The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1867-02-23
Our Washington Letter.

COTTe5looTdence o. The IrtelLlgenceT.
wAsHNeeToN eng, .Feb. q, 1s6g

The Presidents last state Dinner.
Correspondence Of the IntsuigeHeer.
WASHINGTON CRY, Feb. 81, 1865.
The political metropolis has been in
"A whirl of excitement, for the last few
days. equal to anything known in
former days of legislation. 1t COM
mencea with. the passage by the House
of the measure for the government OF
the Southern States, known as the
Stevens Bill" The first evidence of
opposition to the views of Mr.. Stevens,
embodied in that bill, coming from
Republican quarter, was given by Mr..
Bingham, of Ohio, Republican, who
erected his crest in proud and defiant
opposition to the great leader of the
39th Congress. Mr.. Stevens retorted
sharply; Bingham replied bitterly. Mr..
Blaine, of Maine, Republican, proposed
an amendment, altering very material
ly the intention Oft the measure, as pro-
posed by Mr.. Stevens. Mr.. Banks,
Republican, advocated delay, hoping
that, in few days, some compromise
would be effected between the Presi-
dent and Congress; and. Indirectly, op-
posed the Stevens bill. Thaddeus again
showed temper, and appealed to the
young Republican members of the
House to sustain his views, urging up
on them the Importance of the measure,
and making most eloquent appeal.
4lS AudI IcSulL WIS., tue DdSSttRe Dy Lle
House of the bill embodying Mr.. Ste
Vens' views, without the Blaine amend
ment, by a not quite two-thirds vote.
Considerable bad feeling was evinced
between the conservative and radical
Republicans. :
In the Senate the bill was amended
by substantially adopting the Blaine
amendment. Here, also, there was
great excitement; the Senate was in
session nearly all night on Friday; then
all day and all night on Saturday
night, until six O'Clock on Sunday
morning. Considerable sparring and
dilitory motions from all sides, Summer
demanding the pound of fesh," while
Sherman, Ben. Wade, and others of
the Republican side, supported the
Blame amendment. ALI this resulted
in the adoption, as before said, of the
Blaine amendment by the Senate, the
material point of which is, that the
Presidents empowered to appoint the
Brigadisr Generals who command the
districts, into which the bill divides the
rebel States; the Stevens bill gives this
power to Gen. Grant. The amendment
also gives the President the parioninU
power in cases where persons are con-
Victed of capital offences in those dis
tricts.
The passage of the bill, as amended,
caused some of the Senators, especially
Sumner, to leave the Senate in high
dudgeon, and more feeling has been
exhibited on this subject than any other
since the withdrawal of the Senators,
After the return of the bill, as amend
ed by the Senate, to the House, the
previous excitement therein, was re-
newed; the Senate's amendment was
non-conGurred in, and committee of
conference asked for, this the Senate
refused. Yesterday the House finally
passed the bill, with the Senate amend-
ment, and an additional amendment
by the House, which prohibits certain
persons trebelsl from sitting in State
conventions, and making the present
governments, in the rebel States, pro-
vlsional, to be abolished, modified or
suspended at any time; providing, also.
that none but loyal men shall Conduct
the elections to be held under this bill,
The bill now goes back to the Senate,
where the House amendment will
most probably, be concurred in,
The most remarkable feature of the
debate on this subject, is the disparity
OF views entertained by the different
members of the Republican party.
The extreme views of Mr.. Stevens are
not cordially concurred in. He Is OPP
posed by such men as Bingham, and
Banks, and Blaine, and others of The
lesser lights, but equal influence, such
as Raymond, of New York. In the
Senate, Mr.. Sumner was opposed by
Mr. sherman, MIR. Wade, Mr.. Conness
and others of great ability. The out
side public view all this as a split, more
or less serious, as the future may prove.
It's, perhaps, a loss of personal intlu-
ence by the two leaders. This loss of
influence IS attributed, in Mr.. Stevens
case, to his loss of the Pennsylvania
Senatorship; and in the case of Mr..
Sumner, to his having a new wife,
whose charms monopolize so much of
his time that he neglected to study up
the case. However, the bill suits the
Union men of all parties, and will put
a decided check upon rebel ruffianistn.
and have tendency to keep rebels ont
OF office, until they can learn good man
ners, and the value of an oath. So
On the final passage of this bill in the
Rouse, l find the names of NTessrs.
hubbard and Whaley, of West Vir-
ginia, in the affirmative. Messrs. La
than and Hubbard were at the Presi-
dents State dinner last evening.
.t- j. G.. j.