The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-01-21

Mr. gCoFrE1D mistaking the object of the
Speaker inquired whether his time was out
No. suggested Mr. STEVENS, in n low tone OF
voice, he is only calling you TO order Tor doing
fhe witticism Was laughed at by those near
enough 10 catch It,.
Mr.. sCoFIELD resuming, said that this old
Judge at the direction OF this old diplOmatist
undertook to decide that the people of the
country had no power In IT, ana undertOok, by
single witch OF his gown, to launch into the Go
yernment the debris of the Contederacy, like an
old torpedo-une eN ploded, but with lighted fuse
The Socretarr had chosen, without authority OF
law TO send the Constitutional Amendment to
the Confederate States, and solicited their ac-
ton upon IT, and then pointed to that as pre-.
cedent for his judge. He was trying to get all
the branches Of tue Executive Department to
take action that would make further precedents.
The Secretary Of the Interior was Instructed by
him to send to the Rebel communities agricul-
tural scrip, which can only be given to states;
and.the Treasury and Post Office Departments
were being urged out of their way to give, in
some shape or other, recognition nod; but
what the Secretary relied upon most was the
continued existence and toeration of his own
pet Governments by Congress. He would say
that the Executive Department had recognized
them as States and that Congress had seen his
little State governments running down there
year, a year and half or two years, and mad
done nothing to set them aside.
Mr.. COOPER aske d MIR. Scofield whether the
House had not by resolution directed its Clerk,
Mr.. Mcpherson, to forward the Constitutional
Amendmentto to the different States before it was
known that the Secretary of State had for
Mir. SCoF1E1D replied that he was not sure
about that In conclusion he pointed the
House TO the spectacle of the obstacles inter
posed to the execution Of the national Will by
the Jingle Of one old mans bell and the rustic
of another old mans gown.
Mr.. WARD (Ky) addressed the House in oppo-
sitiOn TO the bill. If Congress would only adopt
the doctrine OF kindness instead of that of per-
secution, the Joint Committee on Reconstruc-
tiOn might be discharged. lie denounced this
bill as bill OF forcibe secession. The Secession
of 1891 he said, differed from that of 1867 in this
That the first was voluntary while the last is
involuntary and compulsory. what the cOun-
try needed was peace, repose, profound, health
ful, substantial peace. Peace was indis-
pensable TO the maintenance of public credit
10 the payment of the public debt, to all the
material interests of the country. Could
that neace be got by irritation? Could the
wounds of the country be healed by irritation
No! Perfect peace and repose were tndls-
pensable to The healing Of those wounds
Speaking of negro suffrage, he said that the
present status of the negro reminded him OF a
picture he had seen representing woman
beating her husband with broomstick, while
in the background negro was Kicking dog
and saying:-"Master hcks me; missus licSs
master, and lick you, you Internal dog" So
Congress- bosses the Freedmen'S Bureau; the
Freedmen's Bureau bosses the darlley, and the
darlley bosses the white man. CLaughter) He
appealed against the doctrine of persecu-
must be made Odious. The penalty which the
people of the South had paid for going into
civil war was punishment enough. The chill
dren Of the Southern States were crying for
bread, and Congress was answering that cry by
denunciatiOns Of vengeance.
alas, Alas, 70 for the rarity of Christian charity
Not only did Congress refuse them bread to
feed the body, but il also refused to feed the
mind, the House having recently adopted a
resolution forbidding the sending to the South
ern States agricultural college scrip. God had
said, LET there be light" but this House by its
vote, had said Let darkness prevail" He
closed his remarks by appealing for peace and
conciliation.
Nr. PLANTS spoke in support of the bill
While 1avoring, however. the reference of the
bill and substitute to the Joint Committee on
Reconstruction, he took strongground in favor of
annulling the existing State Governments in the
SOUTH distranchising the Rebels, and entran-
Chising the blacks.
Mr. MILLER Q2a) indicated that he would, at
the proper time, offer as an amendment an ad-
! ditional section, providing that no State shall
| be admitted to representation in Congress until
! it ratified the Constitutional Amendment. He
| said he understood that the gentlemen having
charge Of the bill had no objection to the amend
| ment. lie went on and made speech in sup
| port Of the bill and his amendment, declaring
! that If the Southern States did not adopt the
| Constitutional Amendment they would have to
stay out of the Union forever, so far as his vote
| was concerned.
In reply TO an inquiry by Mr. Blaine, the
! Speaker gave his decision, that the select COM
! mittee on the war debts of the loyal States was
under the resolution, entitled to the continuous
! services OF clerk until the committee should
! ne discharged.
The House then, at halt-past four, adjourned
! till Monday.