New-York tribune., 1867-02-21
NEW-YORK DAILY TRIBUNE, :.
Of which is urged by the necessities Of the
Government, and, by consequence, Of the people
TIE RECONSTRUCT1ON STRUGGLE

to explain the issue between the Senate ana the
Uouse and the nature Of the struggle between
the Radicals, led by Mr. Stevens, and the more
Conservative Republicans who supported MI
Sherman. The history of the measure may be
briefly written as follows:
Mr. Stevens on Feb. 0 reported from the
Committee on Reconstruction the bill to pro-
"yide for the more efficient government OF
"the insurrectionary States" The House en-
tered nj once upon debate which continued
till the 18th, when it passed the bill, with little
amendment by q vote Of 100 to %. Inc
original plan was intended to set ASIDE tho
pretended governments of the Rebel States; 10
enforce peace and good order by dividing the
States into five military districts, the General
of the Army to appoint to tho command
of each district Brigadicr-General or
higher officer of the Regular Army, to
whom power was to be given to try all cases
by military courts, and TO override all laws ahC
decisions made under the authority OF th'
Rebel Government. Certain necessary reStrlc'
tons of this power were provided In the Dill
which was in fact no more than police system
AS such we approved it, holding military rule ID
he better than Rebel State governments, am
believing that it would be speedily followed ~
a plon of reconstruction in which the army
would hold but a subordinate place, and CT
which LOYALTY and impartiaGty would form the
basis. We did not think this bill the best that
Congress could make, but we knew IL 10 Oe LII
better than continued inaction.
The Military bill was first debated IN the
Senate Feb 1G, meeting with resolute oppo-
sition. chiefly on the ground that 1t proposed
no solution of the. question which LOT TWO
wears had been before Congress, and that IL es-
tablshcd military rule in the South with-
out containing any provision for the
restoration of loyal civil governments.
The first change proposed by the Senate was
the amendment previously offered by MI
Blaine in the House, and by that body rejected
This amendment was to the effect that any
Rebel State adopting the Constitutional Amend
ment giving the elective franchise TO ITS
citizens without respect to color, ana
adopting constitution ratified by all It's
legal voters. should be declared entitled to rep
resentation in Congress, and that from the day
of their admission the military sections of the
bill should be imperative in such State lt
will be seen that the Blame amcndlncnt
did not strike out single section
of Mr.. Stcvenss bill, but introduced
new issue of reconstruction by making the
ratification of the Constitutional Amendment
and the concession of impartial suffrage tho
sole conditions of restoration II was defeated
in the House upon the ground that 1t did
not dsenfranchise any Of the Rebel leaders
and gave them full power to take part IN the
work of reconstruction. la the Senate 1t was
also defeated, but simply for parliamentary
purposcs Mr.. Sherman. on the 10TH proposed
n substitute, including substantially the Blame
amendment and this was passed on the lIth
by vote of % TO 10.
The Sherman bill set aside the Stevens bill,
$50 far as it declared that no legal governments
exist in the Rebel States divided them into
military districts, and prohibited state author
ity from interfering with military ordcrS) but
it differed in declaring it the duty Of the
| President to appoint military commanders, and
in making the Blaine amendment the basis OF
reconstruction. Thus amended the bill was
returned TO the House for its concurrence.
| The majority of the Republicans in the
House were in favor Of the substitute, but MIR.
Stevens refused to accept it, and, with few
Radicals joined by the Democrats, led the
best organized opposition of the session MI
Stevens, who on other occasions has de-
nounced filbustcnng did not hesitate
in this emergency to filibuster 10 the
extent of his power. With this weapon, hastily
snatched from the enemy, he succeeded in pre-
venting concurrence i'll the Senate amend
ments and gaining time for the passage Of
motion for a Committee of Conference.
The Senate refused conference, and
insisted OH its amendments. The House.
in return, proposed two important amend
mcnts to the Senate bill; the first Of
fered by Mr.. Wilson, being to this effect-that
no person excluded from office by the COnsti-
tutional Amendment shall take any part i'll the
reorganization of a Rebel State. This was ear
ried yesterday by vote of 125 to 4G Mr..
Shelabarger had previously offered Il new
section, by which it ia enacted that until the
Rebel States are admitted to representation in
Congress, all civil governments they may have
shall be provisional only; that at all cleo
tons held under provisional authority i'm
partial suffrage shall be allowed, and
that no persons shall hold office un-
der provisional governments who are dis
qualified by the Constitutional Amendment.
| This section the House incorporated in the bill
| by a vote of 98 to 20, Mr.. Stevens voting
in the affirmative and the bill in this
shape was agreed to and sent to the Senate.
Last night tho Senate, by a vote Of 35 to z,
cOncurred in the House amendments, and
thus the XXXIXth Congress- after two
years of long and weary debate, has
crowned its labors by adopting a plan for
the reconstruction of the Union which
the people are willing to accept, and by which,
we trust, Peace and Justice may be secured to
all the States and all the inhabitants of the