The Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1863-1886, 1866-03-08

efnment, eontending for the principle
of State Sovereignty over all internal
affairs, and that the reserved rights Of
the States cannot be infringed upon
without violation of the Constitution
He protested against Congress blotting
outsby legislation eleven stars from the
national emblem--a thing which was
tried for four years by thousands Of
armed men in rebellion, and they, tall
ed to accomplish.
T He would treat the States with as
much kindness as their conduct would
show them entitled 10. Hewould keep
a military forco in each of the South,
ern States, to secure prompt and
flithful obedience to the Constitution
and laws of the United States. He
would guarantee protection, as would
he protest against violence, and give
them full protection in all their rights.
He would admit loyal delegates from
Tennessee, that State having been, ex.
empted by President Lincoln from his
emancipation proclamation as being q
loyal State. In this no supposed he
differed with the great leaders of the
radicals in Congress, Mr. Stevens and
his followers; but he also differed with
the copperhead persuasion in this
House. They would repeal the test
oath, and admit any Representative
who might b. elected from the South
ern States, whether loyal men or rebels,
He was not in favor Of repeating the
test oath.
Mr.. MARSHALL, Of Illinois, inter-
rupting, said he would not question
the good taste of his colleague in APP.
plying the stale epithet copperhead to
members Of this House, but for him
sell he disavowed any intention OF ad
mitting as Representatives from the
South men who had taken prominent
parts in the rebellion. s.i a.l. b..
Mr. KUYKENDALLs said that when
he spoke of the copperhead persuasion
he did not know that the phrase would
strike any member from his State. .
Mr.. MARSHALL said it was well
known to whom the disunion members
of the Republican party applied the
epithet; they applied it TO men around
whom was clustered the hopes of the
people who desierd tho immediate res.
toration of the Union. ,.,
Mr.. KUYKENDALL onquired
whether his colleague desired to repeal
the test oath. aa,st e3t
Mr.. MARSHALL replied that he
was inclined to think it unconstitu.
tonal and ought to be repealed. but
he did not know whether he would be
in favor of repeating all test oaths of
the kind at this time He thought the
time wonld soon come when it would
be stricken from the statute book, 80
that if such men as Alexander Ii. Ste
phens and others, who had been con.
nected with tho rebellion but were
now true to the Constitution, were
elected, they might be admitted. q. r..
Mr. ROGERS asked whelherifAlex.
Ii. Stephens camo here as Represent.
alive it he (MarshalD would vote for
his admission? .a
Mr.. MARSHALL replied that he
would, if he were satisfied that Mr..
Stephens was now true to to the
Union. Ho took occasion to refer to
the question of the Democratic leader
ship. Many members of the disunon
side of the House had been very anx.
ious, he did not know for what pur-
pose, TO denominate tho gentleman
from New Jersey as the Democratic
leader in the House, II by that it was
meant that he had made more speech
es and longer speeches and abler
speeches than other members he was
willing to accord all that He recog-
nized tho genllomans's merit, ability
and elOquenco but in many OF the ex.
tremes he on J did not coincide Ind he
was not willing to admit that he (Rog-
ers) was tho representative of the prin-i
ciples OF tho Democratic party. wi .t
Mr.. ROGERS said that President
johnson himself. in tho last colloquy
he had with a gentleman from Now
York, had expressly related that he be-
leved the test oath ought TO be re,
.poaled. is..
Mr.. FlNCK. of Ohio, next addressed
the House. Ho commenced his speech
by denouncing tho test oath, arguing
that if Congress had the power to i'm.
pose that oath. it would use the power
to change the qualifications prescribed
by the Constitution for Senators and
Representatives. Tho act imposing
this oath was one OF those measures
which grew out of tho war, and it
ought to be passed away with the war.
Tho power of tho Union had triumph
cd Its future security depended not
upon test oaths or constitutional
amendments, but upon'the complete 4
utter defeat of the late rebellion. The
war had settled, more firmly than test
oaths piled mountains high, the great
principle, that no State had q right,
under tho Consultation, to withdraw
from tho Union. lie wanted the peo.
plo of the South to como back not de-
graded, but in their full manhood--
the equal of the people of evory other
section of the Union. They and their
child en- had to live with us and our
children for generations, and it was
better that they should live on terms
Of equality and friendship. They had
acted in a mistaken notion, which he
had always regarded as q heresy, but
in Judging them tho House should rec.
ollect how very much they were
strengthened by tho radical leaders of