Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1866-03-05
XxXIxth CONGRESS- First Session.
WASHINGTON. March 8.
IHnUSE.

|
| the Presidents Message. General debate WAS the
| only thing in order. There was not score OF mem
bers in tho Hall while the journal was D1lne read
and the audience IN the gdliary was c0rrespOnuhgy
slim. No sort Of interest was taken in the proceed
ingS. Among the reports Of PIRATE charaGter f sG
made yesterday was one by Mr.. WA;hburne OF Mas
sachusetts, from the committee OH Claims, adverse
y on forty petitions for damages arising from the
raids made in July 1884 by the rebels in the ylcln-
y Of Fort H SGa aS S 5
House bin to provide a5certaining and adjusting
the claims against the Government Tor the injury OF
DESTRUCTION Of property by the armies Of the United
States, or the tary authorities during the late
| rch-lli N
..r. MoKEEtof Kentucky then proceeded 10 ad-
dress the House at length in support Of the amend
ment to the Constitution, which was introduced on
the 18th Of February. and whch had been referred
to the judiciary committee, providing that nc, per
dent or Vice President Of the United Sta'es, or Of
Senator or Representative in the National Congress,
or any office held Under appoint uent from the Pres
ident requiring the confirmation OF the Senate, who
held Office, civil or military, under the late Nonted-
eracy, who bad Voluntarily aided the rebellion, or
who should hereafter be guilty OF similar olense3
Presaent, asked by what power he imposed aH
oath upon voters and electors? BY what authority
did he say to the I.egi'latuc Of Sovereign STATE.
You must ratify the constitutional amendment be-
Union over which J. preside? On what law did he
proceed 10 orc er a Convention to remodel the Con-
stitution of State which had meyer lost its power,
and then say to that Convention. y lOu must repud-
ate your war debt and abolish slavery before you
resume your place in the Union? Mr.. Mckeesaid
he made no war upon the President for these acts;
they were questions for his newly acq aired sup
pOrters to reconcile to themselves But he (Mckeel
would scOrn the most cost jewel OF the earth,
put on his hand by one who had plucked it from the
crown in which il had been set Mckee continuing,
said: BY the law martial the President exercised
these powers. These were matters which the Rep
resentatives Of the people in the National Congress
had the right to pass upon; 1t belonged TO them to
determine when and how the rebel States should re-
hair rolls In Mr
speech was principally directed 10 a criticism OF the
Presidents policy in the same tone. He advocat-
cd the adoption Of the amendment proposed by him
as proper punishment for rebels, making them in,
famous in the eyes Of the law and putting the legal
stamp Of co defamation upon them.
NJ. LANE next addressed the House. He ar
gued that the Union of the States and the existence
Of the nation were two distinct things. The Union
Of the States might be destroyed without affecting
ern States entered into rebellion and inaugurated
civil war. the Union Of the States de facto was dis
sol, ed just as much as if the rebels had been
victorious and had had their Independence ac-
knOwledged. They had held 40 political position
since their revolt except that OF rebelliOus subjects.
He cOnteBded that they should not be restor-
ed TO their former condition in the Union un-
til the political power Of those States was COnfnel
exclusively in the hanis of loyal citizens, till equal
rights and privileges were extended TO Al their peo-
ple until their people gave evidence Of hatred to the
rebellion and love of the Republic, until rebel
tments, rebel generals, rebel banners and rebel
debts were repudated and until the love of justice.
