The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1867-02-21

The news which we published yesterday
morning shows that the whole subject of le-
construction is for the remainder of this ses-
sion at the mercy OF the President. The fail
ure of the two Houses OF Congress to agree
upon any measure OF this kind before Tuesday
night leaves the President less than the ten
working days granted by the constitution for
the consideration Of any bill upon which they
may now agree. He has simply to put the
bill or bills which Congress may pass in his
pocket, unsigned, and they will become mere
waste paper. Whether he will exercise this
inestimable privilege or not, can hardly be
considered doubtful. - .r ,..f ..t
The bill substituted by the Senate for Mr.
Stevens's bill to establish military governments
at tho South, was not without merit. 1t di-
rected the President, instead OF General Grant,
to assign the military commanders to the sew
eral districts-a much more direct and manly
course. 1t should be the purpose of Congress
not to relieve the President OF responsibility
but to fix il upon him and hold him up to it !;
not to get around him but if necessary to go
over him. The last section also provides for
the restoration OF the Southern States on con-
ditions including the constitutional amend
ment proposed by this Congress and requiring
also provision in the State constitutions ex-
tending the elective franchise to all male citi-
zens OF mature years without regard to race or
color. We still believe that the elective fran
chise should be provided for in the national
constitution. While we are glad to see dis
position in Congress to offer some terms of
restoration, we nevertheless steadfastly believe
that those terms ought all to be embodied in the
renewed national compact. The clause ofthe
constitution which declares that the citizens
of each State shall be entitled to all privileges
and immunities of citizens in the several
States, ought to take larger meaning, ought
to mean as it does not now mean, the privi-
lege of voting among others. 1t is an absurd
anomaly that voting citizen OF Maine may
ndhimself disfranchised, on removing to New
York. 'lH 1i'' ''t'''iaI I'i '.-A ..a-'
The history of the bill which has just been
lost is rather curious. The debate in the
Senate on Mr.. Stevens's bill, which had been
passed by the House, began Thursday after
noon. The session of Friday was prolonged
till three o'clock Saturday morning without
reaching any conclusion. Innumerable amend
ments were offered, each differing by some al
most imperceptible shade from all the rest,
and none commanding the undivided support
of the Republican majority. At the adjourn
ment Saturday morning the Republican MEN,
beTs agreed to meet in caucus, and endeavor
to settle upon some proposition. The caucus
appointed a committee of seven to prepare a
measure and report at the evening session.
This committee consisted OF Messrs. Fessen-
den, Sumner, Trumbull, Sherman, Harris,
Howard and Frelinghuysen. The afternoon
and evening sessions were occupied almost
entirely by Messrs. Doolittle, Salisbury and
Davis in long speeches against the bill gener-
ally. At halfpast eleven Senator Sherman
submitted the proposition as agreed upon in
committee. Debate followed on this meas
ure, and various proposed amendments, until
half-past six Sunday morning, when it passed
substantially as offered by Mr. Sherman.
The advantage of the law providing for the
meeting of the Fortieth Congress on the 4th
of March is now obvious. Under the old law
the Southern States would have been left in
Mr.. Johnson's hands until next December
As it is, the defeat of these measures is only
temporary. The Fortieth Congress, if it is
wise, will promptly take up this subject; will,
we hope, after full debate, settle definitely the
terms of restoration, put them in the form of
constitutional amendment, and there leave
the matter for the consideration of the South
ern States, meanwhile providing for them an
efficient military government and holding the
President to rigid responsibility for his con-
duct in the premises.