The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-01-17

bers, murderers and midnight assassins should
never be deprived of the elective franchise on
account of their being convicted of such crimes
While he was willing to assert all the rightful
consent to incorporate, by law. I'm the statutes
OF the nation, a provision that would deprive
the people on me right of altering or amending
thelr legislation. provision which this bill
contained. Congress- had not even the color of
right 70 pass such law. He was not going,
under pretense of protecting the coored people
OF the South, TO declare that the people of any
state were not to have the right to alter and
aHenu lhelr laws at pleasure. This provision
not only attempted to fetter the States i'm this
way but II also attempted to fetter future Con-
bill, instead of being q bill OF reconstruction
was ai "a plll on destruction; instead of its being
Dlil oI G GIeSI9tiaIon IL was bill Of disunion and
perpetual dlsmemberment
Referring to Mr.. Ashleys bill, he showed how
absurd u was 10 deny that the Rebel states were
states, Tor the Executive, the judiciary and even
congress mad recognized them. Congress had
made appropriations for judges of the United
and other districts. The bill of his colleague was
nothing but bill of anarchy, for II swept away
all the laws now existing there; and people
without law were as miserable as a people with
out God. He looked upon both bills as depart
ures from the Constitutional Amendment It
might be but justice to punish the Rebels Sc
Verely, but there was something greater IN mag
nanimity and mercy than in even-handed jus
tce. he knew that those Rebels had ridged the
land all over with graves; he knew that four
hundred thousand citizens had fallen martyrs
TO their faith, to the country and the Constftu-
tion, and twas in view of their great transgres-
sion that the proposed act of universal forgive
ness rose into the sublime, and challenged pa
rallel in history since man began TO be on earth
lie protested against this bill as being foreign to
the spirit and contrary to the purposes of the
constitutional Amendment.
Mr.. STEVENS CPa.) inquired of Mr.. Bingham
how many of the Rebel States had accepted the
Constitutional Amendment
Mr.. BINGHAM (Ohio) admitted that all the
Rebel states which had considered it in their
Legislatures with the exception, perhaps, of
Arkansas, had rejected II, but IL did not follow
that they would not yet accept it, and IL three
lourths OF the organized states adopted It,, II
would bind the rest and give them the benefit
OF 1t, while in the meantime il would bind Con-
gress. For these reasons he asked that the
bill be referred TO the Committee on Recon-
Mr. DAWSON (Pa) followed in an argument to
prove that in the Presidential policy was the
true solution of the national difficulties. He
showed how the Rebels, having laid down their
arms and abandoned the objects for which they
had been taken up, had since been submissive
to the laws, and conducted themselves as good
citizens; and that on the other hand the course
pursued by Congress had been based on the as
mptiou that the reconstruction of the Co
Yernment as TO those States was what it was
called upon to achieve. Congress had assumed
that the old Government, the Constitution of
1859, had been as to the States, destroyed. fso
wherein, and how? Not, certainly, by the de-
cisive success of the Union armies. Not by the
surrender of the Rebel arm les, their implied
of the issues for which thew had
resorted to force, and their prompt return to
obedience to the paramount law. The Govern
ment, therefore, had not been broken up, and
no reconstruction was necessary,
He argued That there was no warrant in the
constitution lOf imposing Jne amendment as q
condition on readmitting the late Rebel States
TO representation in Congress. He imputed to
New England selfish purpose in wishing to
exclude from Congress the representatives. of
the great agricultural interests OF the West, her
protective policy might be endangered, and her
manufacturing interests injured. In regard to
the punishment of the people of the South, he
submitted that the failure of the Rebels was a
sufficient penalty on them and he argued as a
matter of law that no person can be legally
punished for rendering obedience to the de JdctO
government, illustrating that argument by
reference TO English history in the time of the
Commonwealth of the accession of Charles II.
In contrast with the course Of Congress, he eulo-
gized the patriotic, intelligent and humane
policy of the President.
The storm of partisan fury would rage against
him in vain. He might break under it, he
would not bend. Whatever obsticle might OPP
pose him he would, he trusted, stem the torrent
and gain the shore in safety. The historian
would record that chiefly owing to the efforts of
Mr.. johnson in Congress, the great Homestead
law was now on the statute book. He con-
tended that 1T was impossible TO act on the
principles embraced by the majority in Con-
gress without establishing consolidated,
centralized form of government.
The Speakers hammer fell on termination of
the hour, and before Mr.. Dawson had concluded
his speech.
Mr.. SPAIDING Ohio moved an extension of
time, but Mr.. stevens objected, saying that he
had given notice when Mr.. BiDgham's time was
extended that that was the last extension Of
time he would cOnSenttO.
Mr. DAWSON (Pa.) said he then gave notice
that there should not be another extension of
time so long as he was member.
Mr.. BARKER (Pa.) obtained the floor but
yielded TO Mr.. Stevens, ON whose motion the
House Went into Committee of the Whole on
the state of the Union, Mr.. Lawrence (Pa.) in
the Chair, and resumed the consideration of the
Legislative Appropriation bill.
Mr.. DAWSON obtained the floor, and then
went ON with the concluding portions Of his
speech, creating considerable amusement by
the ingenious manner in which Mr.. Stevens
objection had been got around.
Mr.. HILL rose and asked whether the gentle
man from Pennsylvania (Mr. DawsonI, who
had so highly eulogized the President for his
course prior to his Succeeding IN he
dency, had voted for him when he was q candi-
date for the Vice Presidency?
Mr. DAWSON replied that he did not; that Mr..
Johnson was not the candidate Of his (Mr. Daw-
sons party.
Mr. WAsHBURNE (II.) interposed a question
OF order, that both gentlemen were out of order.
The Chairman sustained the point of order,
adding that Mr.. Dawson had been allowed to
proceed by common consent.
MI STEVENS Pa.)-"No sir, not by common
ON motion of Mr. WAsHBURNE Ill) the APP
preparation for steamboat inspectors and super
lnlehoenls was increased to So O00 for the more
thorough investigation of the causes of recent
DISASTERS. lie referred to the loss of the EUening
Star, OF the steamboat Fashion on the lower
mississippi, and of the Commodore on Long
Islahu Souhu, and said that the last case
was one oi the most fragrant character. She
was an OLD rotten, condemned, unseaWorthy
hulk, 10 which supervisory and local inspeC-
tors mad refused TO give license and yet her
owners IN utter denance of law, had kept her
on the line, exposing the lives of hundreds of
passengers every night. 1t was a miracle that
Sa6 not hS 5eN was wrecked every person on board
sury DE apartment should be instructed 10 make
te the most thorough investigation, and he trusted
her out. '0 i0' S0o
Mr.. WAsHBURNE QIl) moved TO stril,e ont of
Ine pm the clause approprating $40 900 for faci-
ntatlng communication between the Atlantic
alu a 4 acme states by electric telegraph claim
tract. '~0 0iuliiil l's '0i'-
oId M LODGE R0DGE (N. "A opposed the amendment,