expense of the Goy-
its overthrow, from ever holdngaa position trust
under the Government, or ever exercising the elect
i've franchise. He would do this il it took an army
Of 1000 600 men, and this being done, the traitors
sho aid thank Col and an indulgent Republic that
their conditions were made so easy. sa~p " ~
Mr. PATTERSON, Of N. H., was the next speak,
er He said that the able and protracted debate ID
tOn bSS SssD Of an eStaorSnsrS invoS
lug largely the first truths In political philosophers
recalling rather the so emn and earnest discussions
in the convention Of 1881 than the forensic encoun
country had followed these debates from day to day
with profound sense Of the reach aud magnitude
OF the principles involved in the issue. No grayer
or more difficult question has everperplexed legs7
latiye assembly. Providence had devolvod on Con-