Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1867-02-22
Government Of Insurrectionary
States.
REMARKS OF HON. +. \. PIKE,
or MAINE,
IN TIE Ux-sE OF REPRESENTATIVES,.

hEMAKAS Of HUN L. ~ HlNE,
or MAINE,
tx uosxr IN, Rrrrrsrxr, rrvrs.
80
hso."my q MO-, ~. hi,
ar NJ n, lT, ri To rr"Vilc far , n ore efec nal
government of the insurrectionary state>-
Mr.. PIKE. said.
Va. SPEAKER: In the limited time award.
ctl'to me propose to make but two points.
FIRST it does not secmtomc tlIt the change
proposed to be made by this bill in the
management Of the southern States is 81
violent as gentlemen Oh the other side
we,iid have It's suppose. They seem to be-
lieve that now the people OF those States
govern themselves. but the truth Is. since
the suppression of the rebellion, that IS.
since tine surrender OF the rebel armies i'll
1850, the government OF those States has
been virtual III the haltis oil the resident
vi the Cnited States. Last session we cali
ct upon the president to furnish to Con
SresS the correspondence between himself
and the Governors OF the States lately in
llsurrectloi. In that correspondence and
otherwise we have had ON 'il'iy from the
Executive >tatnent OF this mode OF deal
ing with them. anu 1t exhibits the tact that
the President, whenever he has chosen to
intervene, has done So. lie has authorized
elections, ana whenever disposed TO aoide
the result has done 50; setting them aside
whenever he Wisheo' heeu not mention
the INSTANCES they viii occur to all gentle
INCA wle, nave rt'tu 'ha l,.iniic prihts 10Y
the last TWO years. New OrieahS' Mooiie'
:tnuKichmond are tiioSe !iiat occur TO me
1list now. h"t Tue Seierai 'r,,lh Is ina. III
ai'instaneeS whenever the ffesitieht mas
hot been s!iished. WIN tne result OF n
election on WIN tue result ot legislative ac-
lion IN those States ne mas aiSreGafueu IL.
lie ny virtu" VI ms :@"ho'iy us tiei Exec
NhIve. coniinaii'er-ih Niiet vi Tue armies
vi the hiteu S.htes. assuming 10 cNercise
within hi'nseih Tue power % 'hc "oNerh-
meat, mas hhefNehca anu controlled those'
S!a.es' 80,
lie began WINNIE coils,'t'',iohai cohNeh-
ton, directih" WI" Sho"ih eject the mem
bers and VINO >hoaia De eictled. lie t"i-
1--WE" IL up W t">'' .'e'i''I 'io>c Ioin cii
"'i> mhas ie"e IN >iiI'"' pa, ...'' " 's'
omit. deet'f"S upon "i%lt eon"'ioaS ne
would ALLOW tffs ,'o'e.iors clec'eu by thc
people vi the otatee to eNc,Sis ,'ie i''t'c-
ions OF the ON rs u "',ich 'he. hiu pee;!
chosen. Ana since ne iiI' never ceased
1'fa moment TO exercise tiie supreme con
trol Whehe'cF ne S'M IT. haNtiS ii Ill MS
power TO cause theih' 10 "lePt OF reject the
CONSTITUTIONAL ahlc,iu'iei'ts- peia@ uii-
doubtedly Responsible lof their rejection
ny those states To 20 any other act al
fccting their relations Win III: General Gov
crament.
The proposition OF thus Dili Is to regulate
AMI define this fitiui control SO exercised
by the Executive. Instead OF allowing
nm 10 govern tiic>t Suites ~ his u" IL ihcte
motion. 1t puts the supreme control under
the General ana higher elllcefs Oh the Army
WINS authority is not to be exercised freak
ishly. but only when occasion calls Tor IL.
courts. Jurors. ant legislators are to uii-
derstand that the people OF me nteu
States cNneft thenfto oeaElh>'iN by all
classes OF the population a1ia govern Them
selves aceot7@i%iy- NneiL gent leiaei. on
the other side OF the House come to reflect
that the bill DOES not transfer the @oFcrii-
mclt of those States from tue people 10
the officer of the Army. but only from the
president to those officers. hope. they
will become better reconciled to it than
they now appear TO be.
That is the first point wish to make.
The second is that there is an urgent he
.~-sity for ac;iolTOt7tl.. part Of Congress.
And submit to the ltoisctwo Instances
representative in caaracter-w!Ecii Illus
trate the necessity for action.
The mon committing the crime were ar
rested. tried. and convicted. before amili-
tary commission sitting at Charleston. The
examination of witnesses occupied some
Two months. and every opportunity was
given to the accuscd-to make defence.
the Government procuring the attendance
aet.,rir witnesses. Four of the nu,rtle: ers
were convicted. ;rfifth escapetl'arrcst and
the other was not idcntifihd by the wit
DeS>eS.
The convicts were imprisoned in the CAS-
tie l'inckney. thence transferred to the Dr.
Tortucas. and thence by order Of the Pres
ident to fort Delaware. from which they
were released on habeas corpus by Judge
Hall of the district court.
Mr.COOPER. Let me ask the gentle
man a single question. The gentleman
r-e,lr Maine states that these prisoners were
J,movctlifrom, the Dry TunuwaS to Fort
Delaware by authority of!the President.
Iask,tlfe gentleman to state whether he
does not know the tact 10 ne mat tiie See
rctary OF war assumes an t'e resPoa>i-
bhy for that romofai is haNiiS oeeh uohe
By himself!
Mr.l'lhE.- Ebat Is the TACT. l make no
point on the President ON this account.
After being released these men returned to
their place ofre>idenee ut Ahe'cS~on i'll.
south Carolina, and there thcy were rec
cived by Il general ovation OF the peopleoi
the place. Awitncss before the &c . :. COM
mittee appointed to examine into this case
testified that the opinion was universal III
Anderson tiat tic men coiNic'eu were the
muruer"rS. but tii'tt uiiuc IL" uiercHcc'
The people turned Out ana sanctioned the
murder ny welcoming the in,ifucTcrs' ARC
no step mas since nceh taken I" puni>i'
these men. Otitfai SckitS. COMMANDING