Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1867-01-04

that the officers be elected by the troops
and commissioned by their Governors, the
latter shall exercise authority over the ma
| tional guard, and that no State be permitted
| to organize any other troops; that no Gov
ernor shall exercise authority over these
| troops unless he has taken the iron-clad
oath that Congress may order the national
| guard into service TO repel invasion, sup
| press instruction and aid in the execution
| of the laws in any State, at request of the
! Legislature refusal to serve subjects the
| offenders TO the penalty attached to deser-
ters. 1t also provides that the national
! guard shall become a part Of the regular
! army in time of war. Referred
| Mr. Bundy introduced a joint resolution,
| was referred to the Committee on Terrific
rial Governments, for the so-called State
| Of Texas The preamble reCites that the
! inhabitants forfeited their rights by their
rebelious conduct, and that they are still
| disloyaI, and by lawless acts and outrages
| on Union men and freedmen have Justly
earned name suggestive ola penal colo
ny. The bill provides that all sales Of
| land heretofore made to disloyal persons
| shall be null and void.
The House then proceeded, rs the first
| business in order, to the consideration Of
| the bill reported by Mr.. Stevens, April
| 3Oth from the Joint Select Committee on
| Reconstruction, to provide for restoring to
| States lately in insurrection, their full poll
teal rights, the question being a substitute
proposed therefrom by Mr.. Stevens on TIE
| 18th of December 1866.
Mr.. Stevens moved TO amend the third
section, and said am very anxious that
this House should come to some conclusion
as 10 what is to be done with the Rebel
States This becomes more and more
! necessary every day and the late decision
of the Supreme Court of the United States
has rendered immediate action in Con-
gress, upon the question of establishing
governments in the Rebel States, absolutely
Indispensable. That decision, although in
terms perhaps not so infamous as the bred
Scot decision, is vet far more dangerous
and disastrous in its operation upon the
lives and liberties of the loyal men of this
country. That decision has taken away
even protection, in every one of the Rebel
States, frcm every loyal man, black or white.
who resides there; that decision has I'M
sheathed the dagger Of the Rebel assassin.
and put it to the throat of every man dares
to proclaim himself now, or heretofore. 4
IL
cision be true, then never were any men in
such terrible perils for our loyal brethren
in the South. white and black, whether ori
ginallv resident there, or having gone from
the North Mr.. Speaker, unless Congress
proceed ut once to do something to protect
those people from the barbarOus horde. who
are daily numbering them, and putting
to secret graves hundreds and thousands
Il nj
proceed at once to take means for their
protection, ask you, and every man, who
loves liberty, whether we are not liable
to the Just censure OF the world for our
negligence, for our cOwardIce, for cur SEEM
ing want of ability to do 1t
1t is for these reasons, sir, that | insist
upon going on with the consideration of
this bill. This is an act 10 enable the
loyal men in those States, as far as I could
discriminate, to form governments and put
them into loyal hands, that they may pro-
tect themselves from the outrages that |
speak of.
Not one of our Generals commanding |
departments in States lately in rebellion |
dare, under this decision, order his officers |
to enforce the laws of the country. One of |
the most atrocious murderers that was ever |
let loose upon a community, DR.. Watson, |
has been released under this decision. |
Therefore, for these reasons, it becomes all |
the more necessary that we should promptly |
take measures to put stop to these atroci-
ties, and protect the loyal people Of the |
South.
Mr. Stevens proceeded to read a written
argument in support of the bill. He de-
Ecribed the condition Of affairs in the South |
and said outrages were committed by the
late Rebels upon loyal men, white and
black, and that the country in which
such a state of things could exist was not
true republic. Twenty years ago he had
denounced our government as a despotism,
because under it twenty millions of white
men lashed four millions Of blacks, and he
found II no nearer to q true republic now |
than il was then. He did not depend upon
the quality of its laws, but upon the power
having authority to enact them, and no |
government could be free that did not al
low its citizens TO participate in the making
and the execution Of its laws There
were degrees in tyranny, and generally the
larger the number Of rulers the more cruel
the despotism. Congress was bound bv !
every consideration Of honor and policy 10
protect the loyal people at the South All
standing in the way Of such &C
ton must be removed The President was
ofthe army, but Con-
gress was his commander, and he would be
10 obey. He and his minions
must learn that ours was not a government !
Of Kings and satraps, but government Of
The people and that Congress was the peo-
pie.
At the conclusion Of Mr.. Stevens adj
dress, Mr.. Ashley, of Ohio, offered a sub
ititute for that of Mr.. Stevens. 1t was
ordered to be printed The House then
vent into convention.
Mr. Grinnell being entitled to the floor, (,
yielded 10 Mr.. Kelley, of Pennsylvania,
who made an elaborate speech, Criticising
n detail the recent report Of the Secretary
# the Treasury. He said the policy Of
apid contraction and the attempt at an c
,arly redemption Of specie payment, would O
nd in bankruptcy Of individuals, corpora a
ions and States, and possibly that Of the g
rational government. .
Mr.. Bingham made the point Of order Y
hat as the Sth section provided for the f
admission Of Rebel States on compliance
With the conditions prescribed in it, must
'e referred 10 the Committee on Recon
tuction. y
The Speaker overruled the point Of Il
rider, as thai bill has been reported from
he committee, and was before the House |
Or action. d
Mr.. Pike next addressed the House and 81
rotested against Congress pledging itself II
o admit Representatives from the South
n there ratifying the constitutional amend
lent He wished 10 Judge each State
aFarately, and if they treated the freed :;
zen properly he would vote for their ad- :
Mission; but they give no indications Of it. I
he only plan len then, in his opinion Z :.
as 10 take one u two States and establish d
J them governments founded on universal :
Mirage. n
Mr. Holmes, Of New York, also addressed 80
he House in = Radical speech on the re-
instruction ofthe Southern States
eturus from Methodist Conferences. al
RICHMOND, Va, Jan. 3.-Returns from j
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