The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1868-01-24

Ihe people are organizing everywhere
| from Maine to California, not upon
the dead issues of the past for in
glorious defeat, for there is too much
at stake, and they are too terribly 10
earnest for that, but with living men
upon the living issues of the presenr.
They will organize for a victory so
complete and overwhelming that
the votes of the + negro States
of the South cannot hold the balance
of power and decide the election
against that same patriotism which
led hundreds of thousands of Demo-
Gratis to sustain the Republican
party, In putting down the rebellion
of the Southern Radicals; aud hG1-
dreds of thousands of. Republicans
will act with the Democratic party
to overcome the no less dangerous
doctrines of the Radicals of the
North. They are fighting in the same
cause of Union and Constitution, and
for the spirit which gives them life
IS Morton repeated his question
Whether the radicals ofthe South or
secessionists are not acting with the
Democratic party, and did not so act
before the WARP"
parties in the, South before the war,
but the majority acted with the DEM
ocratic party it might be that some
of those radicals were now acting with
the Democratic party North. !"
Sumner Is there any doubt of.
it?h-udot lafs993t lllf sf
Doolittle-" never knew a majori-
ty in which there were not some radi-
Gals; this majority here has several. "
Laughter. = ag
Nye obtained the floor but yielded
to Frumbull, who after alludiDg to
the claim of the Democratic party TO
be the friends of the Constitution
and the Union, said it was little re-f
markable that it embraced all the
men who fought against the Constitu-
)tion and Union, as we'll as that the
measures the Senator had denounced
as unconstitutional were originated
by the meu who had fought and legs
lated to maintain. He denied that,
as claimed by the Senator, it was 10
imminent danger. He did not think
the Senator and his associates had
the power to peril it, but its only posi-
sible danger lay in their misapprehen-
sion of the designs of the Republican
party, and IN such speeches as that just
made Reciting the progress of the
Southern conventions, he said re-
construction was going on, land would
soon restore the Southern States to
the Union and release them from the
military despotism which so alarmed
the Senator. Why could he not join
in their endeayors TO give those
States republican governments aud
place them Ia the hands OF
loyal menu They had only
to stand by those measures to witness
their speedy accomplishment. The
Senator had complained that Con-
gress would not modify itsi policy.
! Certainly not; they had adopted. aft
ter mature deliberation, their excel
lent plan for reconstruction and res
toration, which, if not the best pos
sible, yet the best they could agree
upon. No fatal defects had been
found In it, and the amendatOry acts
thwart their execution. He hoped in
future legislation they would adhere
to the original intent of Con-
gress. In reply to Mr.. Doolittle's
assertion that they intended to place
the South under negro control, he
pointed TO the excess of the white
over the black population in all the
States but South Carolina. If the
whites had notsregistered, it was the
fault of that Senator, and such
speeches as hiss(the Senator) that the
few leaders disfranchised. embraced
all the brains and talent Of the
South; and he had been frank
enough to say that the ma
iority of the Southern whites had
been opposed to the rebellion; that
they were forced into it by these very
leaders, who were, therefore, the last
men to be entrusted with authority
so large. That it was sought to es-
tablish negro supremacy was untrue;
even in the Southern Conventions a
majority of the members were white.
To Mr. Doolittle's, argument that
they had recognized the validity of
the Southern State Governments, by
submitting to them the Consti-
tutional Amendments for ratification,
he replied that it might as we'll be
claimed that President Lincoln had
recognized them by going down to
| Fortress Monroe to negotiate with
| them. Had these amendments been
ratified, doubtless Congress would
Lave recognized them as valid
| Governments, but they did not. Con-
gress, after waiting patiently to see
what would be the result of the Presi-
| dents attempted reorganization, and
finding they would certainly go into
| the hands of the rebels, took the ne
cessary, steps to reconstruct them in
aceordanee with the Constitution and
safety and peace of the country. He