The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1866-02-14


The Washington correspondent of the Cincinnati
Enquirer gives the following description of the scene
in the house of representatives the passage Of the
negro suffrage bill for the District of Columbia;
WAsHlxGroS, Jan 10, 1865.
The closing scenes of the debate in the house were
the most intensely interesting Of the session, thus FAR
Mr. Wilson, Of Iowa. who chairman Of the judi
ciary committee had the bill in charge gave notice on
the 18th that he would press it on the sue
ceeding day, at o'clock.
When the h8ar for voting arrived every member
was in bis seat, and Mr.. Boutwell, Of Massachusetts,
was speaking in its favor. When he flushed, Mr.
Wilson closed the debate i'll very few remarks, and
offered the biH-simonpure unadulterated unadorned
and unqualified negro suffrage in the district
The first vote was on motion to table, which came
from the democratic side Of the house.
The motion was of course negatiycd by an almost
party vote-123 to 46. The next vote was on the
motion postpone till the second Tuesday in March
which came from the radicals.
The extreme radicals voted against this; and they
with the conservatives defeated the teseryers and
weakened, who wished to avoid the issue.
Here the scene began to be exciting. Members sat
straiuing eagerly forward, pencil in hand keeping
tally that they might know the result even before the
speaker announced it. Others rose from their seats,
regardless of the speakers gaye and walked among
the ascs whispering to either side and others stood
in groups and grasping their desks almost convusivc
ly, pale with suppressed emotion 1t was strange vo-
tng-Brooks voting side by side with Banks, and
Fnck and Garfield answering mo together.
VI The extremes of conservatism and desructiveness
met They who took the negro straight" and those
who didn't indulge, united against the mean men
who wanted sugar in thern, such as the nerveiess
Raymond, Who on previous OCCASION promised the
president that he would move the reference OF the
/ credentials of the Tennessee delegation to the COM
mitee on elections and them Of Difference to the
majority, dropped them into that yawning grave OF
justice, the committee on reconstruction.
The hall filed with senators us eager as the rep
resentatiyes whom they were patting the back.
Taen the first time the gypsy Wilson ever dsho@-
ored Voorhees, with his recognition saying Your
party is acting noby to-day. Bring them down to it,
and make them show their hands" Some few con-
serYatves voted postponement, because they the
case hopeless, and they thought the longer the
abomnable thing was kept off the better.
The vote stood thrtyfour to one hundred and thir
ty-fouf,
Then Mr Wilson offered bis amendments sugar
coating the bill for Raymond Co.
These amendments proposed an indefinite property
qualification, proven by assessment; an educational
qualification equally uncertain because it required vo
tiers to be able read the constitution of the United
{ StateS-an amendment in the hands of its present
keepers variable as the clouds at sunset.
But they dispensed with every qualification in any
man who had ever worn tile bluethus virtually pla
cling the negro soldier above the poor white
f Mr.. Schcnck offered an amendment to the amend
ment striking oUt the property qualifications and pro
viding that uo legal voter should be DISTINGUISHED
t This WAS promptly voted down without calling the
yeas anu nays. loInet c,jSc ~
= to give aid and comfort to the rebels Thus this
swcetscented couiectiOn intended to be adorned
WIN lcll5 mhhi'e9 'lole - '''~ 60 , ne roo
leal cauc(s nave DeeA w. SUI g,e Hee,
qoeS'eN fot Sohe D'"G' "Ha .He I'm i'l l
4 that he volunteered to stand cigars" if it no
adopted. But he didn't reckon on Thad Stevens per
tihaClouS pleieIence 'ol 'Ho Qua ou''Gu 10
sun anu vi tllc DI'i.'o" ~ S"S Go'.5r 80
< cral ''S '"'Se'''iia ~ IN ; 80;
ny '',oDol NJ ~ stod y
}, ton9 70 iA"Ae NAcSe ""iciu'io'S 1"e '0I' ''00u
n 10 ~ =. -
e Ihen came tne hn4l yo'e on lue man ueStlo' al
e heLe l"c Pailea 'lueu s' o',iG -" 49,, ~ "','o
d known rs tue GlAoh P"'s 'oN'S WIN tuo 'oiSe''
yves, heTtToAy EG!go N t,
f"fquIaT H'iI "uC oOl"e, " Iiu'"' 'o''u ""''s
d IT, win oo,iiees NJ meii anu Ni'l"OH
4 A9Agiiea4' - limos 'o'u "a'lHs' ~ Iio ~ i
Lef'ohu' CONSISTENT 70 eS "e3e Ilo o'J va,
o FoteS EcSof ueu agalS' IT, huooei nu
g i5'iIpe"Lco 'iS nc ooili0 ~ Wa. s,
e neu lSGati ?ot -''' 'D'o'' 'e'' ''' INA
many oI"eI7 y Vll0slouoe' 7.-.-., ..,, no
iouay 4te iie'nOeI "Ieos.Cu rI ''i'1 Wv
e morning. DE"Hu"see' 40 yo0 4eel o0''eF 'l9 loii
I, lh3 o...:-..
>, ~ "''t' VIZ 'i'e ANS OOo- ~ 0 =.
"ofu. hrahGa6ee Z lIo'n oonnec'.cu'' anu ny WI,
- - t''
p, e"1 VI, ,,,u,.uo7 Il ,,, tlouo no,
v men f.'y mono answered. "ye' tl,ege TIs ga
T. era hlGrInur Ihrou9nout IS House anu sun
le OUT iou vs. sos nay NOW nav you 's'''o
to -, Ia - NJ; 't,j ~. y Tro,
ne said, God bless you, Anderson, Old boy-yoal
" W. H. %..- It
AZ arose from the pt and communcltediself 50 nproa
v ously the family circle to cause inyoluntal
he glance upward, and 10! black faces were shlnm
o. i stia hers and t.rn onearoJ ,rbi+s e.
n like unto one Of your pepperand.sst CINCINNATI sno
O. storms. The smiling, smiling" amiable little spea
err iorsetta OF the legends IN tne saLler$ Seaalng
~ fastgtons Of annouse 81 disapnrobation mildly
M buked the house But the rebuie was almost lost
ny the members were moving en- asse to the doors wit
ed out waiting lof regular ; IN,
~ have been nsssod by tie senate though two.thr
ms majority doubtful there The president will assn
edly veto it. But if there are t"e-thirds fer it in Il
senate "aS licg NIUE t sgn,h INN pontgat Gq :;
he .l,a,, ~ - .,u.lon.