The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1866-03-15

lean Congressa He appealed to the people,
win he abide by their verdict2 s 4a
Mr.. Morrin's Speech in the United States
Senate, March 9Th.
WASHINGTON, Mar. 9, 1866.
To the Editor Of the PRESS .l+
Our Senator, Mr.. Morrill, made gooo
speech in the Senate yesterday. The propos-
ed amendment to the Constitution reported
BY the Reconstruction Committee was under
consideration; that which provides for the ex
clusion from the basis of representation OF the
whole people of any race or color to whom tht
elective franchise is denied or abridged by any
state. He spoke in answer to objection.
which had been made to this bill, and chief,
in answer to objections from the copperheaG
side, objections which are made in behalf o.
rebel individuals and rebel communities, auL
which 60 not only against the proposition un-
der consideration but against all other meas
ures of guaranty for the future, all safeguard.
against the establishment OF slavery or the
slave power, or the disquieting of the country
10. this generation atleast. -2
The Chronicle ofthis morning gives wretch
ed report of this speech, stating scarcely
point made by the Senator, while it gives mucl
more fully less logical speech made by Sena,
tor Wilson of Massachusetts. The same thing
was done last week, when our other Senator.
made most effective and commanding clost
to the important and weighty debate on the
.asoI,tio,, daolo r;y,o ba No,,o~a,c
the matter of reconstruction. The heading
In the Chronicle of the next morning parallel
in large letters "SENAToR FEssENDEN's
SPEECH" and it was bis speech upon tina
question that the country wanted to read; Blu.
1t was not to be found according to the head
ing, the columns being mainly taken up witt
the remarks of Senator Wilson, which, inter
esting and valuable as they were, were net in
that debate quite equal in authority and infu-
ence, with the people of the country, to tie
words Of the Senator from Maine, whom Con
gress had, in this matter, made its peculiar
head and front. As in that case, so in the
present, there was not precisely that difference
In the character and weight of the speeche
reported which the reports would seem to in
dictate.
Mr.. Morrilrs remarks aimed at and touched
points ofthe main question: Is there anything
to be reconstructed2 and how shall we recon-
struct? He was peculiarly happy in showin:c
that the Presidents theory condemned the
Presidents acts and that the Senatorial de-
Tenders of the Presidents theory could not Oh
20 Is,.o af s,,,,,o
proceedings. He had appointed benjamin F.
Perry to hold what Office in South Carolina?
Not to be Military Governor; Tor he bad not
before and was not at the time of his appoint
meut furnished with Military Commissior.
Not to be Provisional Governor, Senator
Doolittle acknowledged, for no such office was
known to the constitution or the laws. But
to be, as the Wisconsin friend of the President
acknowledged, a sort of negoHator, an agent OF
the E5ecatiue TO make an arrangement. TIC
negotiate with whom, people at peace or I;
people at war with the United States? TX
make an arrangement of what9 The institu
ton of State? A self governing, independ
emit lin its own proper functions and sphere)
American State? .5 sa'
Equally to the point was his reply to the
speech of Reverdy johnson from Maryland
This able lawyer had declared Congressional
intervention for the protection of freedmen
unnecessary, because the common law, as laid
down by him, was ample for their protection,
conferring upon them the rights of citizenshil
even. The law thus laid down, said Mr. Nor
rill, might well be ample for their protection
but in fact, it had not the weight and authori-
ty of law where such weight and authority
were most needed, in the rebel states. IL was
not there, the actual, prevailing, governing
law.
Here another sentiment ruled, and created,
and would maintain another law, to the effect
that persons of African descent, were not citi-
zens, not part of the people of the United
States, but persons of an inferiorrace, nomads,
like "Indians not taxed" persons in fine who
had no rights which the courts were bound 10
respect. a1 a..
And the demand was now made and press
ed that communities organised upon this dog
ma, and embodying in their society and their
law, this statement, were at once, without
qualification and without guaranty, for thei
future loyalty and their future Justice to freed
men, loyal citizt MS of the United States, to be
declared entitled to representation in each
House of Congress. This sentiment moreover
had found its way into the Senate. The SEN
ator from Pennsylvania Mr.. Cowan had spoI
en- of the Africans as of "inferior manhood
And the President also had spoken of our a,
sisting the Africans to their liberty upon the
idea that they ,oere to be self-sustaininq peo-
pie. The statement was not true We had
not gone to their assistance. We had refused
to go. We had not attempted to rescue them
from slavery for their good, or because slavery
was wrong. We waited till we were compel
led by military necessity to abolish slavery,
and to summon the slave race to aid as in
maintaining our liberty. And they had come
to our aid, and were not now to be coldly turn
ed away as having no part nor lot with US, as
not part OF the people of the United States.
The feeling which pervaded Mr.. Morrill's re-
marks was excellent and in full harmony with
that OF his constituents upon the great issues
of the session. Not called by any official con-
nection with the proposition under considera-
ton to be its leading advocate, he was more at
liberty than his colleague in his speech upon
the same proposition to speak at large upon
the whole matter, and to give fuller express
sion to his individual statements and the SEN
timents OF his constituents, upon the whole
subject under consideration. Besides this,
events that haveoccurredS since MI. Fessendens
speech last month have much diminished the
imro lance oftheproposition under discussion;
and in itselfit Is no longer able to awaken much
intere't It. Senator Wilson whofollowed Mr. Nor
I'll, commenced by stating his expectation that
the amendment was to fail; and before you re-