The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1866-02-19
CONGREssI
WASHINGTON, Feb. II, 1866

| w k0t't wv - iNOO
HoUsE,-The House today was de-
voted to speech making
Mr. Cook, of Illinois, argued that the
power of recognizing the seeded States
as being in the Union rested with Con-
gress. When the military power can
safely be withdrawn and these States
remain peaceably in the Union of their
own accord and not by force, and the
Union men and freedmen do not require
a military power to protect them, then
civil government should be recognized
and no military power could set aside
the enactments and judicial decisions of
States fully in the Union. While these
acts were necessary the Southern States
should not be recognized
| Mr. Lawrence offered the following:
| Resolved, That it is the deliberate
sanse of this House that the condition of
the rebel States fully justifies the Pres
ident in maintaining the suspension of
the writ of habeas corpus in those
| States.
Resolved, That it is the deliberate
| sense of this House that the condition of
the rebel States fully justifies the Presi-
dent in maintaining military possession
and control thereof, and that the Presi-
dent is entitled to the thanks of the ma
ton for employing the war power for
the protection of Union citizens and
freedmen in those States.
Mr.. Lawrence then maintained that
| the ordnance of secession was void, that
no State was out of the Union, but that
all lawful State governments were de-
stroyed in the rebel States, and when
the rebel government was oyerthroWn,
the people were left without State gov
ernments, and that it is the duty of
Congress to guarantee republican State
Government, and until this is done there
can be no lawful State governments
Traitors would at once control taem, and
the nation could impose no terms, nor
even Judge when 1t would be safe to ad-
nit representatives. If the President
alone may set up a State government
without any control by Congress, it
would be fearful power in hands less
trustworthy than those OF our respected
Chief Magistrate. He demanded, IN the
name of the constitution and the people,
that Congress, as the agent of States,
had right to guarantee them govern
ments The war power had right to
set aside the State governments. II any
other State governments exists IN South
ern States it must be because either
first, that the original governments con-
tinued, or second, that they were sus-
pended, or third, that new government
had BEEN lawfully set up. He said that
the original State governments were
abandoned, on authority of the constitu-
ton. of the law of nations, of Madison, of
- ,,rf Of / n
President johnson. He quoted many
authorities to support this position
The original governments could not be
resumed without the authority of Con-
gress, for no State constitution provided
the mode of doing so. The nation has
right to live, and the incidental force
to set up new State governments when
destroyed, as a means Of continuing the
national life. The President sustained
this view by calling conventions in
the rebel States to set up new State gov
ernments, by prescribing the qualihca-
tions of election, and by requiring terms,
and he could not do this if the original
State governments continued
Raymond and Hubbell, in their
speeches, conceded that the President
declared the reconstruction policy an
experiment, and that he would abandon
it if necessary. Lawrence said In the
course of his remarks, that it would de-
pend on the people of the rebel States
when reconstruction would be complete.
1t would be complete when loyalty re-
turns when the Government is so prac
ticable as to secure obedience to the law
and security for the future assured, then
can restoration be complete, He would
tolerate the Southern representatives
when they can come with guarantees of
peace, security and liberty.
In the task of restoring the Union
and giving freedom to a race, he was
proud to follow the faithful Andrew
johnson. Let each department perform
its function now, and follow the policy
marked out by the people, and the tri-
umph of peace will be as signal as the
victories OF war.
The power of Congress to decide when
representatives should be admitted
could never be surrendered. 1t is the
right of Congress to submit to the peo-
pie the constitutional amendment for
their approval or rejection, for thus can
the term OF peace be made enduring
Let us close forever the approach OF
internal teud, and so return to the an
cient concord and national prosperity
and when we have done this, let us here
in this temple, forever preserve honor
able peace with the world, eternal
brotherhood with each other.
Mr.. Cullom, of Illinois, said that the
gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Har-
ding) had on a former occasion remarked
that it was time there was little post
ING of books While making this decla-
ration the gentleman seemed willing to
pass silently over the record of himself
and party. His zeal was only equalled
by his bitterness against the Union par
ty which he and his party had opposed
for the last five years. The Union party
were willing at all times that the loyal
people of the country could see how
the matter stood. Mr. Cullom then pro-
ceeded TO look at what he called the
debit side of the gentleman. Mr. Har-
ding's party had long been in power, and
when Mr. Lincoln succeeded TO the Pres
idency he found the country divided and
southern confederacy existing. When
the Union patty took possession o: the
government treason ayOwed and secret
invested all high places and scattered
| its deadly poison among the people un-
til the Union and liberty had almost