The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1867-03-21
Our Washington Letter.
ESPECIAL Correspondence OF TIE DAILY NEWS.

SPECIAL CORRESPONDENCE OF THE DAILY NEWS
WAsHnaTos, March 18th, i367.-There has been
no debate in the Senate, where alone Of the two
branches Of Congress, the ethics Of party .tsesse
IS studied with any depth that has brought in
such plain relief tho petty dissensions rambling in
the Radical breest as tho discussion OF Saturday
up2a the Supplementary Reconstruction Bill. It
took until the toll Of midnight to get vote and
pass the Bill notwithstanding there were only two
Democrats present during the evening session.
The quibble was wholly confined to the Republi-
can side of the chamber, and, in fact, the entire
proceeding had more the mir Of q Radical caucus
than ought concerning consrmate statesmanship.
Tho fight was mainly waged between SUMNER, NTE,
DRAKE and Howard, on the one side and TRund-
BULL, MORTON, WILSON and FEssENDFN, on the
other hand.
Neither HOWARD or NYE could see any reason
for haste in declaring an ultimatum looking to
final requirements Of the Southern States, and
promising admittancc to Congress whenever tile
letter Of such propositions had been complied
with. notwithstanding the fact of its being plain
ly evident that he ready for no definite recon
structivo action, HOWARD became quite Indignant
at Mr.. TnUmBULL for speaking Of him as an enemy
of the Bill under discussion, and demanded with
no little heat. RE What does the Sens
tor from Illinois assert that am an enemy Of this
Bi]'?" and when TRun1BU1L proceeded to show in
MS arrogant, biting way, how the nervous old
M1chigander was nothing, if not opposed to every
conceivable form Of Legislation that could come up
HOWARD was too full for utterance, and hobbled
off to retiring room looking very red and
choleric.
AS for HENRY WILSON, SUMMERS colleague, he
was fairly driven stbeside himself by some cold
blooded remarks of NYE, who perBistently nettled
'ethe cobbler," until it was not III the nature even
OF long-suferng, recently converted proselyte to
the paths of peace, to stand more, and so WILSON
Hared up, and then, asto,,ished at his own heat,
endeavored to retract-was metby another success
sion Of taunts from NxE and DnAKE-whioh again
drove him to anger and loyal utterance. Being o
man of simple craft loss Of temper invariably sue-
fees to draw from WILSON confessions Of con-
science, from which, in his own cooler moments,
he shrinks abashed, and not unfrequently utterly
disclaims. And SO it was in the present instance
Stung by tho cashgation administered by NH,
WILSON gave impetuous vent to series Of
representations, to the effect that delay in
reconstruction was faught with danger to
the country, but especially to the Radical
party. Tho people, he said, demandeds7 re-
construction Q n some basis, and the Radicals
could not 20 into tho Presidential canvass in the
year to come-four years after the war ended-and
acknowledge their failure to reconstruct the Gov
ornment by keeping the South out. If they failed
in their duty, the country would find leaders who
did not. WILSON continued to contend that the
South would 80 heartily into the movement about
to be inaugurated under the Bill and that the Rad
icals had fair show for controlling all the states
save Virginia. He was confident of South Carolina
T~,.yes = cY--
over minor points when the great object Of bring
ing in those States with Radical Senators was
within their grasp. .
The next sensational feature Of the debate was
sCaNER's impassioned remark rk-unwittingly utter
ed, it is true-in which he denounced the States
about to be constructed under the Bill as sborn OF
the bayonet. Several Senators sprang to their feet
upon the conclusion of the speech, and wcra about
to take the immaculate gentleman from the Club
severely to task FIR such libel 1,r,nr
tegrity, but fortunately BuOKALEw, the cool, we'll
versed Pennsylvania Senator, was awarded the
floor, and succeeded in making q striking and
adroit Of Mr. SUMMERS Characterization, osten
sbly in that learned gentlemans defence, against
the evident il-feeling OF his colleagues on the
other side Of the Chamber. SUMNER, he claimed,
was the pioneer Of his party, advocating policy
for which he was ever denounced one
it the next by their votes He averred that Sum
NER was perfectly correct in oharactarizing these
States as sborn of the bayonet." Civil authority
did exist there. It protected life. It regulated
property; it performed fully all the functions Of
government -as fully as elsewhere, Now, military
authority was reared above the civil. Neither pro
perty, nor liberty, life secure, save by the
permit of soldier; and this state Of things was
exist until conditions were acted upon by the
South which we're extremely repulsive, and could
only be extorted by power. Verify, this was the
offspring Of the bayonet as admitted by AIr.
SU1n.ER. . .Ti n 4: :5: 10
The Bill was then pass ed, and now goes to the
House for the appointment Of committee Of con-
ference to consider the real nut Of disagreement,
viii n is, whether majority Of all registered votes
or of al the votes oast at On election, shall be RS
qusite to ratify the Constitutions that may be
adopted. .s 1870 SVDEX.