The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1866-05-24
Interesting Debate in Congress.

the proceedings in the United States Sen
ate on the 10th instant:
The morning hour having expired, the
Post office Appropriation bill was taken
up, the pending question being on Mr..
Trumbull's amendment. Mr.. Nye re-
sumed the floor in continuation of his
speech commenced yesterday. Mr.. Nye
read from the Presidents speech to show
that he (the President) was in favor OF
the repeal of the test oath. Here the
gulf became impossible. Here he must
part with the President. Here he (Nye)
must stop Applause in the galleries. j
He never would cast q vote to admit
single one of these rebels. He would not
have that sin to answer for at the judg-
ment day He did not intend to follow
the example of the husbandman who took
frozen copperhead TO his bosom, and
was bitten to death for his kindness. Ap-
plause in the galleries.
In discussing State rights, Nh. Nye was
interrupted by Mr.. Cowan, who said ::
sWhat State right are you opposed to ?"
Mr.. Nye: Secession: Mr.: Cowan mean
except secession. Mr.. Nye: I am oppos-
ed to all State rights that mar the har-
mony of the General Government. [Ap-
plause in the galleries What State
rights are you in favor Of? Mr.. Cowan:
All of them. Mr. Nye: / thought SO, in
cluding secession. Mr.. Cowan: Seces-
sion is not State right. Mr. Nyo. in
conclusion, appealed to the Senate to stand
firm. see to it that there could be no re-
currence of the rebellion-that what was
done was we'll done. In the name OF the.
immortal dead and the mangled living he
demanded this. Beyond the grave we
shall meet an army of three hundred
thousand dead that will never again an
swer to the roll call on earth; but, Sir,
on the day of Judgment they will be there.
In their name, by their memory, by the
immortal deaths they died and lives they
lived, l demand that Congress and every
departmental this Government shall tread
cautiously upon this great work of recon-
struction. fApplause in the galleries.
Mr.. Doolittle said that he, too, had
stood by the graves of loyal men who had
fallen in the late war. lie had stood over
the grave of his first born and sworn he
would never give over this struggle until
the rebellion should be suppressed and
thc Union restored He had made hun
,lrc,ls ot speeches in the same view as MIR.
Nye, willie the country was in a state OF
war, and whenit was necessary to nerve
the country for the shock of battle. But
did not the Senator from Nevada (Nye)
recognize the difference between war and
peace? We were now at peace, and
should we still go on with speeches to
wage war? No principle of statesman
ship or Christianity would Justify it
There was nothing in craftsmanship or
Christianity to justify q spirit of unre-
lenting vengeance toward the Southern
people. They had already been punished
enough to salty the demands OF reasona-
BILE men. That there were men to whom
extraordinary punishment should be
meted out he did not doubt. How many
men did the Senator from Nevada, and
those who acted with him, wish to hang?
A wholesale prosecution had never been
advocated A very few prosecutions
would satisfy even those who were loudest
in their demands for retribution. What
had the President done? Must he exc
cute prisoners in his power, without tri-
ais, as Commander-in-chief of the Army!
Was there q man on this floor ready to
advocate the shooting of Jefferson DAVIS
without trial? Then how were they to
be tried? The Supreme Court has de-
cided that they could not be tried by
military commission or court martial
They must be indicted, arraigned and
tried as other men are tried. He would
ask Mr.. Nye how many he would try,
and in what way, whether by military
commission or by court
Mr.. Nye. Do you want an answer to
that question ? Mr. Dooittlc: do. Mr..
Nye: If the Senator will give me day
or two to make out list Of the men /
would have hung, I will do so. Mr.. Doc
little: But about how many would you
hang? Mr.. Nye: Well, at venture, l
would hang enough to make treason
odious-to make good that assertion by
the President
Mr.. Doolittle; How many, in the opin-
ion of the Senator, would be necessary to
do that? Mr. Nyo: Five or six. Mr.
Doolittle: In what way would you try
them-by court martial or civil courts
Mr.. Nye: | will answer that question IN
two ways Mr. Doolittle: want di-
rect answer. Mr. Nye: would not have
kept Davis so long. 1 would have hung
him in hollow square of the grand Union
armies, when they were being mustered
out here. Now, suppose, [ would try
him by law.
Mr.. Doolittlo said the President was
not responsible for the delay in the trial
of Davis. 1t was admitted that court
martial was not the proper tribunal, and
the Judge of the proper court had 9.1.1t refused,
SO far, to try him. lie Doollttle) was
tired of the clamor against the President
for not bringing Davis to justice. The
President, in the exercise Of the pardon