Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1868-01-28
NEW RECONSTRUCTION BILL.

construction Bill was read asecond time, when
MR. DooLIrTLE of Wisconsin, said there
was more involved in this bill than in any
other. he saw in it practical dissolution
of the Union-a complete overthrow of ten
States of the Union. He saw il it a repub>
lie north of the Potomac and an empire south
of it. He saw in it realization of the Wild
est dreams of Calhoun for a dual executive.
He saw all this with alarm. and he made this
appeal to the committee, before its reference
was made, to modify it. He had no voice in
that committee, aud perhaps his voice was
powerless in the Senate, but he appealed to
this body to listen to him. In form of some
restrictions in the suffrage, which it was pre-
posed to extend, he would send an amend
ment to the Chair that upon the vote for the
ratification of the constitutions, the committee
shall insert provision in this or any other
| so-called reconstruction act, that no one shall
| be allowed to vote who has not served a year
in the armies of the United States, or can
read the constitution, or who possesses in his
own right or that of his wife, a freehold of
not less than $3.50.
Mr.. d. then proceeded to argue in favor of
his proposition and against comforting unre-
stricted suffrage upon the negroes of the
Southern States, by which the whole control
of the internal government of those States
should be wrested from the whites. A con-
fict and a war of races was inevitable at the
South MIR. D. here read from the views of
| Alexander III. Stephens in proof of his as.
sertion. 1t was impossible to avoid this con-
clusion if the teachings of history and the
rules which controlled mems actions we're ia
ken into consideration. Why impose this
negro supremacy upon the South He ad-
mitted that the Southern States had, with
entire unanimity, rejected the constitutional
amendment, but that was not a sufficient rea-
son for this harsh measure. 1t was unnatural
to expect the Southern people to ratify the
amendment 1t struck down and disfran-
chised their own people, their best friends,
who were no more guilty than they; and
when in June, 1866, this amendment was
under consideration, he warned the Senate
that this sweeping disfranchisement would Sc
cure the rejection of the amendment by the
Southern States, but the majority here was
deaf to all appeals.
This amendment DISTINGUISHED thousands
of those to whom the President, by the au-
thority of Congress. had extended amnesty.
| 1t was an unheard ofexample of national per-
fdy, complete ignoring Of the terms of sur
render, and had the Gar of Russia been
| guilty of such an act of bad faith, it would
have called down the execration of the whole
civilized world. The time will come when
| people will wonder that the Senate of the
United States expected the Southern States
to ratify such an amendment. 1t would seem
that the proposition was the offspring of hate
and revenge, of distrust of the people, and
because it has not beer accepted, is Congress
to grind in the dust our own people and
kindred?
The morning hour here expired, when the
chair said it was his duty to call up the un-
finished business,
Mr.. HENDRICKS moved that the rules be
passed over, and the Senator be allowed to
| proceed.
| Mr.. SHERMAN would have no objection if
it had not been for the extraordinary action
Of the Senator in excluding the business of
the morning hour.
Mr.. TRUMBULL had no objection if this
subject was to be continued, but he was not
in favor of allowing partisan speech to be
slipped in at the time in advance. He was,
however, ready to meet the attack-this stg-
matizing of the action Of Congress as revolu-
tionary and unconstitutional-at once, but he
was opposed to listening to the harangue with
out the subject was to be continued.
Mr.. SuERMAN-Let him go on.
After the presentation of number of Pc
titions and the introduction of several bills
Mr.. DooLITTLE proceeded with his argu-
ment, in the course Of which he was several
times interrupted with questions. He COM
pared the radicals of the South to the radi-
| Gals of the North.
Mr.. NYE asked who he meant by the radi-
Gals of the South
Mr.. DoOLITTLE.-Thes ecessionists.
Mr.. MORTON asked if the same secession
lists were not now acting with the democratic
party?
! Mr.. DooLITTLE.-I am not discussing that
question.
Mr.. SUMNER.-That is precisely the ques-
ton.
Mr.. DooL1TTLE.-There is no doubt that
many of the radicals of the North would, if
! they had lived in the South, have felt in per-
feet accord with the radicals of that section.
Mr.. D. then spoke of the policy of recon-
struction of the republican party, that neither
Congress nor the President had at first
dreamed of reconstruction on any but white
basis Even the Wade-Davi reconstruction
bill, which President Lincoln refused to sign,
proposed reconstruction on a white basis
But few determined radicals had caused the
great republican party to change its policy.
The Senator from Indiana (NIr. Morton)
had been one of the most fearless and efficient
upholders of the Union. He (Mr. d. could
never forget his great services. This Senator
with all his acknowledged ability had been
supporter of the policy of Mr.. johnson, and
had co-operated with him Mr.. d. in arguing
that Mr.. Johnson's policy was received as
heritage from Mr.. Lincoln, and yet this Sen
ator was now chained to the car of Wendell
Phillips and the honorable Senator from Mas
sachusetts, (Mr. Sumner.) There was no
danger, no possibility of another rebellion
the Southern people were broken-hearted and
dispirited-all they wanted was peace. He
would read from letter of Hon. Benjamin
Fitzpatrick, formerly the presiding officer of
this body, who says the people of the South
are impoverished and broken down that they