Buchanan County bulletin and guardian. (Independence, Iowa) 1866-1869, 1867-02-26
Hon. W. d. Allison ON Reconstruction

sentatives on the l3,h inst:
Mr.. Speaker, when the question OF the re-
organization Of these States, known as
House bill No. 543, was under consideration
few days ago in this House, l voted with
the distinguished gentleman from Penrsylva-
MIA, Mr.. Stevens who at the last session
reported the bill from the Reconstruction
Committee in favor Of seconding the previous
question, and against the reference Of tic
bill to the joint committee upon that subject,
for the reason that | believed it to be the
duty of this Congress at the present session
to present to the country some plan whereby
tie nsurrectionary States could be restored
upon the basis of loyalty to this Government.
We have been told that that bill, by its ref
erence to the committee. has been consign-
ed to the tomb Of the Capulets.' There
fore, Mr.. Speaker, | rejoice that this day
there is another bill affecting temporarily at
least, this question Of reorganization. For
one, | am in favor Of this bill. either as re-
ported by the committee or with any reason
able mod fca,ion that may be made to il III
this House securing the adoption of gener-
al plan OF reorganization upon the basis Of
loyalty and justice.
There is, in my judgment, necessity for
dttiJli Cil tElo gtiitIdl
and think tie action Of the House to-day
has shown manifes. progress. BY our leg
islation to-day we have declared to the coun.
try and to the people Of these ten States, that
the legislative body Of this nation, representa-
ing its sovereignty, repudiates and ignores
the action Of the President Of the United
States in establishing governments for those
ten States. We have declared BY our action
to-day that this Congress has supreme con
troll over this question and We have brushed
away by n single vote the question whether
| or not these are States within the meaning
/ Of the Constitution and entitled 10 any or al
| Of the privileges and rights Of State.
| We have taken full and complete confrsl
Of the State of louisiana by the bill passed
to-day, and decided that Louisiana can e--
| ercise no functions whatever except as al
thorized by act Of Congress. have had 10
difficulty for myself upon this question of tie
/ status OF the rebellious States, and have Il
WAYS believed that they were under the com
| plete dominion Of Congress and suLieci to
its sovereign will and power.
| Now, sir, the President OF the United States
has plan Of reorganization. His plan s
| been before the country, and has been rtpu-
| dlnted BY the people Of the loyal States Of
| this nation, as il has been indorsed bT he
rebels who now control these ten States. 1t
is plan whereby the rebels are to hold sa-
premacy. Opposed to it is the plan Of the
/ people OF this country, who desire US to de-
clare by our action here that those govern
ments shall be placed in the hands of loyal
men. Ii we do no; by our a ton here and
now, place the control Of those States in the
| hands of loyal men we shall be dereict to
our duty, and shall have forfeited the pledges
which we made TO our constituents during
the last year, and upon witch they acted al
the polls, deciding by unprecedented MAORI
ties against the policy Of the President and
in favor of the policy that loyal men should
govern preserved Republic
do not quite agree with the gentleman
from Massachusetts, Mr.. Banks wherein he
tells US that for two years and a half we can
NOT restore these States upon q loyal basi.
against the viii of the President, much less
do believe that We have within two or three
days reached tie happy moment when the
President will place himself in accord witt
the views Of Congress and the people upol
this momentous question. | have no faith
Mr.. Speaker, that the President has any in
tention Of yielding, in fact, one iota of the
plan he has marked out Tor the reorganiza
ton of the States in rebellion. As said be
fore, his plan is to place the rebels in su
preme power there, and anything which viii
contribute to that object will meet his ap
proval, and whatever will defeat il will MOI
be sanctioned by him, but opposed with al
the power he possesses. But let him pursue
that plan as he will, if We have the wisdc n
and the nerve to enact laws, as we are au
thorized to do, placing the power and coz.
troll III the hands OF the loyal men, the pfesi
dent is powerless, unless he refuses TO exc
cute these laws in good faith and If he
chooses the latter. we can then. If OF before,
take into consideration the state of the
country as mildly expressed by the gentle.
man from Massachusetts, Mr. Banhs.1
know Of but one way TO surely and Ger.
tainlr place this control in the hanes of lov.
a men, namely, TO treat as utterly void the
governments organized BY the President in
those States. am not aware that Congress
has IN any manner recognized these govern
ments. But ii has acted as though they were
usurping governments without authority OF
sanction of law. We have certainly this day,
in most emphatic terms, so declared in rela-
tion to the existing pretended government 0.
Louisiana. | SO veted to. day and shall con.
tinae so to vote as often as opportunity is
presented. This being done we have only
to authorize the loyal men Of these States.
without distirc ction of race or color, to or.
game new governments upon the basis Of
loyalty and justice. This should be donl
without limitation and without qualification
l want no property qualification, no qualif
cation Of intelligence in the enjoyment {
the elective frarchise. Let intelligence ce e. |
low, as it surely will, the enjoyment of lis |
great privilege of voting for those who sill |
govern. II We thus place the ballet in he |
hands of loyal men believe they have nth
IN themselves the power to control anfdi |
rect affairs in all those States. Espealy |
will this be SO if leading and iniuentialeb- |
els are denied suffrage, even for lifted |
time. have no fear but that now the can |
be found intelligence enough amor, the |
blacks to pruden,ly and properly eMeise
the franchise.
! believe the hope of restoration of pub |
lican governments in those States restsn Il e |
MASSES of the people, the uneducate, the |
poor, and now powerless masses. Ce;,ialy |
not in the aristocratic few, who. thong van |
quished by our arms, are still welded 0 the |
idea that the strong should govern theweak |
| dl tuclE OWN piSuSuTc iiu Will, Wltiiut Tue
consent of the governed. Hereford be.
lieve to stop short of manhood suffice in
our legislation is 10 triile with the graf sub
ject, and renders us ridiculous in thieves Of
all those who respect popular government
based on the will and judgment Of te peo-
pie.
Mr.. Speaker, am not aware thathere is
now any party in this country tha arrays |
itself directly against this principle # man
hood suffrage. The leaders of the OPPOSITION
out of this House, If not in it, recoaize the
business Of the principle. The leaeng jour
nal Of the Democratic party in thew est ur-
ges Its adoption as the only feasib solution
of our natio' al difficulties and cen the n.
Y. World, in recent article, recognizes its
justice and the policy of adoptig It in
modified form, and in the deba, to day /
heard none of the opposition oppoe the Lou
isiana bill because it provides fr suffrage |