The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1867-10-04

10 Congress III lSOD, stated what he hat
done in relation to reorganization; h.
| called ii the restoration of the Union
and he submitted to Congress itself tn
decision of the question regarding tn
admission OF Senators and Representa-
tives. He had no power over that ques
ton. Each House, by the Constitution
is made the exclusive Judge of the quail
iications, elections, and returns of ii
own members. Shortly afterwards, il
response to a resolution passed by tn,
Senate, he sent in Il special message il
which he recommended the acceptanc,
of the Southern Representatives, ant
along with that message he transmitted
u very important communication from
General Grant, in which the Genera
stated that he he had then visited tn,
Southern section Of our country, hat
mingled with the people there, and had
ascertained what their views were with
regard to restoration; and he said,--
and his words are yet upon record, and
they are instructive and important tC
every citizen who desires to form an
honest opinion on this whole subject, -
that the Southern people had accepted
the result of tn war in good faith they
had accepted the decision made by the
highest authority known to human in
stitutions, that is, by arms and that
they were desirous of resuming their
former places in the Unon--of perform
ing the duties and enjoying the ad an
tages connected with citizenship in the
United States. This was early in 1866.
| Now what did Congress do? The two
Houses were in session and they re-
manned in session II period of eight
months from the time of their meeting
on the first Monday of December, 1863.
What did they do on this subject of re-
construction I? They did not admit the
Senators and Representatives sent up
under the proceeding instigated by the
President; they did not accept the Rep
resentatives who appeared before them,
nor did they themselves propose and
adopt any law or resolution on the sub
ject of reconstruction during that whole
! time. Nothing was done in that way
by Congress. After a little interval Of
! time complaint was made about the
! Presidents ideas on the subject of re-
construction. This, that, and the other
point of criticism were ventured upon.
| Finally, the critics became somewhat
bolder and commenced denouncing
him; but, observe, this was months af-
| ter the session of Congress began, and
in spite of the fact that during 1865
while this proceeding of restoration,
was going on under the Presidents plan,
there was general acquie5cence in 1t
throughout the country; very little
complaint was heard against it in any
quarter. | say that session ran on for a
period of eight months, during all
which time no bill or resolution was
passed on the subject of reconstruction
to hasten the restoration of the Union,
| to give us back peace, to restore the Con-
| stitution in all respects throughout the
country. Nay, they purposely delayed
this work, important and vital as it was.
One would think that il there was any
thing wrong about the Presidents plan
and his mode of accomplishing our
great object, they would have suggested
some better plan, or at least some plan
of their own, and have allowed the
people of the United States to consider
that, and pass judgment upon it but
they did no such thing. The matter
was shutiled off and kept off until the
end of the session.
| But what was going Oh all this time:
We have got now far enough past those
events to look back and consider them
calmly. Men were little warm in
their minds while they were occurring,
Il little in Il passion; the war feeling
remained. We can look back now,
!
Before Congress assembled in 1865, be-
| fore the House of Representatives was
organized and its members sworn, there
was an Informal meeting of the Repre-
scntativcS whoconstitutcd the majority,
in private room. They held what
was called II caucus; not very elegant
word, but one that we are obliged to
use because no other one indicates pre-
cisely the idea which it conveys. For
my part, | have very little of respect
for or of confidence in, meeting of that
description, and have had very little
To do with them. in public life. There
may be great emergencies when it may
be proper for Il party of the members
Of II Legislative body, Of Congress or Of
state Legislature, to meet and consult
together; but to have legislation and
the policy of Government fixed up in
secret in that way, as thing of system
| is great abuse and an outrage upon
the people who are governed By the
laws that spring from such irresponsible
bodies. | say there WAS caucus or Sc
crct meeting ofthe majority members of
| the House of Representatives before the
39th Congress was organized, at the be-
ginning of December 1860, and what hap
pcned there? Our old acquaintance,
| Thaddeus Stevens of this state, was
early in attendance at the room where
| that meeting was to be held, and he
looked after the organization OF the
caucus, and had certain resolutions in
| troduced and adopted. The caucus adj
| iourned within fifteen minutes | think
after its meeting.
Now what were those resolutions? ?
| The leading matter contained in them
was this that all memorials, bills, reso-
/ lutions and papers of whatever descrip-
1 tiOn that should be introducedintoe either
House of Congress on the subject of re-
storation or reconstruction of the Union
should be referred to joint committee
of the two Houses; that joint committee
! to consist of fifteen members, six mem
! beTs of the Senate and nine members OF
the House; and that such papers what
ever they might be, relating to that
great subject were to have such reference
without debate. No man was to open his
mouth concerning them: and until that
Joint committee, thus constituted OF
members from each House, reported on
| the subject ofrecOnstruction, there should
be no action whatever taken by either
House upon it. The members of both
Houses were to be tied up, their hands
tied, their mouths closed until this COM
mittee from its secret chamber spoke its
opinion and relieved the Representa-
tives Of the people and OF the States
from condition of abject silence and
incapacity, self-imposed.
Now, gentlemen, during that session
Congress acted under that scheme, be-
cause the caucus resolution was intro
duced in the House and passed there,
and sent to the Senate where it was
somewhat amended, and passed. The
Joint Committe was established, and
that Joint Committee took charge of re-
construction during those eight months;
and thus ii was that this great subject,
| in which the whole American people
were interested,in all parts of the coun-
! try, was throttled in Congress, was
turned over to secret committee presi-
ded over by Thaddeus Stevens; and the
Congress OF the United States at the end