The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1866-02-13
Speech of General Rousseau,
of Kentucky.
Delivered in the House of II Representa-
tives, February 3. 1896, on the Bill
10 Enlarge the Powers Of the Freed

|
TO Enlarge the Powers Of ste Freed
mems Bureau,
Congressional Giobs Report = ~
This bill emanates from party with
which | have acted for the last four
years. lam not Republican was a
Whig and. am Union man, and be-
longed to the Union party, and am sor-
~ to say that the Union party and Re-
publican party are not always con-
yertible terms, in my Judgement My
reasons for this statement may appear as
| proceed. l have acted with the Repub-
lican party in its measures to suppress
the rebellion, / have given it hearty
support for the last four years. / have
sustained it blindly, asking no ques-
tions, because believed the Government
of the United States was in the hands of
that party, to be saved or lost. | vas
| told at the outset OF these difficulties
that representing the Loyalty of the ma
tion, that party undertook to suppress
the rebellion, to restore the authority Of
the United States, and re-establish the
original status of States in allthe dignity
and fights which they had before the
| rebellion. 1t was said not only to South
ern men, but all over the United States,
| that they OWued 4 paramount allegiance
to the United States Government, and
that no man could bereleased from such
allegiance to the Federal Government:
| subscribed to that doctrine. IL Is the
doctrine OF that man III whose principles
have believed, whose talents and elo-
quence we all admired. 1T was the doc.
trine Of Henry Clay, OF Kentucky, and
not for one moment since Our troubles
began have thought of doubting it,
much less OF abandoning it.
| believed, sir, that the Republican
party in the ontset of this war would
save he Government. had no doubt
that any party that1epresented the Uni
ted States'would save the Gov ernment
The rebellion is now suppressed. We
have peace. / care not what gentlemen
may say; but, sir, there is not i'll the
whole United States Of America one sin
gle armed rebel to-day. How, then, can
gentlemen talk about existing war The
existing state OF things i'll the country
affords no excuse for the passage of 4 bill
OF this description, outrageous i'll all its
features. 1t proposes to confer such
powers rs never were heard OF as having
been conferred by the Congress of the
United States, either upon judicial Off
GERS or upon regularly established courts;
and here these powers are proposed TO be
conferred upon mere irresponsible
agents, military subalterns, lientenants,
captains and majors of the army, Ia
Volce-"And politicians, and, as sug
gested politicians. May the Lord save
US from them mean no dlsrespect to
the politicians upon this door, laugh
ter, but Of all military men, relieve HE
and the army from the military man
who wants to ill some petty office, for
he only eats up rations that better aud
more serviceable men should have
Laughter.
| say, sir, that this bill is oppressive
i'll all is features; and | wish to say 10
the House in justice TO my own position,
that | am for any and all measures, do
not care what they are, that are just, and
necessary to take care OF these nntOrtu-
nate people. There is not one of them,
the poorest ana meanest and humblest
in the United States, in defense OF whose
rights, if i saw them assailed, would
not stake my life, and the poorer and
humber the quicker ] would do it
mOulu plOtCII tbstl BNOIIS ~ Sf'is
propoI way, but VIC do not need to pro-
tect them ut the expense of the rights OF
other people. | draw no distinction
between the whites and tho blacks 50
far as the rights OF person and property
are concerned. We have distinctions
that we cannot to day get rid OF, and
we have others, still, that we do not
want to abolish But this bill sweeps
all such distinctions pretty much away.
| undertake to say that If the enforce
ment Of this biltis placed in the hands OF
preiudlced men who 90 South with their
minds made up upon this subject, made
up in the way that the gentlemen from
Pennsylvania (Messrs. Stevens and Kelly
would have them. insults and outrages
that no community on earth could bear
will be OF daily aud hourly occurrence.
GGeneral Rousseau had the seventh and
eighth sections of the bill read ]
[ ask the members of the House, N
view of their oaths to support the Con-
stitution, if they can possibly confer
these powers Oh the mere agents OF the
Freedmen's Bureau; LieUtenarts, if you
please. and Captains in the army, or citi-
zens, not OF the proper locality, but
gathererS of crumbs falling from the ta-
bles of politicians all over the country
need not 90 into an argument to show
how far this bill is unconstitutional -
The whole bill, root and branch. is with
out warrant and against the organic law.
AT one blow it sweeps away the const
tuition and laws Of Kentucky, Courts,
Juries, Justices of the Peace Sheritts,
and every body who denies to the negro
tie civil rights. laid down III this bill
| all these are liable TO be arrested by the
| agents OF this bureau, and fined aud in
prisoned, not exceeding fine of $1,000
| aud imprisoned one year Our ministers
| of the gospel who refuse to solemnize
marriages between whites aud blacks,
| that they are sworn not to solemuiZe,
NAV be arrested and taken before the
agents of this bureau. Our Justices OF
| the Peace, who will not allow negroes to
| testify III their Courts, may be treated
in the same way A Judge OF any Court,
while trying cause, may be taken from
the bench aud Imprisoned tor one year
by the agents, the subalterns OF the
! Freedmen's Bureau, and fined u 900.
Now, sir, ask gentlemen here if they
can vote tor bill Of this sort Can we
not secure all the rights of the negroes
without thus outraging the feelings of
the people of the Southern States, and
also OF the people Of the Northern
States, in consequence Of the condition