The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1867-01-10
From rhs Report Of Last Saturdays Dsbdts IN
the Rou1s Of Representatives..
SPEECH OF MR.. sPALDINa.


SPEECH OF MR.. sPALDING.
Mr.. Spalding having the floor, made
some remarks in reply to the ohserva-
tions of Mr.. Stevens rejecting on him,
made the day before the adjournment
over for the holidays. 1t so appeared
that whenever he (Mr. SpaIding) made
a remark to the House, he was subject
ed to the caustic criticisms of the learn
ed gentleman from Pennsylvania. So
when he undertook, in the most ipno-
cent manner, to explain his statements
| in reference to the lately rebellious
States, and to show that injustice had
| been done him IN the Washington
\ C6ronicLe, the gentleman Mr.. Stevens)
had declared that his argument was
the editor, and that the doctrine
implied in the resolution on which
| that article commented was the
| most pernicious that could pos
| sibly be got to obstruct the final free
| reconstruction Of the Government.
l Reconstruction Committee to report
| that was the view of Congress in pass
ing the constitutional amendment. His
| friend had once made Il good humored
fling at him when he happened TO ditter
with him in some of his propositions by
saving there was a vacant judgeship in
| Northern Ohio. he ack knOwledged the
hit Qaughter), but he was not a candt-
date for that judgeshiP- He called his
friends attention, however, to a very
euIogistic notice of him in connection
| with a seat in the United States Senate.
l(Laughter.) Let the one offset the 9TH
er, and let it be understood that neither
of them was in much danger OF tempta-
ton, in respect to either Office. Refer
| ring to the constitutional amendment,
he declared that his original under
standing was that that was to be taken
as n measure OF conciiation in part,
| between the loyal and disloYal States.
and that when the latter should have
signified their appreciation of the con-
| stitutional amendment, and should
have modified their State governments
| so as to pass the ordeal of Congress,
they would be admitted to representa-
| tion. The canvass i'll the State of Ohio
was carried on on the basis of the con
stitutional amendment alone. He had
uniformly told the people in his district
that whenever the Southern States
adopted the constitutional amendment
he should vote to receive their represent
atives, and!he had never met with a dis
senting voice in his district. The Uni
| ted Staes Republican Committee haC
held forth to the country that the grea
, turning point in the readmisSion of out
standing States was the adoption of the
amendment The State Republican
Convention of New York had declared
the same thing, and the election in tina
State took place on that hypothesis
He therefore claimed that those mem
ibeIs who now said that the conStitu
tional amendment, if adopted, settled
nothing, were in that respect in error
1t might not settle everything, but /
would go u good way toward restoring
the terms of pacihcation and recon
| struction. Even if the bill of Steven
] for the reconstruction OF the rebe
States We're passed. and those outstand
ing communities were reconstructed o.
! h ~ ufT
- constitutional amendment should nc
get the go-by. He had been making
visit recently in Virginia and foun
that the CHIEF objection there was to tn
third section of the amendment Th
ueople in Petersburg had expressed
him the idea, that W bile they could nc
agree to that section themselves, yet,
the government put it in force, the
" would not resist ii. -.ls B.. .... III.
- Mr.. Kelley in confirmation of thi
statement, stated that he had le
ters from lawyers and officer
and soldiers who served in the confeC
= crate army, urging that, as the result
y the war, they hadlost their rights as IL
iiividuals and as States, and yet q
States alone could they act on the col
1t stitutionalI lIimendment; also, that the
could not personally sustain that thiI
section to strike down their leaders WI
had participated with them in a con
mon cause; but that if the amendmeI
were adopted, and the government e.
81 ercised its right under it, there woul
do be no resistance To II in the South.
We Mr., Spalding said he did not kno
how extensively that sentiment migi
prevail. What he would suggest wa
that the constitutional amendment
left in the train of adoption until Il
4th of March next, when the Eortle
Congress would meet II at that tln
- il should be proved that that measu
4 were repudiated by the Southern Stat
and flung back with contempt in q
face of Congress, then the gentlemt
from Pennsylvania Mr.. Stevensl cou
call up his reconstruction bill, and
y (Mr. Spalding) would be one OF I
}, foremost to go with him IN any prac
cal measure TO reconstruct after I
manner he signified. He complains
of the party trammels sought to be II
posed on members. Heretofore, inc
pendence of thought and action II
been permitted to members, but now
= seemed as if every difference OF oplnl
amounted to deSsFtion from the Repu
I. Tican ranks. For himself; he was be
~ to saw it would take some time ana
little trouble to get him out of the
publican ranks He was in at the
IL. ception of the Republican party, a
long before he had laid down the nc
ors Of the highest judicial office in Or
because he differed with the Democra
party there on the subject OF the tu
\ tive Slave law He had often been c9
l. ed at home a damned Radical" a
UR vet in the house he was charged W
being. somewhat conservative.
were members of the Republican pa
to be called upon, as at the sound OF
bugle, to impeach the Chief Execut
ock officer of the government without a
time for reflection or consideratio
He did not question that the Presid
,,ts-t of the United States had said and dt
a great many wrong things. He mig
re- perhaps, say that some of them
.lse- preached the very verge of "
- 4 would form good article
y Impeachment. He did not SITS
:" here for the purpose of excusl
u much less applauding, any part of
81 conduct of their eminent Chief MAJ
, trate while he was traversing the co
;. try last summer, nor any time since
n difference with Congress occurredj
x he did stand here TO Vindicate the
el-l- political institutions OF the governm
lie against the rudeness ofal such assau
He was not given to fear without, car
but his age was such that he must
Dernitted 10 listen rather to the co
q II sells of reason than TO those of passi
. BY and If would be wise in this House
.. the Senate to proceed in these &
- matters with some degree of eaut
He had been partisan long enougl
hESs know that extreme measures did