The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1867-02-19
CHI HARLESTON. A
TUESDAY MORNING, FEBRUARY 10, 1861
CONGRESS AND THE SOUTH.

TUESDAY MORNING, FEBRUARY 19, 1867. :
| CONGRESS AND THE SOUTH.
Mr.. E11ors Bill for the reconstruction OF Loul-
siana which passed the House few days ago oy
vote of 113 against 4S, and MIR. STEVENS bln 'oi
converting the ten States, lately known as 'Con-
federate. into five Military Districts, which passed
the House by vote of 109 to SIS, are very similar
in purpose and intent. In word, the original Bill
Of Mr.. STEVENS simply provided military govern
mant for the Southern States-leaving them still
without representation. It's avowed object was 20
leave them open to MIR. ELIoTs Bhl-the LOUISE
ana Bll-which enfranchises all the negroes ana
distranc1ises all the aoAles who were concerned IN
the war. The last amendment, however, that IN
troduced by Mr.. BLAINE, and. subsequent
lv amended by MIR. SHERMAN, which was
nassed in the Senate on ST. urday, and which we
publish elsewhere. proposes to admit the South
ern States on the adoption Of the Constitutional
Amendment :; and suffrage for a0-whlte ano
black alike. There has been considerable. helo-
ing" in the debate Of these Bills in both Houses,
and they will not pass, it is thought, without s1n
further notifications. Conference Committees WILL
doubtless be called for and appointed, to mar
monize the action of the two Houses, and
nerhaps. also, with view Of bic ding all
the reconstruction plans and Bills :nto one
that shall cover the whole ground. Should Con-
eress agree on any of the schemes that have lately
been put forward, the President will almost GER
tainly veto such Bill; for Notwithstanding all that
Mr.. RAYMOND, Mr.. ,61saHAM, MIR. BANKsr ana
others, have said about the probability of q COM
. promise between the two antagonistic branches OF
the Government, we cannot believe that the Presi-
dent will give his sanction to policy IN oil re-
spects diametrically opposite from that which ne
has pursued for nearly two years.. is impossl-
| BILE to say now what will be the fate OF such
Bill in case OF veto, as the vote was too close on
both the House Bills Of last week to warrant our
giving an opinion IS to the result. they cannot
set aside the veto, the impeachment will doubtless
be pressed with renewed yigor.,
But suppose Congress shall be able to command
the necessary number Of votes to pass the Bill over
| the Veto the President, as the Commander-ln-
Chief Of the Armies of the United States, will not
enforce it until it's constutonality shall have been
determin. u by the Supreme Court. There can, Of
course, be no question as to the character Of the
decision that willbe. .givep b sRs Court. The de-
crees they have already rendered in the Military
Commission and Test Oath cases, point out clearly
what will be their verdict on this much more fla
grantly unconstitutional Bill. This Congress
knows yery ven, and they viii therefore (npelled
BY the instinct Of preservation proceed in
their .endeayors in some way to set aside the au-
thority Of the President, ,and soto sTeorganize"
che su,reme Court as to render, their DEGREES IN
nocuous to the interests Of the Radical party.
The great object Of Mr., STEVENS and Mr.. Ell
1oTs Bills, appear to be TO-: disenfranchise the
entire white population Of the ten Southern States,
to enfranchise aI the negroes, and thus hand over
the Government into the hands Of these latter
new-made citizens. The Louisiana Bill provides
that the President shall appoint for year Gov
ernor for the State; man of thoroughly loyal an
tecedents and character, whose skirts are entirely
free of any ssrebep affiliations, and that in the
same way and under the same conditions provi-
sional council OF nine members shall be forthwith
appointed for the temporary government Of the
State, including the appointment Of subordinate
officers, &C., all Of whom are to be subject to the
iron-clad oath that on the first Tuesday in June
next, under said provisional government, there
shall be an election for regular Governor, Lieu
tenant Governor and Legislature ;-that male citi-
zens of al colors, above the age Of twenty-one
thoroughly loyal and free from any tant of the re-
bellion," shall have the right to vote, and none
Others; that in October next convention Of loyal
men shall be elected to form new State Constitu-
ton that the State, meantime, shall be placed un-
der the additional protection OF o military COM
mander, with sufficient force to maintain ORDER
and that all the proceedings Of this provisional
and regular State government and convention,
shall be subject to the approval of Congress from
the first to the last step required for the restora-
ton of said State to full fellowship in the Union.
So much for Mr.. E11oT's Louisiana Bill, which
certainly has the merit Of being thoroughly iron
clad This will reduce al the present Office hold
ers, Of whatsoever degree, into tho ranks OF pri-
yate life, and elevate new class Of men, who have
not been very patiently waiting for this political
| millennium.
| Mr.. STEVENS Bill, which we printed in full on
| the firstrage of yesterday g NEWS, provides for
the division of the ten Confederate" States into
five Military Districts, and the revival Of martial
law therein, each district to be under military
commander, and all to be subject to the general
supervision and control of General GRANT.
This bill strips our State Governments Of power,
but does not overthrow them. We shall doubtless
bt nernitted to keep up, at our own expense, both
State and municipal governments; which, how
ever will be mere shams. The judiciary depart
ment alone may still be of some service to us, in
the administration Of the ordinary civil business.
These Courts, however, Will possess no higher au-
thority than would board Of arbiters, as there is
no executive power to back their DEGREES.
Mr.. STEVENS, by calling the Southern States,
sso-called Confederate" ignores the lapse OF two
years, with all that has been done during that time
towards, the establishment Of loyal civil govern
ments in the South. The universal reign Of peace
throughout the Union, proclaimed by the Presi-
dent year ago is at an end Congress deibe-
rately announces, by the passage of this law, that
the war has not yet ended, that s'the so-called
Confederate States" are now in the state Of an
archy in which they found themselves immedi-
ately after the surrender of the Confederate
| armies.
The SHERMAN Amendment, which we append, is
not much better than the bills of MEssRs. STEVENS
and ELIOT. It asks us to adopt the Constitu-
tional Amendment which doubtless we Will never
do,-and says universal suffrage for all.
SECTION 5th. When any rebel State forms Con-
stitution in conformity to tho Constitution OF the
United States. framed by convention OF dele
gates, elected by male citizens twenty-one years
old without regard to race, color or previous con-
dition, resident in the State for one year, except
persons DISTINGUISHED by participation in the re-
bel1ion or by felony; when the Constitution pro.
vides that the elective franchise be enjoyed by all
persons qualified as delegates; when the Constitu-
tion, ratified by q majority Of electors who have
elected the delegates, shall be submitted to Con-
elected under the said Constitution, adopts the
Constitutional Amendment and said Amendment
becomes part of the National Constitution-said
States shall be declared to be entitled to repre-
sentation and Senators and REPRESENTATIVES, there