Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1868-02-06
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4 CAPITAL SDeech.

| the Senate on Wednesday, after Mr..
Pomeroy had concluded, Mr. Buckalew,
the Pennsylvania statesman, made an able
speech. The following report gives the
mere outlines of it, yet shows that it was
such :
Mr. Buckalew then went on to combat
the portion Of the argument of Mr.. Nor
TON not answered by Nr. JOHNSON, He
understood the guarantee by the Constitu-
tlon of republican forms of government to
States to be u guarantee i'll their favor, not
against them ). and he argued that it was
tor the purposes of protection from. inva-
sion or instruction and the security Of Il
republican form Of government, either that
originally established, whether amended or
not, OF one established by the people of a
State. Thi, power Was not to create or
establish, but si:nply to preserve, It did
not justify reconstruction on the present
plan, or as substitute for the War power,
as had been claimed but did impose upon
Congress the clear duty of recognizing
governments there that are republican ill
form. 1t did not authorize the dictation
of the provisions of the fundamental laws
or the Constitution. which was attempted
by this legislation. Instead of guarantee
Ing republican forms Of government, the
reconstruction laws subverted it, and inya-
ded those principles, and sought to over
throw them. 1t was an insult to common
sense to call them republican forms of gov
eminent. They were really military die
tatorships, bringing them down to the lev
ell of republics that had long ago fallen. -.
Could republican forms of government be
maintained By the rule Of the bayonet over
all the rights Of persons and property
crushing out the dearest rights guaranteed
by their fathers? Suppose war of races
should arise, they must vote men and mon
ey to- meet that state Of things, unit, even
mere despotic system was established. -
He appealed to them to pause in their
course. If they did not, no one could
doubt that their motives, were to, retain
their present unjust share Of power in the
nation This legislation was intended as
"a guarantee to themselves ard against the
people, so that they could hold it despite
the Constitution they trampled under foot,
in the face of all history, which condemn
ed their course. He denied that the Pres
ident had any more right or, under ordi-
nary circumstances, any more business,
than Congress to set up State govern
ment. At the close of the war he had
certain powers in establishing provisional
governments, but could not interfere far
Their with their governments without sub
hitting the questions to "a vote of the peo-
pie. The President, in his policy of re-
construction. did not impose any terms
the Secretary of State merely wrote an ad-
visory letter to those engaged in recon
struction, setting forth what would be
agreeable to other States The president
left it all to the people themselves. which,
ne argued, was the only constitutional way
of forming constitutions. He said that
conventions of delegates elected by the
people could form valid constitutions with
out submission 10 the people, citing the
present. Constitution of Pennsylvania and
the Federal Constitution of 1857 as instan-
ces in point. The senator from Massachu-
sets (Mr. Wilson, had said the powers
of hell could not prevail against the recon-
struction measures 1t the Internal powers
took any interest at all in this Government
doubtless they would not try to prevail
against them, but if they had sympathies
at all, would sympathise will, the authors
ofthose measures. Laughter.