Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1866-01-18
XxXIXth CONGRESS- First Session.
WASHINGTON, Jan. II.
oIsNr A rrIa

| Ine CndlT ldlu DelOTe Tile DeDdJe Jle Gre
dentials of Vim. A. Graham, Senator elect
from North Carolina, which were ordered
to lie upon the table,
Mr.. Anthony, from the Printing commit
tee, reported a resolution for the printing
of ten thousand copies of the late message
of the President and reports of Generals
4 Grant and Schurz on the condition of the
Southern States, which was passed.
Mr.. Wiley introduced bill ceding to the
State of West Virginia certain lands and
tenements at Harper's Ferry belonging to
the United States, which was referred to
the Military committee.
Mr.. Chandler offered a resolution, which
was adopted, calling for whatever informa-
ton the President may have received touch
i ing the violations of the neutrality laws by
the army occupying the right bank of the
Rio Grande. n i.l5..f I.f.
Mr.. Wilson called up the bill to increase
and fix the military peace establishment OF
the United States, which was read and
4 passed over.
On motion Of Mr.. Howe, the bill recon-
mending the establishment of Provisional
Governors for the Southern States was
taken up. and Mr.. Doolittle addressed the
Senate at length in opposition to the reso-
| luton.
Mr.. Doolittle addressed the Senate at
|
two radical ideas, radically false, however,
brought on this civil war; which has cost
the nation more than half million lives
and untold millions of treasure. lst that
States had right to secede; I'd, that slavery
is a blessing. The surrender of these two
ideas by the South is now the basis of per-
maneDt peace. This question, whether
those States are still States in the Union
under the Constitution, is no vain abstrac-
tion, no idea without immediate practical
and most grave consequences. Is it of no
practical consequence whether to adopt an
amendment to the Constitution it requires
the ratification of n or 2l States? Is
it of no practical Importance whether
eleven States, with their ten millions
of people, shall be taxed and governed
without representation, with less than one
third of that number of people? Our fore
fathers, because the Parliament of Great
Britain, in which they had no representa-
tion, passed laws to tax them, declared the
| independence of these States. Is it of no
practical Importance that these eleven
States and ten millions of people shall gov
ern themselves under Republican form OF
Government, subject only to the Constitu-
tiOn of the United States, or whether they
shall be held as subject vassals, to be gov
erned for an indefinite period by the un-
limited will of Congress or by the sword?
Is it of no practical importance whether
the flag of our, country, for which half
million have laid down their lives, and
which bears SO stars as an emblem of a
Union of SO States, speaks an untruth,
or is a monstrous falsehood? These
and like questions are involved in
this discussion and depend upon the ans
wer to the firstv This is, therefore, in
my judgment, question of the first mag
nitude, a question which must be met, a
question which neither men nor parties can
avoid or put aside. Il demands and will
have an answer. "A qustion, too, upon
which there is, and there can be no compro-
mise and no neutrality. They are States in
the Union under the Constitution, or they
are not. We must affirm the one or the
other. We must stand upon one side, sup
porting the Lincoln and johnson policy of
maintaining the Union of States under the
Constitution to be unbroken, or we must
take our stand with the Senator from Mas
sachusetts upon the other, and maintain
that the Union is broken, that secession is a
success and not failure, so far at least as
to withdraw IL States from the Union, or
reduce IL States to the territorial condition.
First, call to mind the language of Presi-
dentLincOln's Proclamation of Dec. s. 1868.
In that he said " make known that when
ever, in any of the States of Arkansas,
Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee,
Alabama, Georgia, Florida, South Carolina
and North Carolina, a number of persons,
not less than one-tenth in number of the
votes cast in such State at the Presidential
election of the year of our Lord, one thou
sand eight hundred and sixty, each having
taken the oath aforesaid and not having
since violated it, and being qualified voter
by the election law of the State existing
Immediately before the so-styled act OF Sc
cession, and excluding all Others, shall re-
establish State Government which shall
be Republican, and in no wise broken said
oath, such shall be recognized as the true
Government of the State, and the State
shall receive the benefits of the Constitu-
tional provision which declares that the
United States shall guarantee to every State
in this Union Republican form of Gov
ernment, and shall protect each of them
against incursiOns." ....-
Mr.. Doolittle continued his remarks at
considerable length, upon concluding which
Senate adjourned.
HOUSE.
Mr.. Longyear offered resolution, which
was adopted, directing the Secretary of the
Treasury to inform the House with what
States, if any, deposits of public moneys,
were made under the 18th and l4th sections
of the act to regulate the disposal of public
moneys, approved June 23d, 1886, together
with the dates and amounts of such depos-
its respectively, and whether the same, or
if any, how much, still remains so deposit
ed, and with what States respectively.
Mr.. Blaine presented the credentials of
Jno.N. Goodwin, delegate from the terri
tory of Arizona, who was qualified and took
his seat. srr
Mr.. Ashley, OF, Ohio, presented the petit
tion of Mr.. Preston, contesting that seat
Mr.. Schenck offered a resolution, and
asked immediate action on it, requesting
the Secretary of War to suspend the sale of
Government buildings and other property
at Point Lookout Nd. He explained that
Point Lookout was point of land on the
Maryland side where the Potomac river
flows into the Chesapeake bay. There were
800 or 400 acres. on which were buildings
previous to the war, occupied in connec-
tion with that watering place. During the
war these buildings were taken for hospit-
al purposes, and the Government establish
ed there depot for prisoners. The build
ings were worth only comparative
ly small sum, but the Government had
expended perhaps $l50000 for the
construction of other buildings and
improvements. The Secretary of War
had ADVERTISED the sale of this property and
furniture, to take place tomorrow. In the
meantime patriotic lady had received the