The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1866-05-25

lion, without giving us the benefit OF their
conclusions OF .heir consultations, and of
their examinaiions When this commits
tee as at first raised ii was proiessed!y
for tie purpose of aiding 10 the restoration
OF the Union, and providing for the repre-
senlation Of ,le absent states, but it has
become only partisan machine in the in
terezt Of the republican party. Its effort
and purpose, If we may judge from the
reports which it has made. have been,
not 10 furnish a way OF restoration, not TO
ascertain If they were entitled to repre-
sentation, but to prevent or DELAY lndeti-
nite!y both representation and restoration.
Every report that has been made bias
shown upon It's face the evidence Of
discrimination to delay, if not to destroy.
And the chairman Of the committee in
bis speech of yesterday at the opening Of
this debate, said that the southern repre-
sen;atiges must not be permitted TO come
in until we will it.
The committee stands, therefore, resist
ING the restoration Of the Uuion, and |
hope that no further business will be re-
ferred to it. 1t has rendered itself un>
worthy OF the high duty with which it
was charged by the resolution which l
have read. It has Lot sought to give us
Information. 1t has not sough: to furnish
evidence whether these states were fit for
or entitled to representation. But it is
reporting measure after measure that
must cause not only delay during the
present session of congress, but delay even
beyond this congress. To adopt the re-
mark of the gentleman from Pennsylvania
Mr.. BOYER the committee has been
seeking how not to restore rather than to
restore the Union. Every obstruction.
every obstacle which they should contrive,
they have placed in the way OF restoration.
Now, it is proposed to restore the Union
by adopting this amendment to the con
stitulion? do no: believe that the pro-
position looks &c any such purpose; it
has DO object. But the committee,
seeing the hand writing on the wall, seeing
the public sentiment of the country in
favor CT restoration, seeing the disrepute
into which it was falling, seeing the chars
acter which 1t had attained before the
country, sought to appease and allay that
popular sentiment by compromise in res
gard to these questions of difference among
themselves.
Why is it that the gentleman from
Pennsylvania Mr.. SrEyESs] gives up
universal suffrage? Why is it that he
and other gentleman give up universal
confscation Why is it that other gen
temen give up universal bu,chery Of that
people: It is a compromise of what
they call principle OF saving their party in
the next fall election.
The gentleman from Ohio Mr.. GAR
FIELD said yesterday that they mus,
strike out the third section or the people
would be suspicious that this thing was
done in the interest Of party. Suspicious
Does not the proposed amendments carry
on Its face the evidence that il originated
in the interests of party? 1t is reported
and speeches are made upon it in the in>
terest of party and party purposes.
The chairman Of the committee Mr..
STEVENS tells us that these etates are
not necessary to be counted in the sub
mission Of this constitutional amendment.
lie scouts and scorns the idea that they
are entitled to the right of rejecting or
approving it. And here is another incon-
| sistency on the face of the resolution it.
self which in the preamble reads, that
the following article be proposed to The
! legislatures of the several states as an
amendment to the constitution These
states are recognized in the resolution IL
ielf; every section, line, and sentence rec
ognizes them as states in the Union. The
word Estate " is used in The first section.
which says, "nor shall any state deprive
any person of life, liberty, or property
without due process of law That has
reference only to The southern states, for
there was never and necessity to apply it
TO the northern states.
So in the second section the word
State" is used in the same sense, and
also in the third section, admitted OF all
hands to apply not to the northern but to
the southern states exclusively. And yet
The gentleman from Pennsylvania MIR
STEvENsl tells US that the southern states
are not to be counted in adopting or re-
iectirg this proposed amendment.
The second section of the joint resolu-
ton is also Inconsistent with the action
of the committee. They reported the bill
known as the civil rights BILL" which
has become law What necessity is
there, then, for this amendment to the
constitution if that bill was constitutional
at the time of its passage? Is it not an
admission that it was not !? Az, but the
gentleman from Pennsylvania gives US
here another party reason He tells US
| that the time may come when the demo-
Gratis will get possession of congress, and
| if you depend upon mere act of cons
gress, that it will be repealed and be
seeks to evade the popular will and to
thwart the popular desire by placing in
the constitution now, while portion of
the states are unrepresen;ed, an amends
ment to the constitution, SO that the peo-
pie cannos have their way about it. This
Is Of itself an admission that the whole
scheme is ia the interest of party alone,
to preserve and perpetuate the party idea
of this republican di.uuion party.
But there is one thing about this reso-
luton which is most remarkable if those
eleven states are ont Of the Union, and it
g this: that notwithstanding the PROPOSE
ton here 20 amend the constitution IN
three particulars there is not vet any plan