Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1866-12-21


sole judge here, ] should give il up at once;
/ should come down very quickly; bat he
is not the judge 20 decide ultimately for
ihis body and this way Of dealing with
the subject is not altogether satisfactory to
nae.
As the Senator has made allusions 10 an
iiquity, he will permit me to remind him
that there was an ANCIENT saving that some
men would strain at a gnat and swallow A
camel, and / do not see but that the remark
is applicable 10 him on the present occasion
Why sir, on the very objection which the
Senator makes, he il himself committed
upon the merits Of this BIN 20 vote for IL
No jesuit can draw the line Of distinction
between his votes on former measures and
the vote / ask him 10 give for this measure
How was il when theconstitutional amend
ment was up last session. That Senator
voted for it. Did that compel a State. be-
fore coming into the Union, 10 allow fran
chise 20 al citizens indiscrininstelvp No
sir; not at all. The only penalty il pres,
cribed for State which made discrimina-
tions was that the class whom II excluded
from The franchise should not be counted IN
the basis Of representation. So il will be
with Nebraska IL we paas this bin The
only difference between the cases is that
the Senator gave his vote in favor of 4
Rebel State that now has her represents
tion on this floor, equally divided between
rebellion and loyalty. lie voted that she
might come in. allude to Tennessee.
Mr.. Sumner. Did vote for that =
Mr.. Wade. / believe you did. r.-...
Mr.. Sumner. Oh, no.
Mr.. Wade. But the principle ON which
you did vote would have brought IL in
nevertheless. It's exactly the same arles-
ton with this difference; this is a TERRITORY
which has always been loyal, always patrf
otto, which sent into the field 10 fight the
battles against rebellion more troops in
proportion 90 her inhabitants than perhaps
any other State or territory in the Union.
Small though she was, she was extremely
patriotic, and eXerted herself 10 the utmost
20 perform all her duties to the govern
ment. And yet, SIR, turning to Mr.. Sum
ner, you now raise an objection against
her, though yoa voted for Rebel State.
That Is all there is in the case.
Mr.. Sumner Mr.. President. hone I
shall be pardoned il 1 make one word of
reply to the Senator from Ohio. He seemed
10 think that his argument was advanced
by personal allusions TO myself fl I'M
derstand him, he sought 10 show an incon-
sistency on my part. ..s. .#....r.
Mr.. Wade. Yes, think did.
Mr. Sumner. The Senator says yes. he
thinks he did. Very well, that will Justify
me then in one moments reply | am at a
loss 70 understand how the Senator can
Ind any inconsistency on my part il he
takes the trouble to understand the facts.
He assumed that / voted for the admission
Of Tennessee. ] have sent for the journal
Of the Senate
Mr.. Wade. No; | did not say you did.
When you said you did not, gave il up.I
Mr.. Sumner Very we'll; i have sem
for the journal Of the Senate, and nv nams
viii be found recorded on all the yeas and
nays-and they were very nnmerous--thai
were taken, against the admission of Ten
nessee; and ], al that time assigned the
reason, because il contained the word
white" in It's constitution.
Mr.. Wade. YOu voted for the constit,-
tional amendment
Mr.. Sumner. The Senator saws voted
for the constitutional amendment. / ala
vote for the constitutional amendment but
! should like 10 ask the Senator whether he
considers himself bound now 20 admit one
Of these Rebel States il il refuses the suk
frage 10 freedmen. / should like 10 ask nv
friend 10 answer that.
Mr.. Wade No. ! DO not
Mr.. Sumner. l knew he did not.
Mr. Wade. do not know that under
stand the Senator. Let me say that |
should consider myself bound bv the con-
siitutional amendment II the Southern
States complied with il within a reasonable
time, and that reasonable time. in nv
judgment, is nearly elapsed. By reasonl
able time mean as soon as their Iegislal
lures can consider IT, IL they adopt the
constitutional amendment, and comply
with the terms prescribed by the Recon.
struction Committee and adopted hy Con.
gress, ! should feel bound 70 vote for their
admission. voted for the constitutional
amendment on that hypothesis. $50
Mr.. Sumner. Even with the word "white7
in their constitutional
Mr.. Wade Without regard 70 that.
Mr.. Sumner. WithOnttegardtoth rights |
Of the freedmen?
Mr.. Wade. On complying with the re. /
guisitions Of the constitutional amendment |
| should vote for them. -rH
Mr.. Sumner / do not agree with the |
Senator, and / distinctly stated when that |
proposition was under discussion that aid |
not accept il as a fnality; that was not in |
any respect bound by il; that so far as / |
had q vote on this Hoor ! would insist that |
every one Of these States, before their repre- |
sentatives were received in Congress. should |
confer impartial suffrage, without distinc- |
ton Of color. insisted upon that at the |
time, and therefore ] ask nv friend what |
Inconsistency is there on my part nov. |
when ] insist upon the same rule in regard |
10 Nebraska |
Mr.. Wade / cannot see how the Sena-
tor could have misled the Southern States |
with that. When they complied with all |
we asked Of them in the constitutional |
amendment, supposed We could not refuse |
70 let them in on those terms. IL the Sena- |
tor did not intend that they should have the |
benefit OF what we had done by compliance |
with the terms on their part il seems 20 me |
there was something wrong. ] intended 10 |
LEI them m on the terms We prescribed, / |
did not ask more and would not be salts |
Sed with less; and ii now they should com |
ply with them, it would be bad faith IN me |
30 refuse 10 admit them Certainly / am
as much for colored suffrage as any man on |
this floor, but when make such an agree /
ment IS that stand by il alsays.
Mr.. Sumner. Sir the Senator saws
when ! make an agreement I stand by IT, |
| accept the language Of the Senator
when | make an agreement stand bv IL 1
made no such agreement as che senator
attributes 70 me- and ! do not understand /
that the Senate or that Congress made anv
shch agreement. ] know that certair
politicians and certain editors have under /
taken TO foist such an agreement into that
proposition Of constitutional amendment
Twas never SO declared. / heliere that
the Committee on Reconstruction reported
resolution 20 thst effect, bat they never i
called il up, aud I know very we'll thai
offered g resolution in this chamber e1-
pre2siy disavowiRg any such agreement
Mr. Doolittle The Senstor from Mas
sachusetts will allow meY
MT sumner. Certainly.
Mr. Doolittle. The Committee on Re
construction reported q resolution thstif
each State should adopt this amendment
and the amendment should become a mari
oi ne oonstution, be adopted by A sufficient
number OF States, that then the States
might be accepted That was what thsv
reported. my
sMr. johnson. II wss bin
Mr. Wade That was the undersara.
ing ! alluded TO-