The Norfolk post. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 1865-1866, 1866-01-13

Mr.. VOORHEES, mfr. Bingham yieldin
the fioor) said he expected to be scoIdet
for what he had declared. The Ameri
can Union being one of states ono
formed, he did not know Of any power
in the state or Federal Government Il
destroy the states. If that signifiec
once state always state, the gentle
man was right. If hard epithets ap
piled to him, they also applied to The
President, for the President declared tn,
true theory was that all pretended act.
of secession were from the beginnins
null and void; that the states attempt
ing to secede had their vitality impaired
but not extinguished, and their func.
tons were suspended. not destroyed
But gentlemen said all the states which
passed ordinances of secession were dead
| Who killed these states? Who deal
the blow! Did Jefferson Davis xii
them. or the eleven confederated states
| Where is the destroying angelo, H.
held there was no element of destruc
ton in them. AS in the beginning, SC
now-they are living states in the
American Union. He repeated, he had
asserted the position of the President
and every assault upon him was an as
sault upon the President.
| Mr.. Bingham resumed. The gentle.
man from Indiana had notified the
House and the country that the Presi.
| dent held that once a state always q
| state. But the President had asserted
no such thing; nor did the President
assume that the rebel states, having
surrendered to the victorious legiOns OF
| the Union, are entitled to representa-
| ton without let or hindrance. Would
| the gentleman undertake to say, by the
merest platitude, that if five thousand
men in South Carolina chance to be
| represented in convention for the pur-
pose of coming back into the Union, the
residue of the unrepenting rebels have
right to be represented as state?
Mr.. Voorhees, replied, the easiest and
most absurd argument was to suppose
an absurd thing. General Grant did
not find such a state of affairs, and he
was willing to take his word. When
five thousand men were found repre-
sented in convention it would be time
to consider that question.
Mr.. Bingham, resuming, said the
gentleman from Indiana stood behind
the shadow of mighty name. He was
not certain that General Grant touched
the borders of South Carolina. The
gentleman said he was satisfied with the
testimony of General Grant, but he
could not be thus satisfied because Gen.
Grant has not given such testimony.
Hewas not Filling to concede that those
who gave aid to the rebellion should be
entrusted with the great interests in the
keeping of the republic. The only
safety to the Union is in the hands Of
its friends. The purpose is simply to
take security for the future, but not ask
indemnity for the past, The gentleman
himself voted for what he wanted-se-
curity for the future-by casting his
vote in favor of the constitutional
amendment, prohibiting the assumption
of the rebel debt. If they could demand
that one security for the future, could
they not take in more for the benefit of
all sections? 1t did not appear to the
gentleman, when he read from the
Presidents message, that therein the
President reproduced from the author of
the Declaration of American Indepen-
dence the truth that the true intent of
government is "equal and exact Justice
to all men," This constitutes the
watchword of the Presidents message.
But OF this the gentleman was ObliviOus
when he made his speech. In the first
Congress of the confederation q motion
was made 10 limit citizenship 10 white
freemen. Four-ffths of all the people
were there represented, and in ITS the
deputies rejected it with scOrn, and ex-
Guided it from the fundamental law, and
therefore it never found place i'm the
Constitution and laws of the United
States. Having one measure of secu-
rty, we may, require another, and the
purpose OF the Constitution is "equal
and exact Justice" He thanked the
President for uttering this watchword of
the purer and better days of the repub.
iic. 1t applies equally to the white and
black man.
The time was when it was unsafe for
a citizen of Massachusetts, or other
Northern sVte, to be found in the streets
of Charleston or Richmond; because in
spite of and in violation of the Constitu-
ton of the United States, all guarantees
OF that instrument were disregarded. 1t |
was time we take security for the future,
so that no more attempts may be made |
TO dismember the Republic. He repealed |
with scorn the assertion that he co-ope-
rated with any party which iMposed |
unequal or unjust burdens ON any state
Of the Republic. He undertook To say
hat the President would cooperate in
Introducing into the Constitution that
which will perfect it, so that we may
cap the great end for which the Consti- 7
Ntion was ordained, and to make a
more perfect Union, promote the public
and establish justice as now
written in the front of the Constitution,
veil might the President say, "equal
md exact Justice to all men,
He repealed every intimation that the
eprese tatives here have manifested
lie slightest disposition to interfere with
he just prerogatives of the President, or
o make up conflict with him. If the
lay eyer comes when he will find no
Importers except among those who, in
S64, were buried SO deep that the hand
4 resurrection can never find them,
hen God help the President, and save
i'm from his friends. [Applause.
The Speaker promptly interpossd to
heck the disorder, and reminded those
rho produced it that neither such APP
rotation or disapproval would be per-
1itted.
Mr.. Bingham, resuming, examined,
tile more closely the Presidents posi-
on. He had understood, all his life,
nat difference in words was nothing
they agreed in substance.
The express position Of the President
vas in exact accord with the position of
lis. House, that the functions of the in
lrrectionary states were suspended by A..
leir own act. They cannot assert their /.
ghts or claim representation on this