Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1868-02-03
Statesman i I,
SP r f @ HI
) a1.fau-i gnl OF sf sf- zslu
d.. j. CALLEN,
-ssf sf 4 IN THE
Ohio House Of Representatives,
5ss - te .fs.f 1.,Fe sas f1f fi fip1
iesiziesls 4 s1- ON THE ,e-s 'a,s ie5i
Reconstruction Acts Of Congress !
2, JANUARY sl.t, 1865.

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ssss s1ttif.-..s- ,s @-tlI .sra .fr H. -a-r4
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Mr.. SPEAKER-I rise for the pur.
poseo of giving the reasons which govern
me in the vote which l am about to give,
and why, in my opinion, the Resolutions
under consideration should receive the
unanimous support of this House--then,
indeed, they would be productive of
good. and aid in staying the wild waves
of fanaticismIwhich threaten to sweep
from us forever the last vestige of free
government. !They instruct our Sena-
tors, and request phr Representatives, in
Congress to use their influence to secure
to the Southern States all their Con-
stitutional rights, including their right
to Immediate, representation in both
branches of the Federal Legislature "a
right dear to every people, and denied
them only by tyrants. :, y e,a-, ~
The people who have borne the bur-
dens Of the last six years are anxiously
looking to those in authority to relieve
them Of the burdens which threaten to
fetter them with the CALLING chains of
slavery; and all who. are not blinded by
partisan zeal will admit that the recon-
'struction policy of Congress is the Iliad
of all our woes.9 Repeal them. Allow
each State to resume its place within the
Union, and this long, cheerless and
idreary night of despotism will vanish
before the idawneof happier day than
the most sanguine patriot has ever dared
hope for.. Can any friend of Congress
give any satisfactory reason why these
despotic measures were ever adopted or
now advance an apology for their con-
tinuance If there is should be glad
to hear him, for 1 believe-and it will
require proof as strong as Holy Writ to
convince me that l am wrong-that tits
the dearest wish of the friends of this
policy to destroy free government, and
erect, not only in the South but over the
whole country. a military gdespotism.
What other reason can be assigned for
such measures f.,ssi.a,,4 81 ,s. r..a.,s1
Three years has elapsedsihcethe last
hostile gun was fred upon sn''American
battlefield The armies of the Confed-
eracy were. disbanded. J, Not single.
soldier arayed against the authoritysof
the United States was 10 be found from
the Potomac to the Gulf. How long is
this.to continue? Instead, of returning to
the Constitutional paths travelled by our
fathers, Congress has startled the civil
lized world by the announcement of
their determination to reduce the ten
Southern States to one Military District.
and place the Supreme power of gov
erning that vast country in the hands of
one man, u. S. Grant, and make him re-
sponsible to no earthly tribunal 1 am
neither the personal nor political ad-
mirer Of General Grant; but this is not
my reason for opposing this monstrous
measure proposed by the bold, bad men
who compose the majority of the pres
ent Congress. But / am opposed to it
because it has no sanction in the organic
law of the Republic which Ihave sworn
to support. Were it possible for Mt.
Vernon to give up her sainted dead; if
Washington could step forth and shake
off the Z habilaments i of: the
tomb. I should oppose giving even him
unlimited control over single State of
this Confederacy, and much more strong
l. y,should 1 oppose the attempt to reduce
ten sovereign States to the condition of
a conquered province, and give him un-
limited despotic powers to sway their
destinies, and he who favors such pro-
position is an enemy to free institutions.
By what authority are those conditions
forced upon one-third of the Republicl
Certainly not by any authority derived
from the Federal compact or Constitu-
tion, for that is an agreement entered
into by sovereign States; and some of
the States that. were the first to ratify
that instrument are denied that represen-
tation in the Senate to which they are
entitled, and which they demanded as a
condition. precedent totheir entering into
the Unien. The Constitution expressly
provides: a94 faa757 s. n
ART. 1. SEC. 8. "The Senate of the
United States shall be composed of two
Senators from each State" &c. .lg
This being the exact language of the
Constitution, and binding upon every
citizen, why are twenty Senators re-
fused their seats? The Constitution
also provides that the number of Repre-
sentatives lin the House) shall not ex-
ceed one for every thirty thousand in
| habitants, but each State shall have at
least one representative. Yet, in direct
violation Of the Supreme law Of the
Union, eight millions of citizens are
taxed without representation, and the
apologists for the many acts of tyranny
which have been leveled at the rights of
American citizens and the overthrow, of
the State governments-and / shall
not attempt to enumerate those acts,
for the number of those that have been
enacted into the form of law and placed
1 upon our statute books and those that
are being debated in their midnight eau
4 cuses, are only known 10 Him who has
numbered the sands upon the sea shore
proclaim that the States denied re-
presentation are dead States. Dead
are they! But the people are not salts
fled with such an answer. For when
these States were placed in the keeping
of the present party in power they were
in perfect health, and the people now
demand a return of the jewels. If, in.
deed, they are dead, the people, who are
the source of all power, will pronounce a
just, but severe verdict against the muir
dersrs. But presume the most Jealous
supporter of Congress on this floor will
not assert that there is any authority in
the Constitution for imposing upon the
Southern States the degrading con.
ditions. rendered them. Indeed, Con
eress has acknowledged their unconsti