Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1867-07-16
10th Congress---Adjourned Session
WASHINGTON, July 15, 1867.
SENATE.

| After an executive session the Senate
took up the House joint resolution appro-
tpriating $i,675,000 TO carry out the recon-
| struction acts, which was considered.
On motion of Mr.. BUCKALEW, it was
| amended by reducing the amount to one
million dollars, and passed.
The House bill for the relief of certain
soldiers and sailors, charged with desertion,
was debated and referred to the Military
committee.
The CHAIR laid before the Senate COM
munication from the President, transmit
! ting all the orders, opinions, &C., sent to
/ district commanders, and estimating the
! amount necessary to carry out the work of
reconstruction.
Mr.. HOWARD, referring to that portion
of the message in which the President al
| ludes to the assumption by the United
States, of the debts of the rebel States, in
Cured before the war, said it was all
! moonshine. designed for party purposes.
Mr.. HENDRICKS said the President
had not expressed any opinion on that sub
| ject. He merely made a suggestion,
whether, if the Southern States were to be
| treated as conquered provinces, the United
States would have to assume the debts OF
| these States. This doctrine had been laid
| by Governor Morton.
| Mr.. ELDRIDGE offered resolution re-
citing the allegation in the Cincinnati
Commercial, that the expenses of wine and
| liquors consumed at the banquet given by
| the loyal portion of Congress last winter
are unpaid, and declaring they should at
once be paid out of funds raised for evan
gelizing the colored race now in the hands
| of the Republican Executive Committt e.
Laughter greeted this resolution, and it
was rejected.
Mr.. JOHNSON thought it was not ad-
visable for the President to express hyp-
ocritical opinion on the subject of public
I = %ba yhnr fhn 6kahf
! was so large and the people so sensitive on
! the subject. He did not believe the Presi-
/ dent was correct in his assumptions that
the Southern States still existed as States
and not as conquered provinces.
! Mr.. HENDRICKS did not think the
Government of the United States could
rightfully be bound to pay the debts of the
Southern States contracted before the war
| The object of the war as aYowed by Con-
gress was not the conquest of these States,
but the suppression of rebellion. In the
event, however, of the entire absorption oi
these States by the Federal Government, il
would be practical question of great mo-
ment, why these States obligations would
not rest on the General Government.
Mr.. HOWARD again took the floor ir
opposition to the views in the President,
message, which he said were calculated tC
alarm the capitalists all over the country
Mr.. WILSON said this message was ir
perfect keeping with the action of the
President during the last two years. The
President had during that time lost no oc'
casion to allude to the bonded aristocracy
and say what he could in disparagement o
Congress and everything connected with
its policy of reconstruction. The policy o
Congress would increase the value of the
national debt and debt of the rebel States
Mr.. FESSENDEN was glad the message
met with no respol Sc or Endorsement il
the Senate. He regretted the Presiden
had sent in such document. 1t nigh
have bad effect. were it not that all in
telligent people would see through its fal
lacies. AS there had been no conquest o
the Southern States, So the doctrine of con
quest could not be made applicable.
Mr.. BUCKALEW denied that the Pres
ident favored the assumption of the rebe
debt. He was simply suggesting that up
on the theory and doctrines which pre-
vailed lately in Congress such state o
facts must be brought about.
| Mr.. THAYER condemned the position o
the President as asserted in the message
and also in other attempts to throw an alb
struction in the way OF reconstruction. H
thought the Senate should treat it with tn
utmost Indifference.
Message ordered printed.
| AdiourDp6