The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1866-01-19
CONGRESSIONAL PRoCEEDrNas.
wAsH1seTos, Jan. Is.
SENATE & ~. 8

strueting the Committee on Printing 10
inquire into and report the amountPaid
to the Washington City newspapers for
Government advertising, and under
what law, &c. Passed.
Mr.. Howe's joint resolution for the
appointments Of Provisional Governors
in the Southern States, was then taken
Mr.. Nesmith addressed the Senate at
length. 49,. !, -.--ss.--,4-9s..-.
distributing the writings OF Madison
among the States and government de-
partments. - 49,
Bill for admission of Colorado as a
State was reported.
Mr.. Nesmith favored the reconstruct
ton policy of President Johnson-op-
posed negro suffrage and advocated
eenerous policy towards the South. >
Wade, Of Ohio, followed Nesmith at
great length, he said he had not intend
ed to say anything on this great subject;
he preferred to wait for the report OF
the committee to whom the matter had
been entrusted for investigation, but as
the senator from Wisconsin had, in his
elaborate speech yesterday, failed to
touch upon some Of the most important
parts of the subject, he felt constrained
to say something. Doolittle begun by
informing us of the principles that Mr..
Lincoln had adopted, policy in regard
to the admission of some of the States
during the period of the last Congress.
1 believe that question was agitated be-
fore us, and all the arguments present
ed failed to convince me that the
States could be admitted. Argument
failed to convince me that the time had
come when it was safe 70 admit these
States. L therefore contended against
It. Now I think Mr.Johnson has
made a greatlmprovement on this sub
hfR T1rnHnNa1GnF although
he has not touched upon the point
where think the difficulty begins. Mr..
Lincoln advised us to admit louisiana
into the Union, while probably more
than half her territory was trampled
below the hostile feet of the enc
my, and our flag did not cover half of
the territory, and perhaps half OF the
population of the State. / did not think
It would be safesto admit the State upon
such terms. had not seen anything
in their conduct or proceedings to war
rant me in saying that such course
would be safe. You viii recollect that Mr.
Lincoln did not require anything more
than that one fifth part of them should
take a certain oath, not very difficult to,
take. Mr.. johnson has made an i'm
proyemant, n great Improvement upon,
this, for he does require that they shall
abolish slavery. He requires that they
shall repudiate the rebel debt; he re-
secession; he requires that they shall
agree to the constitutional amendment
abolishing slavery forever. These, in
my judgement, are great Improvement
upon the system of Mr.. Lincoln, but
sir, i never had but one polar star to
my action, and that I adhere to. wheth-
er am in majority or in a minority.
never intend to be tempted from it
one inch. z have fixed my eyes upon
the great principle of eternal justice
and right, and it has borne me trium-
phantly through all difficulties in my
Legislative career. Since / had a seat in
this body I can triumphantly say 1
have stood upon this floor when
I had not ten men to support me
against the entire Senate, and when the
principles / advocated was unfortu-
nately more unpopular than these an
nounce to-day, how was the whole SEN
ate startled by an idea of universal
emancipation ten or fifteen, or even five
years ago, about unpopular doctrines?
Attempt to intimidate by the intimation
that. shall be found in a minority among
the people. 1 know the people better,
1 think. know that tread the great
path of rectitude and right. i think,
sir, that can say with Paul, that we
have fought good fight We are
that we have little further TO go in the
same direction, but our path Is fortu-
nately easier than 1t has been. gave
the President full credit for all he has
done, and honor him for the manner in
which he Inns insisted on the great
guarantees that have already alluded
TO. He has commenced as it were to
complete this great arch OF freedom and
right; he has laid the foundation deep
upon the road to Justice and right; he
has demanded that before law all men
shall be equal; he has demanded that
slavery shall be abolished. / agree with
him so far, and honor him thatlhe stands
firmly where he does; but sir, he has
failed to put the keystone on the arch
that he built, and If you leave it where
it is, 1t will go to ruins. want, when
this question is once settled, to be en-
tirely-done with 1t; don't want to be
eternally fighting over this question of
slavery and distinctions among the
rights and privileges of the American
people. I say to President Johnson and
the Democratic party and to the people
ofthe United States, that / never will
yield the controversy until all men in
America shall stand upon an equal
footing before the law in every respect.
When they will fix IL so that can be
done, I will give up the controversy in
which have been engaged in for so
many years, and no man will rejoice
more than i, that 1 have been relieved
from 1t.
At the conclusion of Mr.. wade's
speech, the bill enlarging the powers of
the Freedman's Bureau was taken up
and an amendment offered, limit
ing titles of land to negroes given by
Gen. Sherman to three years.
Mr.. Stewart took the tioor in reply to
Mr.. Wade.
The bin giving the widow of Presi-
dent Lincoln the ranking privilege for
life passed at the executive session.
A6fnnrnaH - ..
HOUSE.
Mr.. jerks, of Rhode Island, reported
the bill to establish q uniform system
of bankruptcy throughout the United
States, which was made the special or
der for the 30th inst.
Mr.. DeIano, from the Committee on
Claims, reported resolution asking 70
be relieved from the consideration OF
all claims growing out of appropriation
or destruction OF property py the army ny
and navy in suppressing rebellion. No
definite action was taken on the sub
Mr.. Lynch, of New York, offered a
resolution, which was referred to the
Committee on Commerce, that all ves-
sells once American, and being placed
under foreign fags or foreign register
during the late war, should be treated
as foreign built vessels, and never again
be allowed an American register. He
also introduced aresolution, which was
adopted, calling on the Secretary of the
Treasury to inform the House how
MANY American vessels had received
foreign register.
The BIN amendatory of the act grant
ing lands to States. TO aid in the estab-
lishment of agricultural aud met hapi-
cal colleges, was reported. It extends
its privileges 10 accept the provisions of
the net, and includes the States lately in
WWa Il NWa~HEH H. Il