The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-05-12
RECONSTRUCTION,


He is for Universal Negro Suffrage and
Reputation OF the Rebel Debt Appor.
tiOnment OF Representation According
20 the Number Of Maze cit izrns-C Conn
pIete Amnesty Rnd Hest0rattOn 90 UiviI
Rights on their Adoption by ths SOuth.
ern States-He DOn't Like the POucy
Of the President nor tho Action Of Com
Rress.
BOSTON, May IL The spacious Music Hall iu this
city was fled with an audience Of three thousand
persons this evening", TO listen TO Major-General
Benjamin Butler give his views on ieconsructo1.
The audience comprised all the leading politicians of
Massachusets, and not lew from neighbOrng
States When he appeared upon the p atfOrm ne
greeted with the most enthusiastic applause, and
after lt had subsided he commenced the expoundlng
of his views upon the absorbing topic which he had
chosen
After few preliminary remarks he came directly
to his subject he said that the principles which
should govern our nation were justice to all men equal
iy OF rights, protection ana power under the q GOyern.
ment, aud any one who would oppose hinder the
operation OF these prncip c. should be AT once put
aside. II theories htndered they would tail; II laws
obsructed they would nave TO be altered; il the
provisions Of the Constitution forbid they would have
10 be amended. tApplause The Constitution was
many of its parts ana provisions were left by our
lorenthers IN condition. inadequate tor the necos-
sities and the growing wants of the present genera.
tion. Its amendments had been few because 1t had
borne so lightly on the people. Had It carried with
II more weight IL would ottener have been amended
The state Constitutions were framed by the same
wisdom, but they had been often amerded tor the
reason thattneV bore directly ON the people
by ibeir proVlslons-were crown with them and
yielded TO thelT desires. The national Constitution
did not provide for any means of acquiring ter
rtores or for the government of them when acquired;
but the expansion of the country and the war with
Mexico had as completely altered it il an amend
mPnt had been passed by Congress and its
passage ratified by two-thrds OF the States H.
then, the eXgencies of the situation of the peoDle
could amend the Constitution, who should saw there
was not in the events of the last tour yearsso mo-
mentous so engraven upon our memories with let
ers OF blood tat 1t was needless 10 recall them at
fitRfn fnnHT tfV1lw
Constitution IN its HEARINGS the people without
discussing the question TO whether the rebelhous
States were in out OF the Union, although IL was
difficult TO perceive how state could be IN the
Union while OIL ITS people were fighting against H.
ana the fact might be admitted they had Withdrawn
ana were now ready TO return The question then
occurred "Under what provisions should these
States be readmitted into the Union TO agaln share
IN the Government and make laws for themselves
and usP
We had acquired bv conquest the title to all they
possessed OF hfe, 1berty land slaves rights consti
tutiOnal otherwise and might We not now treat
them IN such q manner that should De said we
asked them TO come and live with under Divine
lawg There are two Dans of TecOnstru cion before
{ e country The Executive admits that these states
are dlsoTganized and must come to the United
States to be reOTganlzed. He placed them under
Provisional Governors, and asks them TO amend
their Constitutions, and then saws, ''Elect your
State o1lcers Just us you please, and II they
Rebels the Government viii give them pardOns "
This done the President proclaIm that the states are
restored TO the UnOn and are ready TO enter the
halls OF Congress as are New Hampshire and Masss-
chusetts although they fought for the last four ears
to destroy the Government, while New Ha anpshre
and Massachusetts, have spent mil ions of money and
much precious blood TO MAINTAIN the Union IL i4a
little difficult TO see the justice OF this DO cy at first
SIGHT InIs plan. which would be a good one If ali
the people III the South Oya, has this objection
that those who have been fighting us for four wears
don't love u, and don't love the Union, and he tact
that they have abolished slavery because they were
forced TO don't make them love Us any better aud
the tact that they Lave been ordered to repudate the
debt which they contracted during the REBELLION
don't c cate that ardOr and affection uong them
winch they should feel 1or the Governments; and
the tacr that they have been ordered TO reppaI
the ordinance OF secession which they defended
stoutly TO the last man and the last dollar, bat
not the last ditch, does not maze them enthusiastic
friends 10 and lovers OF the Government. The truth
is thev don't like us, ana therefore, we find an
almost insupera6le objection the nature OF tnings
to the plan of the Government Ihe ma iOual Con.
gres has plan for TecOnstruc ion which has pas ,ed
one house with great unammty. (App ause J Con-
gress SAYS that It does not know thar these States
are loyal and, therefore, they shall be kept out until
II Is satisfied that they ready to be lOya There
tore a Commt'e ee has been chosen who after taking
careful testimony for i've months, have reported
that these States are not In a condition to come in
with us.
Ihe first that the Congressional committee pro
pose is that it shall hereafter be made part of the
Constitution that every citizen of the United states
snail have equal power and RIGHTS in the several
states. SecOnd-Ihat representation sha be ap,
pOrhoned among the several States according TO
their respective numbers. ThiTd-That until 1870
no Rebel shall Ia right 70 vote for member of
COnpTess al for electors for President and Vice.
Pres dent Fourth That neither the United states
nor auy state shall assume or nav any debt or ohl
cation already incurred, or which may hereafter be
incuned, in aid OF nsurrection or war aganst the
United States, or any clam or compensation for
loss OF involuntary servItuGe or abOr Ft'th-That
Congress shall have power to enforce these pr0yi.
siOns by appropriate legislation.
The committee alsO reported two acts. The first
provides that whenever three lOurths of the States
shall have adopted these, and the rebeliOus states
shall have modified their constitutions and laws i'm
conformity Herewith, they may send up their
Senators and Representatives to be received and
qualified, and then, if the ReDe States will agree to
these terms Congress will give them ten years credit
10 pay the direct tax Of twenty millions OF dollars
unaer the act OF August b, 1861 the second pro-
Wdes that the President and Vice-President of the
so.called Confederate States, those who acted in
other countries as agents or emissaries of those
States the heads OF departments, former officers OF
the Amy and Navy OF the United States, and all
persons educated in the military or naval academic
OF the United States, Judges of the Courts of the
United ates, and members of either branch OF the
Ihlrty-siAIh congress ol the United StatesS who
gave ard or comfort to the Rebellion, and those
who acted as officers of the sO-called Confgde.
rate states above the grade of colonel IN
the army or captain IN the navy, and any one who
was Governor OF either or any OF the Sta es com
posing the so called Confederate States gave aid or
comfort to the Rebellion, shall never be eligibe 10
once and thOse VINO nave treated our soldiers cap
tured during the war otherwise than lawfully as
prisoners OF war shall be excluded. These seem on
the face well enough; but one Is forced 10 exc aim
alter read them through, Where are the rest of
lhemW As one WOu say when his servant brings
him his coffee and bread for breakfast W are the
eggs and the meatY One great objection with these
suggestions Is that while they debar the disoVa men
OF the South from privileges, they turn over the en-
tire State Government TO the control of these men
without any PROVISIONS for those who aided the GOV.
eminent during the war, and have been loyal all
through. Where in the proposition do we find the
protection OF the rights OF those men who have been
iMthtu and have fought SIDE by side with us9
When we gave the musket to the cOlored man we
promised in the presence Of high Heaven to give
| HIM the ballot, Every man has right, because he
| is man, TO be the equal OF any other man, il he
can, NO law can Affect this. We have no right to