The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-01-17


Philadelphia (Johnson) Convention. In many
cases removals and appointments were made
upon the recommendation of Democratic Candi-
dates for Congress. Men had been removed for
refusing TO contribute money TO carry on the
! Democratic canvass. He knew of one man who
! had been appointed to an important post office
| who was the editor of Democratic paper, and
| who had been arrested and imprisoned during
state of Ohio Federal officers were compelled to
| support the opposition TO the Republican party,
| or they were removed. He did not know how
| IL was in other States, but if the proportion of
! removals elsewhere was as great as IL had been
| there, the aggregate must be greater than Mr..
! Cowan had stated.
Mr.. HENDERsoN referred to the recently pub
lshed letter OF the Secretary of the Navy. i'm
relation to the Norfolk Navy Yard, and the
appointments to that place, and advocated the
After further debate the Senate, at 4'45 ad-
journed.
House Of Representatives.
Mr.. MAYNARD (Tenn.), from the Committee
amend the laws OF the District of Columbia in
reference to appeals, remedies Of landlords, &C.,
which was amended and passed.
Also, the Senate bill to incorporate the Wash
iington County Horse Railroad Company, in the
District of Columbia.
The morning hour having expired the bill
went over.
Mr. JULIAN GndJ, on leave, introduced a bill
20 extend the provisions of the act of August
4th, 1867, granting the right of way 10 all rail
and plank roads for hye years. Referred to the
Committee on Public Lands.
The House then took up the bill introduced
by Mr., stevens for the reconstruction OF the
Mr. B1NGHAM Ohio being entitled to the
floor, yielded to Mr.. PAINE (Wis) who declared
that he could not vote for the second section of
the bill recognizing the present state Govern
ments for municipal purposes, and If that section
was not stricken out he would vote against the
Dill. lie denounced them as piratical govern
ments, which have up to this time rested on the
souls OF Andrew johnson and his Northern and
southern satellites, but would henceforth rest
on the soul of the rash young gentleman from
Pennsylvania (Mr, Stevens). Why was that
gentleman SO anxious to share the responsi-
bility and guilt OF Andrew Johnson The dia-
bolllcal outrages perpetrated under these pi-
ratical governments were daily ventilated in
this hall, and yet there was an offer to recog-
nize them, If this had been proposed eighteen
months ago there might have been some ex-
cuse for it; but now there was none. That gem
tleman had intimated something about Presi-
dental expectations by Mr.. Spalding, but it
would really seem that the gentleman (Mr. Ste
Yens) himself had some longings for Preslden-
tial bread and butter Naughter)
Mr.. BINGHAM (Ohio) called the attention of
the House TO the departure by the proposed
measures from what has hitherto been done and
sanctioned by the Committee on Reconstruc-
tion, by Congress and by the people, He would
not limit the power of the people to establish
guarantees and safeguards. 1t because he
recognized that right that lie opposed the mea-
sures proposed by the gentleman from Pennsyl-
MIA EMr. Stevens) and his own colleague. (NIr.
Ashley.
The Committee on Reconstruction, represent
ing the judgment of the loyal people, came to
the conclusion that there was no safety for the
amendment of the Constitution as made all
men born in the country citizens of the Repub-
sons within its jurisdiction the equal protection
of the laws; as placed representation upon popu-
lations; as disfranchised Rebels; made the
national debt inviolable, and AS authorized
Congress to enforce those provisions. He be-
lieved that the safety of the people depended
upon the incorporation into the Constitution of
that great amendment. He stood upon the pro-
position that Congress, by its vote, did give out
that amendment as the basis of restoration, and
the people of the United States so accepted it.
Many members owed their reelection to the
fact that State Republican Conventions ac-
CeDteO amendment Is such
tiOn, That, however, did not restrict Congress
from further legislation in regard to these
States, not inconsistent with the Constitution,
but this bill neither stood with the Constitu-
tional Amendment nor with the duty of Con-
gress to give due protection to citizens of the
United States within the d1sorganized States.
This bill gave no such protection to anybody,
and he opposed it also because it was at Varl-
ahce with the Constitutional Amendment.
Let the future safety of the Republic rest upon
irrepealable guarantees imbedded in the Consti-
tuition. and not upon repealable legislation in
the lnsurgent states. Ihe American national
1ty as political organization never existed an
hour except through the governments of regu-
larly organized States, organized constitutional
State governments. There COULD be no Repre-
sentative branch OF legislation save through or
ganized states, and there could be no Senatorial
branch Of legislation save through organized
States. He repeated there was no American
nationality save through the States.
The gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Ste
vens) had stated the other day that ii was ab-
surd to suppose that one of the lately Rebel
States could take any action ratifying the Con-
Reconstruction had thought otherwise, for it
provided for the ratification Oft by those States
Half OF the States of the Union to-day had ex-
eIclsed the functions of State governments be-
fore they actually became States, and the ratif-
cation Of those acts by Congress made them
legal from the beginning. So he would have
the lately Rebel States go on and perform acts
1or the ratification fthe Constitutional Amend
ment, even though they were not regularly or
ganiZed States, and the ratification of their acts
subsequently by Congress would legalize the
act
AS to the Supreme Court, its powers were very
| limited Its appellate powers depended upon
! me VIII OF Congress II gentlemen were there
| lore apprehenslve of the improper exercise of
! those powers, there was very easy remedy
! congress could take away the appellate power
OF me Court, and let IL SIT simply to hear cases
! arising out OF treaties, &c
! The gentleman from Pennsylvania (AIr. Ste
! vens) has frequently expressed the idea that
| The kebel states were not states of the Ameri-
| can Union, but We're alien enemies, subject to
! all the penalties Of Congress, and had often
quoted the prize cases to sustain that view but
! be (Mr. Bingham) denied that the decision in
! the prize cases covered any such ground. This
| bill was very offensive to him. 1t ATTEMPTED
! 10 restrict the right OF petition. The Father
| of all extended that right to all his people, and
the Constitution Of the United States declared
! that Congress should pass no law restricting the
right of petition; but this bill proposed to do So
| 1t looks if drawn by a crowned despot, 1t
declared that all persons who were in the Re
| bellion and had once taken an oath to support
the Constitution of the United States, no longer
! citizens OF the United States, and could not
! become so except through the forms of natu-
| raliZatiOn. He submitted to the House and
| country that the Congress Of the United states
| had no colorado authority for declaring, first,
/ that a million of the people of this country
| were no longer citizens, ana second, that they
! could take no step for organizing State govern
! ments until Congress passed an enabling act
| permitting them TO do so.
! In answer to Il question what remedy he, him
/ self proposed, he said he wished the measure
| to beIeferred TO the Joint Committee on Recon-
] 81 fVI1pt Gi \