The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1867-07-12
Stevens vs.. Trumbull,

Whether the reconstruction bill reported
by Thad Stevens, as chairman OF the special
committee on that question, and which
passed the house at Washington on Tuesday,
shall or not be accepted by the senate, in
lieu of the one reported by Mr.. Trumbull,
the grounds taken by Stevens in his speech
Just before the passage of his bill very plain
ly and clearly declare the assumption of the
radical party in congress concerning the re-
iation of the south to the federal government.
We append an extract from the opening of
his speech: = -a=----~z ~
'.Mr. Stevens closed the debate. saying that
he confessed small portion of the blame for the
acts of the President since congress adjourned
was due to the improper language of the bills. If
we had all agreed as we have since agreed, that
the states lately in rebellion were conquered ter
ritory subject to this nation such, and if we
had treated them accordingly, we should have
had but very little trouble in the reconstruction
of this government on the principle of the admis-
sion Of new states but we were not all perfectly
prepared for it in our understanding Of the laws
of nations"
In another portion of his speech he says
the southern states are territories, and that
the constitution does not apply to them. In
this, Mr. Trumbull disagrees with him. The
former SAYS SLOW long military govern
.nent in the south can be continued is a
question left to the discretion of the SOW
'ereign power of the United States, exercis-
ing its authority in the spirit of our institu-
'tions and in subordination to the constitu-
tom @an
Stevens is consistent, and Trumbull is in
consistent and hypocritical. 1t is a palpa-
BILE absurdity to say that military govern
ments, purely despotic in their character,
can be continued in ten states in this Union
in time of profound peace, and yet be in
obedience "to the spirit of our institutions,
and in subordihation to the constitution
Whether the south is or is not conquered
territory, military despotism, SO long as heI
people are orderly and acknowledge and
obey the federal authority within her limits
is war upon the spirit of our institutions and
upon the plainest and most important prin
ciples of the constitution. g
Stevens avoids such patent nonsense. He
SAYS the southern states are to be governed
by processes tswholly outside of and unknown
'to the constitution" 1t is not necessary Il
follow his argument tending to prove the cor
rectness of this position.
1t has been refuted times without number
by the best and most eminent statesmen IL
the country. The radical party in congress
has repudiated his assumption, so far as pro
LESSONS are concerned, but, in the passage
"a LIE HlllthEy aDiiiss Esaftutily auincu AVE-
correctness. The old man is not so full 20
venom that it has displaced egotism in hi
composition. He could not forbear telling
his radical associates that they were too cow
ardly to acknowledge the correctness of his
theory, while they were SO treacherous tt
principle as to base their legislation on it.
There can be no defence of the military bills
on any other ground. Any intelligent at
tempt at an Interpretation of them, which
essays the application of constitutional prin
ciples in their construction, must lead to the
opinion expressed by Attorney General
Stanberry, that they are unconstitutional
He declared them to be SO, and Stevens ad
mits he was right. As the bills had passed
over the Presidents veto, the attorney gen
eral assumed that, notwithstanding their un
constitutional character, they were to be en-
forced, and he accordingly gave them an in
depreciation controlled by as great regard
for "the spirit of our institutions as thei,
infamous character would permit.
For this, his opinion is denounced bv Mr.
Trumbull as preposterous, while Stevens
says it is warranted aby the proper language
of the bills" Why was the language inn.
proper !? Because it left room for the infer
ence that "the states lately in rebellion were
not conquered territory and, as such, wers