The Tiffin weekly tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1859-1868, 1866-03-29
From Washington,

ana hon. WIN. LAWRENCE, in Com
mittee Of the Whole, being a genera
. debate on the Presidents annual Mes
sage, in the House on the Gath inst
Mr.. BUCKLAND, Of Ohio, run
ion next addressed the House. liz
said that the people we're becoming
: very impatient et the delay in recon
struction, and did not understand why
Congress did not alopt some definite
lplan. Ho held that the people Of O
State finding themselves, from any
cause, without Government might
orgnnize a government, aud exercise
its functions without the assent OF
Congress but he did not think that
Representatives should be admitted
from Tennessee, or any of the rebel
States, without concurrent or Joint
action of both branches of Congress.
He deprecated the warfare waged
against the President The people
did not believe that Mr.. johnson was
about to prove recreant 10 the great
trust reposed in him. and they would
stand by him, regardless of attacks
from any quarter. lie disapproved
Of the assaults made upon the Presi-
dent, and thought they were uncalIcd
for and out ofplacc He did not follow
the Chairman Of the Reconstruction
Ccmmittee--Nlr. Stevenson that
part of his plan Of reconstructine the
rcbtllious States. IL seemed to him
as if it was the policy to get up bad
state of feeling between the President
and Congress, and to destroy the con
Gdence of loyal people in the Presi-
dent. He would not be party to any
such warfare. If he were sure that
the rights Of loyal whites and freed.
men would be re pected and protected
by the Southern people, he would vote
to-day to restore those States TO their
political relations with the Govern
ment, without requiring more than
single amendment to the Constitution,
and thai woald be on the subject OF
apportioning representation. His own
opinion was Misrepresentation should
he founded solely upon voters. lie.
was very anxious that measures should
he devised that would satisfy the pco
pie both North and South, so that
they might again meet together in
cordial friendship, on terms of perfect
equality. aud with mutual respect
He hoped that before this Congress
adjourned such measures would be
Idopted.
MIR. LAWRENCE, of Ohio, (U0l
spoke at length on the constitutional |
prohibiting Congress or
States from making compensation on
account of the emancipation of the
slaves. There was now in the United
States Treasury part Of the S9,000,
600 applicable to payment for slaves
enlisted, and this was provided for by
law, and, as the amount was small, it
was not proposed, he said, to disturb
that and he then proceeded to ar
guc in favor of the general amend
mcnt to the Constitution. Slaves were
not property at common law, and none
of the States which in our past histo-
ry abolished slavery ever made com
pcusation for them. There was no
obligation on the part Of the Govern
ment to make compensation for slaves
emancipated. Our national debt was
nearly three thousand million dollars,
and it would require us to increase
that debt one thousand two hundred
of dollars to pay for the
slaves. If we would avoid repudia-
ton we must forever prohibit the pos
sibility of this, as it was important
that the question should be finally
settled. lie exhibited statistic ta-
bic, showing that itwould require one
fourth of all taxable property Of the
slave States to pay for the slaves, liI
we did not prohibit this the Northern
Democracy would unite with the
South in the scheme of making pay.
ment. lie read extracts from the
Of the so.called Governor Of
South Carolina, aud from Gen. Schurz's
report, showing that tho South was
now making the demand, The Nr-
ginia Legislature had recently pro
posed to take an inventory Of all the
slaves of the States, with view to
payment.
Lotus forever close this question, or
it will rise up to create alarm among
the creditors Of the nation, ii we do
not make amendments they will not
be made when rebel Representatives
ill these Halls The public demand
amendments changing
the basis Of representation, prohibit
ng the payment for the rebel debt, and |
prohibiting payment for emancipatod
slaves.