The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1868-09-03
FRANK p. BLAIR
RUMP RECONSTRUCTION.

Radical Collision with President Lin
coIn-speech Of General Frank r
Blair, Delivered at the Town OF sey
mour, in Connecticut, April 3, 1SSS
Concluded.
Towards the close of the next session
Louisiana, under the recommendation
of the President, presented her Consti'
tuition, and asked admission for her Sen
ators and Representatives. There was
a large majority for it, but it was de-
feated by what is called filibustering
never before resorted to in the Senate
speaking against time-moving simu.
lated Misunderstanding the yeas and
pays, and at successive intervals NOV
ing adiournments, with the yeas and
nays, until by this subterfuge the time
lapsed for sending the bill to the House
and having it passed before the constitu'
tional term of Congress expired. In
this dilatory process to defeat the ad,
mission of Louisiana, which was contin-
ued through the night until the morn
ing hours of the next day, Messrs. Sum.
ner, Wade, Chandler, Howard and
| DTOWH, "6lc GuC pOihi EuahN ~
Radicals who fought the bill to the
death, all the rest of the Radicals Civ.
ing in their adhesion to this opening
measure to restore the Union with the
advent of Mr.. Lincoln's second inaugur-
alton, which followed eight days after
wards. These five votes prevented it,
the previous question to bring bill on
its passage being denied by the rules OF
the Senate. These five votes were suf-
| ficient By the abuse of the rules of legis-
lation in one branch of Congress, to
defeat representation of the South: to
defeat the public opinion of the great
body of the people on the question OF
restoration, to defeat the will of the Re-
publican party expressed in the Conven-
ton which nominated Mr.. Lincoln IN
defiance of this precise issue made with
him in the Wade and Davis Reconstrue-
tion act, with which their manifesto in
support of this measure was urged as
vindicating the rights of Congress
against the usurpations of the Execu-
tive, and in defiance of the vast popular
majority, which in re-electing the Presi-
dent on this very issue, made in his plan
submitted for restoring the Union, held
even by the majority in Congress that
had voted for the Wade and Davis bill
as decisive of the nations will upon
the question. 1t appears, however,
that Others of the Radicals were still
more malcontent than the five Senators
already alluded to, and the following
paragraph from the New York Times
lRepublican) declares that Mr.. Stevens
had prefgured for Mr.. Lincoln the fate
that now attends his successor:
"Thad. Stevens wished to impeach
and try President Lincoln instead OF
his successor. The first accusation that
he wished to have made was that the
culprit did erect North Carolina and
other conquered territories into States
and relations, giving them governments
of his own creation, and appointing
over them rulers unknown to the laws
of the United States. and who could not
by any such laws hold any office there
| in 1t will be remembered that the
celebrated North Carolina proclamation
was the work of Mr.. Lincoln. 1t will
be remembered that it was Mr.. Lincoln
who appointed Stanley Governor OF
North Carolina, and it was Mr.. LiHcoln
who did several and sundry other things
herein charged. 1t is well that the
Senate and the country have been
saved from this trial"
A few days after this memorable con-
test in the Senate Mr.. Lincoln was in
aucurated as President for his second
term, and the next menth closed the
rebellion. He had returned from the
scene of its last struggle, walked
through Richmond amidst its ruins and
mingled without the ostentation of q
conqueror, with the people whom he
accosted as fellow-citizens, after the
surrender. In reaching the Presidents
house in Washington, he told the
crowd that gathered around, II would
much prefer having the demonstration
take place tomorrow evening, as
would then be much better prepared to
say what have to say. Just now | am
not ready to say anything that one in
my position ought to say" His heart
was then laboring with the great de-
sign of bringing back, with the peace
the Union the war had suspended. On
that next day when the people had as
sembled around his portico, he deliver
ed from a carefully prepared MSS. his
last speech to his countrymen. In his
Invitation, asking their attendance, he
said, "you know everything | say goes
into print. If make mistake 1T does
not effect merely Inc or you, but the
country"
1t was thus he prepared the public
for the important purpose he had tt
announce. 1t was to make an appea
to the American people to make good
the pledges that had been given by the
Congress, almost without . dissenting
voice, that the war was waged not fol
the subjugation, but the restoration o.
the seeding States with all their right:
unimpaired-to make good his proclaim
alton invited by Congress, granting th'
amnesty on accepting the emancipation
proclamation, and all the successive
cognate measures, to which he, in virtue
of his military rights and responsible
ties, had pledged himself should b'
crowned by the consummation of tha
grand result-the admission of th'
States with "their rights unim
paired" Louisiana had but the month
before, with q constitution complying
with all that Congress or the President
ever suggested, been excluded by chica
merry of five members Of the Senate EN-
ploying the technicalities of the rule
aad speaking against time in th'
closing hours of session to shu
the door in her face. Leuisiani
was the pioneer State, and as th'
rest became prepared, accommodating
their constitutions to the conditions
proclaimed before the close of the wa
the President looked to the harmoni
GUS coming together Of all the States b!
their voluntary action-with govern
ments erected by themselves, deriving
their authority from the consent of thu
governed. In his proclamation of dis
sent to the Wade-Davis bill he put i
on the ground that the bill created {
constitution having neither origin o.
adoption in the will of the people
though he submitted it to them las ont
very proper plan for the loyal people O
any State choosing to adopt it,"
1t was upen this issue that the Radi
calls split with Mr.. Lincoln, and from
the mass of the people who elected hin
| IN enita of THAR deDunciatiOn of him ii