North Branch democrat. [volume] (Tunkhannock, Pa.) 1854-1867, 1866-09-05

1No HOuSc tDeL. IL ulSpeuScu Will lhc
mockery of such prayer. 1t proceeded
to call the members of only twenty-four
States The republic had survived !
Then the clerk halted, when the tall, gauni
dark haired member from Tennessee, Mr.
Maynard, loomed upon his vision, holding
aloft his credentials from the Governor Of
Tennessee The clerk, under caucus Or
ders, closed his eyes to the intruder. lie
was called upon to recognize the member
who had, even since the war, sat for his
State. "No?" He was asked to give rea-
sons for thus disowning State. He said,
in reply to Mr.. Brooks; "Let my record
stand" And there it stands, Mr.. Nc
Pherson; and for that act of yours there
is no amnesty from the muse your court.
| would not do you Injustice. ~,
History, even your own, will only place
you behind the caucus which you served,
blowing the bellows while Thaddeus Ste
vens touches the keys of the great party
organ Laughter and cheers.) That
Mentor and Tormentor of the House COM
ing to the clerks rescue, said "lt is not
necessary to give reasons we know all. y
Mr.. Brooks still pressed the matter, chal
enged debate, and charged that a private
caucus had arranged this partial and afro
cious legislation; but at last, being choked
down, upon the same arbitrary principle
upon which he>was afterwards crowded
out, the House proceeded to elect Schuy-
ler Colfax as Speaker. Amid the hurrahs
of ffattening parasites in the galleries, he
organized this tumultuous and revolution
ary assembly-telling them, while even
yet the musterings of the eleven distran-
chised and enslaved States were echoing
in the hall, and before Mr.. Maynard had
folded his credentials with their seal and
ribbon--"that the war had melted all fet-
ters, and that the stars on our banner
which had paed in rebellion now shone
with more brilliant luster." Eight months
roll away, and the pallor of these brighten
ing stars--all except one-has gone into
another eclipse under the opaque Radical
ism (which, to Mr. Speaker, was growing so
luminous.
As is to make this absurdity more pal
pable, the speaker caused at once a tele-
graph to be read, that the State, the State
of Alabama, had just voted for the consti-
tutional amendment abolishing slavery =
the huzzahs again rang forth, and sleek,
ration-fed negroes from the galleries joined
IN the indecorous acclaim! (Laughter.)
"We know all :" we'll said ThadGeus Ste
vens, for had not the caucus arranged ev-
erything? No sooner had Alabama been
cheered as a State, than the caucus resolu-
ton was drawn from the pocket of Mr..
Stevens, 1t appointed fifteen members
from both the Senate and House, to stand
guard over the halls ofCongress, and keep
back the States from representation in eth
er House. Two thirds voted 10 receive it
IN the House, and 1873 voted for it--not
one Republican, not even Mr.. Raymond,
voting no.-(Globe 6.
This was what constituted that junta which
has usurped the functions of the House
and Senate, having under the Constitution
the right to Judge each for itself of the
qualifications of its members. The record
shows how this 'iunta, which was afterward
confirmed by the Senate, kept their rights
till the last hours of the session, when Ten
nessee was suddenly jerked in, with rope
around her neck, i'll degradation and sh1
The House having been without the unc.
ton of prayer, on its first day, and feeling
its necessity (laughter,) proceeded on its
second day to elect a chaplain. Ten fight
ing gospellers were at once nominated
all anxious to interlace their orisons with
suggestions to the Deity about regulating
human affairs, and lectures to the House
about reconstructing the negro race
Laughter) Most Of the ten were urged
because they had worn the mail over the
cassock, had smelt gunpowder, and were
regular devils in the way of fighting, and
good at fighting devils, thus fitting them
for prayer to the prince of Peace! Surely
now the House is baptized in the spirit of
fraternity! Accordingly, on the day fol-
lowing, the chaplain thanks God for uni
ted country; that there is not one star
missing; that the wounds are healing;-
that there is no slave, master, nor chain, in
the whole country. This in the face of
the House which had erected an olicarchy
of fifteen to fetter eleven conquered States.
Such hypocrisy IS only equalied by its au-
dacity. (Cheers.) For it was but a few
days after this, that Senator from Michi-
gan while in debate Up. 24) declared that
these States were conquered communities
communities in which the right of self
government does not exist. (GIobe "a, }
He demanded that there should be decla-
ration by the Executive that hostilities had
ceased, before he would recognize them as
States. But when that proclamation was
made on the I'd of April last, he still held
that these States were in provincial bond
age! The war, it seems, had not melted
all fetters and the stars were all on the
flag!
When this unprecedented legislation
came before the Senate on the 18th of De-
cember, 1865, Senators Cowan and Doc
little protested against this veto, by one
branch of Congress, through this Commit
tee of Fifteen, upon the action of the other