The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1867-03-19
r,e geconstructlon Debate I'm the
senate.

r.o RECOMMENDATION Debate In the
senate.
The supplemental reconstruction bill
yeas taken up IN tho Senate on Saturday
lttls before 2 O'Clock, and occupied that
h,3v tim midnight. The bill, as reported
- tbc judiciary Committee Of the Sc
,.,e differed tut slightly from that which
n.,>ed the House. The oath was modified
e. a. to exclude the phrase sincerely at
cached 10 the Government y; and some
otker UnesSential amendments were Of.
Fa-e6. The debate in the Senate took
wide sweep, embracing the whole ques-
ton Of reconstruction. A number of
amendments were offered and rejected.
Tne question which elected the warmest
discussion was whether the vote which
ra,ifed the Constitution should be one re-
rni,iuc majority of all the registered
voters Of all the votes cast. The House
nE requires the former, as did the bill of
Inc Judiciary Committee, in the estima-
,i.a of some of the members, but not in
that Of others, and several votes were had
ryan il, and any quantity of debate.
The alterations finally made were by
modifying the form OF the oath and by in
serting the third section, which provides
for vote being taken at the election for
delegates for aud against the convention,
which shall not be held if a majority OPP
pose il, or If majority of the registered
voters fail to vote upon the question. The
same provision, requiring one-half the re-
ciIcrcd voters, is applied to the ratifica-
ton.
Mr.. Towards amendment respecting the
oath specifies the conditions of disfranchise-
mcnt, instead OF referring in general terms
10 the act Of March I'd. This elected a
warm discussion, which developed a
marked diversity Of opinion. Some gen.
tlemen thought the oath of but little con-
sequence. Some thought it unfair to ask
q man to swear to that to which you could
apply no test, such as a feeling of attach
mcnt TO the Union. Some thought rebels
would not he deferred by oathS, and few
agreed with Mr.. Sumner in thinking that
the terms were not harsh enough. He
wanted the atlilnt 10 swear TO the indiSsO-
liability OF the Union; that he would not
Countcnance the Confederate debt, bat up
hold the national, and oppose all discrimi-
nation Of rights in regard to color. Mr..
Howard's amendment was lost in COM
mittee, but adopted III he Senate.
The question that was most persistently
debated was whether a majority OF the
registered voters or of the votes cast
should be sufficient TO call convention
aud ratify the constitution. MeSsrs. How
ard, Sumner, Nyc, FeSSenden, and Conk-
ling contending for the former. The
speeches Of MesSrs. Howard and Nye were
especially bitter against rebels. Accord
ing TO their statements, the southern people
are not tit to live in a republican country,
or, indeed, in any other. They are un-
worthy of trust, full of hostility to the
Union and To free institutions, and are
only kept from universal maSSacring of
the negroes by Federal bayonets. This
!, the plain English of their talk. Both
were afraid of too haSty reconstruction.
Both thought the negroes too ignorant and
TOO SlayiSh be trusted to vote against their
masters. Mr.. Howard, too, had great
horror of minority governments. Strange
70 say, he protested against negro govern
ment, and was apprehensive that these
Contumacious rebels would stay away from
the polls and leave the poor blacks, who
required guardians, and are unfit for self
government, to make a negro government.
Mr.. Nye was afraid the masters would
keep their late slaves in leading
strings, and so early reconstruction |
would be simply restoring rebels to
power. So that both are, in fact, opposed |
to any reconstruction for some time to
come, though Mr.. Howard became quite |
indignant AT Mr.. Trumbull for speaking OF
him as an enemy OF the bill, and demanded,
with no little heat, "by what authority |
does the senator from Illinois assert that /
am an enemy of this bill ?" and when Mr..
Trumbull showed why he was, took the
chairman Of the Judiciary Committee to
task, lccturiug him vehemently, proclaimed
hi, independence, and announced with
more force than modesty that he "recog-
lizrd no superior, and would submit to no
Dictator" The very temper of the gentle
nan showed the truth OF the charge. 80,
too, Mr.. Nye farcd up at remark of Mr..
Wilson's about charging him with dema-
guruism, and on Mr.. Wilson'S explaining
that he warned him against the temptation
10 demagoguism by appealing to the pas
sions engendercd by the war, instead OF
pouring oil on the waters, the senator from
Nevada proceeded to put on the cap by
iudulging in the very strain of talk which
validated the charge.
Mr.. Fessenden had considerable to say
about leaving the people of the South to
their own choice. He was unwilling to
compel them into the Union. He was in
favor Of the military bill, pure and simple,
and did not want il clOgged with any
terms of reconstruction. He wanted them
10 have no chance Of saying they were
forced in but as they took their own way
out, he would have them take their own
way back, and let Congress say whether
they would recognize that way or not. lie
wa, perfectly willing TO defend that posi-
tiou before his own constituency or any
other, and did not share the apprehension
OF Mr.. Morton and others that the nation
would tire of the delay.
Mr.. Conkling made a couple of very
forcible speeches, one especially, insisting
that the people of the South should be
bound by the work done; and unless
majority Of them voted, they might repu-
date it as the act of the minority.
On the other hand, the proposition was
shown up very thoroughly 10y MesSrs. Will
son. Morton, Trumbuli, and Drake. The
two former insisted that delay OF recon
Struclion was fraught with danger to the
country, but especially to the Radical
party. The people demanded reconstruc-
ton, and Mr.. Morton pertine4tly suggest
cd that the Radicals could not go into the
Presidential canvass next year, four years
after the war was ended, and acknowledge
their failure 10 reconstruct the Government
by keeping the South out. If they failed
in their duty, the country would find lead
ers who did not. Mr.. Wilson contended
that the South would go heartily into this
movement. and that the Radicals had