law and order was so firmly ablished in the minds
of the people as to give unquestionabe assurance Of
enduring peace. Then hut not before, would he
vote to readmit them i to the Union
MIR. THORNTON, of Illinois, next addressed the
House. The great question to be settled was ques
tion Of Union or Dlsunion, and in another ylewa
question of centralized despOtism or a National Gov
ernment with delegated powers. If the States that
attempted to sccede were out Of the Union either in
fact or law, then the war had failed 10 its avowod OBJ
ect. If they were not out of the Union, then the
power Of the General Government being Te-estab
ished they were entitled to be restored and repre-
sented in Congress. It State could DO reiuccd 10
Territory as punishment Tor rebellion. where was
the Limitation? As well might refractory State he
reduced to Territorial conlitOn for a slight Of
fen c. ANY act of leg Station declaring States IN be
| Terrtorie. would violate the Constitution. Such
| an act would make the Government as destructive
of the liberties of the people if secession had been
| successful. The States of the Union must stand
| together or the Union would perish and become q
| school boys tale-ihc wonder of an hour. IL the
ties waich bound the States together were severed
| the Union would become gigantic corpse for the
| soul would be wanting. he proper habi,atiOn Of
| the States in the Union. The union of the
States can never be rent asunder. Congress could
door Of the Union against them. To do this would
| be to destroy a country the brightest in the
history of man, and to dlrken the light now dawn
ing upon it. In the language Of Henry Clay, II am
within the Union, and | defy any portion Of the
| c0ntederacy to eXpel me or drive me out OF the
Union" Ii the rebellion had besn successful the
seeded States would not now form part Of the
Union; but the> did not succeed, they had been
kept in tho Union and therefore thev had not been
of it, and were not out Ot 1t, neither IN TACT or
law. Mr.. Thornton cited acts Of the Executive and
Congress in support Of his position that the rebel
Sta'es were not out Of the Union for any purp sc
whatever. A denial of representation tO them was
an attack upon tho opinions of President LncOn.-
To do it sancfcl the actian Of the Republican par
tV aud invOyed in it labyrinth of Inconsistencies
base dishonor. lie believed that the policy Of the
President would be sustained bv the people of the
country, who desired peace and Union, with equality
Of rights to all the States, and degradation to none
Mr.. KUYKENDALL, OF ILL.,, took the floor and
made constitutional argument on the relations be
tween the States and General Government contend
ing for the principle of Sta'e sovereignty all
internal affairs, aud that the reserved rights Of the
States cannot be infringed without violation OF
the Constitution. lie protested agailst Congress
bottng out by legislation eleven stars from the Ma
tional ombleui-a thing which was tried for four
years by thousands OF armed men in rebellion, and
| which they failed to accomplish. He would treat
| would show them entitled to- lie would keep a
military force in each of the Southern States to Sc
cure prompt and faithful obedience to the Consi-
| tuition and laws of the United States. He would
guarantee such protection 10 freedmen as would pro-
tect them against violence and give them full pro-
lection in all their rights. lie would admit loyal
| delegates from Tennessee, that State having been
| exempted by President Lincoln from his emancipa-
| ton proclamation as being0lOyal ate. In this he
Radicals in COngress-Mr Stevens and his followers.
But he also differed with the COpperhe persuasion
in this House. They would re cal the test oath and
| admit any representatives who might be elected
| from the Southern States, whether loyal men or
rebels. He was not in favor of repeating the test
Mr.. MARSHALL, of Illinois, interrupting, said
hewOuld not dues ion the good tase of his colleague
in applying the stale epithet "Copperhead" to me :
bcrs of this House: But for himself he di avowcd
any intention of admitting rs Representatives from
the South men who had taken prominent parts in
Mr. KUYKENDALL said that when he spoke Of
the "Copperhead" persuasion he did not know that
the phrase wOul strike any member from his Stale
| Mr.. MARSHALL said that it was we'll known to
| whom The disunion members on the Republican side
applied the epithet. They applied it to men around
wnom were clustered the hopes of the people, who
| desired the immediate restoration of the Union.
| Mr.. KUYKENDALL inquired whether his COL
| lea9ue desired 10 repeal the test oath
| Mr.. MARSHALL replied that he waS inclined to
think it uncon titutional and ought tn be repeal
| but he did not know whether he would be in favor
of repealing all test oahs Of the kind at this time
| He thought the lime would soon come when it would
be stricken from the statute book, SO that if such
| m en- as Alexander ii. STEPHENS dnt others who had
been connected with the rebellion, bu were now
true to the Constitution were elected, they might
| be admitted to seats.
MIR; ROGERS asked whether. il Alexander H.
| Stephens came here Representative, if he MAR
| shalD would vote for him?
| Mr.. NJ. replied that he would if he were well sat
| isfe that stephens was now true to the Union. He
took occasion TO refer to the question OF Democratic
| leadership. Many members on the disunion side Of
| the House had been very anxious, he did not know
for what purpose, to denOminate the gentleman from
New jersey as the Democratic leader in the House.
| If by that it was meant that he had made more
speeches and longer speeches and aber speeches than
other members he was willing TO accord ell that.
He recognized the gentleman's merit ability and
eloquence, but in many Of the extremes, he (Mr NJ
did not coincide, and he was not willing 10 admit,
that he (MrR gerS was the representative Of. the
Democratic party.
| MIR. ROGERS said President johnson himself, in
| the last colOquy he had with gentleman from New
York. had expressly stated that he believed the test
oath ought to be re- called.