The national Republican. [volume] (Washington City [D.C.]) 1866-1870, 1866-04-26
CONGRESSIONAL REPORTS.
xxxIxTB ooNGREss-FIRsT sEssI,
WEDNESDAY, April rs, 1866.
SENATE.


be appointed to award damages for property conhs.
Gated BY rebel authority. Referred 10 Committee
on Claims.
Also, petition Of daughters Of revolutionary sol.
diers. Referred to Committee on Revolutionary
Pensions.
Mr.. Sherman, from the Committee on Agricul.
ture, reported resolution tqrint 10 900 copies Of
the Communication Of the Commissioner Of Agri-
culture relative to the rinderpest and cattle plague
which was adopted.
Mr.. Sumner presented = petition Of citizens Of
New York and Brooklyn, asking tho abolition Of
the fractional part Of q cent, as exacted by the
collectors Of internal revenue. Referred TO Com
mittee on Finance.
Affairs, asked to DO discharged from the further
consideration Of the petition Of fifteen petty officers
and twenty six seamen, Of the Western aotilla for
prize money for their share In the capture Of Island
No. TO- which was granted
Mr.. Pomeroy introduced bill granting lands to
the State Of Ransaa to aid in the construction Of
the Kansas and Neosho Valley railroad and Its ex-
tension to Red river Referred to Committee on
Public Lands.
On motion Of Mr.. Ramsey, the bill to authorize
the building Of a bridge across the Mississippi
river at Quincy, Illinois, was taken up, and sew
eral amendments, reported by the Committee, were
agreed to.
Mr.. Henderson opposed the BILL declaring that
u would interfere with the navigation of the great
Mississippi river.
Pending discussion tho morning hour expired
and the un6nished business Of yesterday, being the
bill to provide for the admission Of q e State Of
Colorado into the Union, was taken up; upon which
Mr.. Doolittle, Of Wisconsin. was entitled TO the
floor.
Mr.. Doolittle said the Senator from Nevada [Mr.
Nyel had been pleased yesterday to aludo to him as
nisrepresenting the people Of Wisconsin, and as
disobeynS the Instructions Of the Legislature. 1t
not his purpose at this time to reply Mt length
to these allegations at some other time he might
claim the attention Of the Senate to do So When,
on the 4th Of March, 1853 he entered on his second
term in this Senate, he took solemn oath to sup
| port the Constitution Of the United States, and
made no promise to obey the bohests or follow the
opinions Of any set Of who might be elected to
the Legislature. As to disappearing the people
| of Wisconsin, the Union convention Of Wisconsin
| last fall adopted the same platform upon which
stood and now stand and upon that platform Of
principles the same mon who compose this Legisla-
ture, who attempt TO instruct me, were elected
| and could not have been elected upon any other.
| In that convention two propositions-one to give
negro suffrage, and the other to impose universal
suffrage as a condition Of admission upon the South.
ern StAtes-were laid upon the table. The Union
party with the platform there adopted went before
the people and elected their Governor by ten thou
sand majority and what became Of negro sufragel
| 1t was defeated by ten thousand majority. tell
Senators here, as told the people Of Wisconsin,
that II will not do You cannot force 1t upon the
people. 1t Is the rock upon which you will split
try II as soon rs you please. IT you part on it, 1t
will break you to pieces IL falls on you It will grind
you to powder But, Mr. President, as stated be-
fore, 1t Is not my intention to sPeak at any length
on this subject, but to the one Immediately before
| the Senate,
agree with much that has been said by my
| friend from Massachusetts, but my objections do
not rest upon the fact that Colorado does net
fer universal suffrage, believing that is matter to
be disposed Of by the States themselves, and over
which Congress has no control. If Colorado saw
ct to confer female suffrage, in my opinion that
would be cause for refusing her admission. Ny
objections rest upon other grounds altogether
Mr. D. then reviewed the status Of Colorado rs to
population and resources. Her whole population
was not equal to that OF the little county Of Wis
consin in which he Mr. d lived.
Mr. Howe Mr.. President, the action Of the
Legislature and the action Of the convention of
Wisconsin has been referred to to-day and yester-
day and on several previous occasions, aud in a
| manner which seems to demand some attention
from myself Mr.. President, am not here to say
that my colleague Is not justified In his judg.
ment for each Of tho votes which he has given here
but when he goes further than that, and asserts
that he is justified by the action Of the last State
convention, or any convention which assembled In
| Wisconsin / think he asserts too much. There
was not as read in the action Of that convention
anything which osuld Justify either Of tho two
votes which my colleague has given. am not
prepared to speak positively. My colleague should
be able to speak better. lie was member of that
reported the resolutions. lie saw a great deal Of
that convention, and was great part of IT, but l
cannot help thinking that Its proceedings afford no
Justification for his votes. have examined the
resolutions, and can find nothing in them to war.
rant the course taken by my colleague, to Justify
the votes which he has cast hero in defiance Of the
instructions of the Legislature.
He had found n resolution, however, which he
would beg TO read Mr.. II. then read one Of the
resolutions passed by the convention aforesaid and
| said ha thouUht hia cnllaa0ua UouId lad
that he the author Of that resolution, and in II
there is authority for every proposition which has
been advanced here and which has been denounced
as radical and revolutionary.
My colleague asserts that he has advocated
giving suffrage to the colored race, but think
may safely say that he has never advocated it with
the ability Of which he was capable. He expressed
the opinion last fall that 1t was mpolitic to bring
1t as an issue in tho Union party; differed from
{ him then, and hold the same opihion now with al
the light Of the recent election before The Su
preme Court Of Wisconsin has decided that they
have right to vote, and they did vote at the re
J cent election.
Mr.. johnson. Mr.. President, I merely wish Ia
ask what question is now before the Senate.
The Chair The question is, shall the Senate re
consider the vote by which the State of Colorado
was denied admission into the Union"
| Mr.. johnson. / can't exactly see the point then
of the Senator's remarks.
Mr.. Howe. don't wonder that the Senator from
Maryland Ia unable to see the point. The debat,
has taken an extended range, aud l think I am at
liberty to justify the action of the Legislature
Wisconsin.
Mr.. Doolittle said he would reply to the quos.
tions raised by his colleague when tue resolutions,
said to have been passed by the Legislature should
arrive.
, Mr.. Lane of Indiana said he had no intention oil
participating IN this debate but the Senator from
- t:ssaehuset's Mr.. Sumner had yesterday alluded
to the character Of friend Of his Mr.. l.. 81 o.
twenty years standing-GOy Evans, of Colorado
in such manner as demanded some notice at hi
hands. He thea proceeded to defend Gov. Evans
from the charges made In the report Of the commit
ice to investigate the conduct OF the war.
The Cheyenne Indians wero not friendly tribe
as has been alleged but were at war with the Uni
ted States. Governor Evans was not in the Terri
tory at the tina Of the massacre Of these Indians
and had no connection with II WbatsysT, The Sen
atOr from Massachusetts had departed from hi
) usual courtesy and prudence In another instance
he had insinuated that whispers were uttered that
their yotes we're needed. He (Mr L.) had never
whispered since hlS EoOing days. He advocated
the admission Of Colorado because her State gov
eminent was organized on loyal baSiS. we did
need their votes and before this contest was settled
| we should need more votes, We wanted loya
votes to save the life Of this nation, wanted more
than these two votes As for the word "white, u
he would much prefer that 1t was not in the consti
tuition, would much prefer that II was not in the