The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1867-03-26
Speech or Senator Norton on Recon-
struetion.

struction Bill 10 the United States
SeIa.e, Senator Morton, of Indiana,
discussed the question of allowing the
people in the first instance to vote
upon whether or not Convention
should be called. We find the follow
ing remarks by him reported in the
Congressional Globe:
For one, Mr.. President, / am OPP
posed to submitting the question of
convention or no convention to the
people OF the rebel States in the be-
ginning. / think the proposition now
offered as an amendment is at variance
with this whole movement of recon-
struction. We have just provided a
Military Government for these people
for the protection of the rights of all,
and it is now to the interest of all of
us to hasten the work of reconstruc-
ton, 1t must not, if possible, be al
lowed to be procrastlnated. 1t seems
to me that we are softening down very
much when, after having provided a
Military Government for these people,
we are now. so sensitive about having
q convention unless majority of all
the voters in State shall first vote in
favor of it. L am not in ia
vor of submitting that question
in the beginning. If two-thirds
of the lawful voters of a State in
the South are not in favor of con-
yention, am not for giving them the
power to defeat a convention, Let
them stay away from the polls but
let them not thereby be able to de-
feat a convention, and thus defeat
the work of reconstruction and pre-
vent it from going forward. Let the
first election be held simply for the
purpose of electing delegates to the
convention, and if two-thirds of the
people of those States choose to stand
off upon their dignity or upon a hatred
of this Government, and refuse to
take part in it, do not let it be in their
power to defeat the work of the con-
yention and prevent its being held.
Let that go forward !; let discussion go
on let the convention be held and
the constitution formed, ut is quite
enough to give them the right to vote
the constitution down at the last mo-
ment. "a Their rights are preserved by
the final vote upon the ratification or
CONGRATULATIONS of the constitution. 2
ehave established military gov
lerpment for these States. = Tits not to
the interest of this Republic to have
that government continued one day |
longer than is necessary. We pro- |
pose now to provide the machinery by |
which the people can go forward in |
the work of reconstruction. If the |
rebels down there say they will not |
have anything to do with it, although |
their names are registered by the CON- I
mahding general under the terms of /
this amendment, they. have but to /
stay away from the polls and the work
is defeated. would not submit that
question at all I would not even
give them the power to vote it down
directly In the beginning. Let US
simply have the election of delegates;
let US have the convention; let us
have a constitution formed by the
convention; and then it is enough,
and it is all that they can requires
all that is necessary to give all
the people Alright to vote the consti-
tuition down at the last moment. They
might perhaps refuse to hold con-
yention; and yet, if it was held, and a 4
Constitution formed, they would be
very likely to ratify the Constitution
itself. 1t would have g.ne so far that |,
they would not feel like going back
and throwing everything into chaos
again, and continuing this military
but now. when the mill
tary government has just commenced,
and before they have felt the force of
it, to give them the opportunity of
voting down convention altogether,
it seems to me lis impolitic and is at
variance with the object we have in
view. gakwof fstk8
This, Supplemental Bill is to pro-
vide the machinery Of reorganization. /
1t was very properly thought that
what was everybody's business was
nobody,s business; tie must be placed
in the power of somebody to begin.f
this work-somebodys to go forward
in it, We want to hasten it. The
country cannot afford to have it pro- +
crastinated, to have it linger on from
year to year. The condition of
things down there is abnormal. We
must hasten to make it normal, to
bring these States into harmonic US
relations with this Government, as
soon as it can be done consistently
with liberty, with safety to all, and !
with equal rights to all. / say [
would not give to the people, nor
would / submit even to the conyen-
lion, as provided for by the commit
tee, the question whether they will
provide Constitution. Let it, be un-
1efstood that there is, to be a conven- T.
ion, that there is to be sConstiru-
ion formed, and let it be formed and
submitted to the people; and their