The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1867-01-19
CONGRESSIONAL.
WASHINGTON, Jan. IL.

Various petitions were presented an
referred, including one asking tor tn
passage of laws against the present sys
| tenn of DISCRIMINATING the Indians.
Mr.. Henderson presented petitio
from citizens of Missouri for an increas
ed duty on fiaxseed. Tabled.
: Mfr. Sumner offered a resolution call
! ing upon the, President of tho Unite,
states to communicate to the Senate,
mot inconsistent with the public inter
est, any correspondence between tn
Department of State and Mr.. Motley
Minister to Vienna, relative to his re
ported resignation.
The Chair said it required the mem
bers consent to consider this resolution
to-day.
Mr.. Buckalew objected, and it lie
over.
Mr.. Wilson, from the Military com
mittee, reported q bill of last session
to establish and protect the nationa
cemeteries, requiring each grave to b
marked with the name of the occupant
and each cemetary to be enclosed witt
a stone or iron fence, and approprlatini
j $50, 900 for carrying ont tho purpose.
& At the suggestion Of Mr.. Wade ant
Others, the bill was laid over for tn
present.
Mr.. Henderson presenteda bill declar
ing the bridge built by the North Mis-
souri, railroad company across the Mis-
souri, river at st. Louis to be lega
structure. Part read, and referred.
Mr.. Salisbury moved that the Senat'
take up his resolution calling uPoI
the heads OF Departments for lists OF re
movals from Office made between
March 4th, 1861, and March LIST, 1860
Motion rejected.
The bill to regulate the tenure OF OF
fee was taken up. The question wa
upon Summers amendment, as an addl
tional section, providing that all OH
GERS of the Government, except clerk
of Departments, whose salaries exceed
81 900 per annum, should be appointed
by the President, by and with the ad
vice of the Senate.
Mr.. Sumner said 1t is now little
more than o year ago since l felt 1t my
duty to characterize message OF TIT
President as white-washing. That mes
sage presented the condition OF things
in the rebel States as fair and promising
when prevailing evidence was directly
the other way. Of course this wa.
white-washing; and this was a milo
term for such document; and you can
not forget how certain Senators, horror
struck ut this plainness, leaped forward
to vindicate the President. Yesterda!
some of these same Senators, horror
struck again, leaped forward again t.
the same task. Time has shown l wa
right in nv former assertion. Ii any
body doubts that was right yesterday
| commend him to time, and he will no
have to wait long. For myself, l shall
always insist upon complete freedom
of debate and shall exercise it. Thanh
God. now the slave-master has beef
driven from this chamber. Such a
last il the liberty of an American Sen
ator. OF course there can he no citizen
of q republic too high for exposure, a.
there can be none too low for prOtec
ton. These are not only invulnerabl'
liberties, but commencing duties. Al
last the country is opening its eyes to
the actual condition of things. Already
il sees that Andrew johnson, who came
to supreme power by bloody accident
has become the successor of Jefferson
Davis in the spirit by which he is gov:
erned and the mischief he has inflicted
upon his country. 1t sees the PRESIDENT
of the rebellion released BY the Presi-
dent of the United States. 1t sees TIN
violence which took the life of his
illustrions predecessor. 1t is now,
by his perverse cspplicity, ex-
tending through the rebel States,
making all who have the honor the VIC
tins, and filling the land with oppres.
sion, it sees the war upon the faithful
JTnionists is still continued under his
powerful auspices without any distinc.
ton of color, so that both white and
black are sacrificed: it sees he is mon
ster of discord and not u minister OF
peace: it sees 50 long as his opinion pre-,
walls there is small security of tranquil
ity or reconciliation; that the restriction
of prosperity in the rebel States Sc
much lOnged for must be insincere II
the whole country must be embarrassed
and those conditions upon which rests .
sound currency must be postpOned; al
this the country now sees but indignation
assumes the form of judgment when it II
seen this far reaching mischief. Second
". the rebellion itself, of which 1T Il
"A continuation, is invigorated and eX
tended through plain usurpation. Sir
in holding up Andrew Johnson to judg
ment, | do not allude to his exposure %
himself in a state of beastly intOxica
ton while he was taking his oath Of Of
fee; nor do l allude to the Raudlii
speech by which he has disgraced tn,
country as it never was before; nor do
hearken to any reports OF pardons soi'
or corruption. This is not the cas-
against him, nor my duty to presen
them in this argument. These thing
are very had, but might not, in tn
opinion of some Senators, justify us o.
the present occasion; or, in othe
words, might not be snficien
reason for the amendment whic
/ have moved, but there is reaso
which is ample. The President ha
usurped the power of Congress on
colossal seal, and he has employed thes
, usurped powers in fomenting a rebe
, spirit and in awakening anew the dyin
, fires of the rebellion. This is the grea
and objectionable offence for whicI
history must condemn him, if you d
not. He is n usurper though the who'll
infinite wrong has been done to hi
country. He is n usurper who, fror
rising to be Moses, has become . Pha
roah, and in the maintenance of hi
usurpation has employed powers of re
moval from office. Some who would no
become the partizans of his tyranny
he has, according to his own language
kicked eut. Others are left but silence'
by his menaees or the fate of their asso
ciates.
Mr.. Sumner proceeded to argue tina
| the duty of the hour was to protec
loyal citizens against the President
Mr.. Edmunds replied briefly to tin
remarks of Mr.. Sumner as to the neces
sity for this amendment, and argue'
against it. .s.
Mr.. johnson regretted that Mr.. Sum
ner in discussing the proposition, ha'
seen fit to allude to the President il
which he was sure he would, upon re
Election, see reason to regret. He (Sum
ner) had said almost in words, that tn
power of removal from office ought t
be taken from the President, becaus
he had proved himself an enemy of hi
country, because he had proved himsel
an usurper in this particular condition
of affairs, unknown to the Senate.
IA 80 ~