The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1867-01-04

they should be admitted
but any questions of right under the
acts of 1864 are out of the case
and wholly foreign to the debate.
Before pass on, will pause mo-
mcnt to make the inquiry, what was
intended or designed in 1861 in the en-
actmcnt of these several enabling acts
as they are called? Itappears from the
congressional proceedings, which are
preserved to us, and which we can con-
suit, that the people of neither of those
Territories applied for admission for
mally.. There was no agitation on their
part. individuals resident in one or the
other of the several Territories may
have verbally expressed such desire,
but ! believe it will be found upon in
vestigation that no application was
made by any officer or citizen of those
Territories in formal manner to either
House Of Congress for the passage of an
enabling act. Why, then, were those
bills introduced and passed? Wcknow,
from subsequent inquiry and investiga-
ton, that the number of inhabitance in
either one of these Territories was cX-
ceedingly small at that time. There
was a paucity of population, dciicien-
cy ofpopulation for any reasonable pur.
pose of forming a new State or intro
ducing Il new State into the Union.
Why, then, were those bills passed? l
was never able to give any other eX-
planation than this: that they were
passed for the purpose of heading off iii
| may use the expression) Mr.. Lincoln,
who was then President of the United
States, in his policy of re-establishing
State governments in the South and OBJ
tanning their recognition and rcprcsen
tation in this Government. In hi.
annual message at the beginning of tho
session, he had communicated to Con
gress n plan for the reorganization o
State governments, in which any great
er number than One-tenth of the people
of any insurrectionary State were au
thorized to reorganizc their govern
mcnt; and he pledged the faith Of thi
Government that such State govern
mcnt should be recognized and uphclC
by it.
Not only that, but it was notorious t,
the whole country, and appeared in al
forms in official documents, that Mr.
Lincoln was not only announcing plai
but was executing one. He was carry
ing forward its execution i'll Tonncsse
under the present President ofthe Unit
cd States, who was sent there by him
lie was carrying 1t on in the State q
Louisiana actively and encrgctically
lIoWas carrying ii on also in Arkansas il
the communication to General Steele
who was for time in command in tina
state, and in other ways lie was cngug
cd in its execution there. lie was ais
carrying it on in the state of Virginia
within sight Of the Capitol, at our yer
doors.
\ grave question arose upon whic
men differed, and differed upon bot
sides in politics, differed among them
selves. 1t was whether that policy {
his of organizing States upon the minol
ity principle and by military power o
under military coercion, wa5 valid, an
if valid, whether it was reasonable an,
proper. Upon that whole question
agreed with the Senator from ohio.
thought ii was absurd, it was monstrou
that those presidential states should b
set up as members of This Union an
should be represented in the Senate an
House to the full extent to which thei
populations were represented before til
war, that mere fragment Of the popt
lation of State should WELD the whol
political power of that State in thi
Government, both in Congress and i
the Electoral Colleges. |, for Ont
thought that to be n monatrous prOpC
sition and resisted it; in this agroein.
with the Senator from ohio.
But although | agreed with him i
his views on that question of prcsidel
tial reconstructed States MS they Wci
then presented in the midst of the wa
did not agree with him in the meal
by which his object should be reached
lie desired to head Off this presidents
policy. He felt about as john MinC
Bolts did in the days ofTylcr. lie, to,
was opposed to the President and h
: policy aud desired 10 check him, to 1T
feat his policy, to prevent the accom-
: plishmCnt of his designs. united Wit
: that Senator in voting against recogni
, ing those State governments, in rcsis
ing their being represented in COngrcs
in resisting the counting Of their elect
: raj votes for President and Vice Pies
/ dent of the United States. did all tn
| upon clear grounds and upon full Co
! victiOn. But there was one thing
+ which | could not agree with the Sc
p ator from Ohio, and hat was, in callil
, into existence imperfect, weak, ina
/ cquatc, premature States in the We
. for the purpose Of checking the poli'
r Of the President; rushing in Neva,
+ and Colorado and Nebraska ior the pu
e. pose of Outy0,ing Mr.. Lincom's ne
{ members from the South. ! could II
s go that far with the senator from Obi
. and therefore never gave my assent
= these enabling acts Of lSGl.
But, sir, to pass on: under what q
4 cuu-tancc5 were those bills enacted
/ Congress? propose 10 show that to {
e Senate and 10 the country. | propo
\ TO show the statements upon which t
5 assent of Congress WAS given to tho
I measures, and | propose TO show tn