The Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1863-1886, 1868-01-30
Great Debate in the U. S. Sem
ate.

1ner6 nus Deou ueDuI0 III InC
Senate .on the Reconstruction
Bill, which was characterized by
some Of the most powerful orator
ical efforts that body has known
for years. We give below the
sketches of the great speeches
of Senator Morton, of Indiana, and
Senator Nye, of Nevada, on the
occasion, as furnished by the regu-
lar telegraphic report to the Asso-
ciatcd Press. The special to the
Cincinnati Commercial, of the 9th,
thus refers to the speech Of Sena
tor Morton
In the Senate, to-day, the great
event was tho speech of Senator
Morton, in reply to Dooli;tle, on
reconstruction. Mr.. Morton sat
during its entire delivery, feeling
weaker than usual, His voice was
in good condition, however. and he
spoke with moro force and car
nestness than he has ever before
displayed. Tho galleries were
thronged, tho lobbIes wcro full,
and the audience seemed through,
out to bc deeply Interested, and
frequently on The verge ofapplauso.
Lie spoke one hour and twenty
minutes. When be had concluded
all the Senators on the floor Aocked
around him in n perfect mob TO
congratulate him, creating snch
disorder that rhe proceedings we're
interrupted, and Tho Chair had 10
interfere. Nothing like such a
scene has been witnessed for many
sessions in the Senate. Democrats
and Republicans were alike enthu-
siastic in their congratulations. =
The first man to extend bis hand
to MIR. Morton, was his Democratic
colleague, Mr. Hendricks. Roverdy
johnson pronounced il. tho ablest
speech yet made in vindicalion of
ofthe Congressional policy,
THE SPEECHES.
AT the expiration of the morning
hour, the Senate resumed the con
sideralion OF tho Reconstruction
Bill.
Mr.. MORTON took the floor and
argued as follows: First, that tho
Constitution guaranteeing to all
States II Republican form Of gov
ernment, and tho rebel atates in
1865 being without State govern
ments, and, therefore, having no
right 10 representation in tho Con.
gress OF tho United States, that the
Government must reconstruct them.
He quoted from tho Constitution
and fro m judicial opinions TO show
that this guarantee could bo enf0rc-
cd only by Congpess, and said that
Senators DooliCtle and Johnson hnd
voted for tho proposition. He also
said, in reply 10 tho structures,
yesterday, OF Mr.. Doollttlo on his
| Morton's course, that as the Com
sIifution did not define how it is
10 be exercised by Congress, in OK.
ecutlng the guarantee it must be
left to circumstances. 1t rebel
States could not DO reconstructed
with the hcIp OF the white citizens
living in thotn, Congress had the
right TO raise up Il class OF men who
had bcecn disfianchiscd by rebel
State laws, in order to do it, and
that tho right could not be revers-
ed by tho courts. Hc said that
tho President proposed by his pol.
icy tho Acknowledgement Of d far
greater number OF persons than the
Congressional plan Of rccons,ruc,
non did; and tho constitutions
framed under that policy had nov.
or been suorpittcd to the people,
and therefore werc illegal, They
looked to returning the freedmen
under tho power OF their rebel
mastors, Congress bad detcrmln.
cd to 60 through tho tho rubbish
down TO tho eternal rock, and
secure equal rights to all nen.-
llc defended his speech in Indiana,
referred to BY Mr.. DoolittIe, where
he had said, merely, that while he
admitted tho rights OF all men, he
thought that before the blacks
should havo suffrage there should
), be IL period of probation. Reply
ing 10 tho charge that the Rcpub
licans were ovcrthrowing tho Con.
stituticn, he said that those who
talked the loudest about it, were
tho men who, if they could, would
have replaced it by tho Montgom
ory conslitution-tho 40 called Rad.
icaIs Of tho South, tho secessionists
ho repeated it, who were Demo.
Gratis.
lie next took up and commented
upon tho claim that tho Republi
cans sought to establish Negro
supremacy, and criticized Mr. Doc
littlo's proposed amendment. o.
tho first qualification for negro
sulfragc-ouc years service in the
Unitod States army--ho said they
allowed rebels to vo,o who had serv
edith years in tho rebel army
OF tho educational qualification, he
said thoy allowed whito men to
vOto who did not know how to put
their mark to noto given for
whisky. Laughter And in ro.
gard to tho third quoliieation--rc
quiring the possession Of u FREQ.
hold worth two hundred aud fifty
dollNrs-he said it would cut of
ninety.nino out of every hundred
loyal blacks, whilo u white rebel,
who never in his life was worth
twenty-five cents, and who had
never paid ono honest debt, was
! nlln,uNI IA t,otn Iln liaoIo,o1 a. 4,