Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1868-01-31
ELLSWORTH, MAINE, FRIDAY, JANUARY 81, 1868
Speech of Hon. j. A. Peters.

we received this morning the Congress-
ional Globe containing the speech of Hon.
j. A. Peters, on the Supplementary Re-
construction Bill. Mr.. Peters sent to the
Clerks desk two letters which he had re-
ceived fEasn gentlemen residing i'll Alaha-
ma which the Clerk read. These letters
depict in vivid colors the state of affairs
there by the Presidents course in remov-
ing faithful officers. and in the attempt to
favor rebels. In view of the contents of
these letters and other current facts, Mr..
Peters says
Sir. this House has been shaken and con-
vulscd almost from IT'S sense Of propriety
by II recital Of tie injuries and wrongs al
legged to have been inflicted in ii foreign
country upon sol,e of our naturaliZed citi
zens Bat tenfold more cruel and savage
haye been the wrongs and outrages which
by our inaction heretofore, we ourselves
have allowed to be inflicted upon VIII lite
and black loyal men ly rebels of the South
those in many parts of the South who are
as much rebels o.daY as they were dariug
the meridian of the rebellion.
The letters enter into particulars and the
facts given are enough to awaken fears Of
anarchy. Mr.. Washburn with permission
of Mr. Peters also sent to the Clerks desk
u letter from the same State. the contents
of which corresponded to those received by
Mr.. Peters. The Hon. gentleman then
RESUMED his remarks and said:--
| Mr.. Speaker. when heard to day the
remarks of the gentleman from Connecti
cut. Mr. HuBBARp.] who profpsses loyal-
ty. NV iiiud was iuvoluutariy carried back
! to periods during the rebellion when we
heard similar protcstations made by D"m-
ocratc orators all over the country. They
were profcssed loyalists. They were ID
WAYS willing that the rebellion shonld be
put down: hut when any efficient measure
was proposed to accomplish that object
whether it was to use tii2 nes1o, or to resort
to confiscatiOn, or to any other measure
that was likely to be destructive and terri
bic to the enemy, nice, technical consiitu-
tional objections were raised Although |
have great respect for the gentleman from
Connecticut. yet during his remarks |
could not help feeling little of the old
emotion winch felt dnring the dark days
of the rebellion toward men OF the class I
have mentioned. Whatever We thought
of the sincerity Of their Professions, we
always distrusted their ability to help the
country cut of the rebellion. l just as
much distrust their ability now to propoee
efficient measures for the restoration OF
peace and harmony.
!, Sir, in tins work of reconstruction we
have been looping off branch by branch. -
| Two wears ago we onght to have struck
the az at the very root of t:c tree and l
believe that in this bill We are coming
nearer to that policy than we have ever
come before And i'll this connection let
me say one wcrd in relation to our power
to pass an act of this kind.
Congress has repeatedly declared, and
the courts have concurrcd in establishing
the doctrine. that in the m!ds. of the re-
hcliion there were no valid governments
in the States engaged in that rebellion; and
"a to the people there. Congress had the
power. of course within the t"unds OF hu
inanity and ternationa law. to do with
them precisely what it ple"eed. Nnw,
desire to ask this Question. (!or believe 1t
has net been elaborated if it has been pee
sented in this aiscussiou.) when did the
state of facts which conferred upon Con
grcss that Jurisdiction cease This is a
question of fact. of course. The Supreme
Court cannot decide ii question OF fact as
ihey are only The arbiters of questions of
law. OF conrse it is not for the rebsls to
say, il is only for US to say when a suti-
cI..nt degree of national safety has been ob
tuned; md from the reading of their letters
and from the information before the couu-
try. are We willing to say the rebellion,
with all its resuts, is "crushed ont to-
d.y! To be sure the military power Of the
rebellion has been reduced to ashes; but |
tell YOU. if you believe these papers and
the information they furnish, there may be
I've Goals still in these ashes which may
b:. blown into the flames of another civil
war.
We haze as much right to pass this bill
now as we had to force our armies over tn"
Potomac to capture Richmond, II we had
the right 10 put down the rebellion. why.
in tI.. name of God, have we not the right
10 keep it down! We have the same right
10 take care OF these after births of the ie
heiliun that we have to seize and try Jeif
Davis or any other traitor.
We have our hold upon them. and when
shall we release it ! If the Supreme
Court say We shall release it now, they
might have said we shnuld release it before
the capitulation of Lee aud his army. II
they have the jurisdiction to say so at one
time they had the sane jarlsdictinn to say
SO at all times; and say beture high heav
en- would not trust them with that power
Al nf fhl r,4hriiIpn.
MONTGOMERY, ALA, Dec. %, 1867.
DEAR SIR Aliow me To introduce my
self to YOU personally, though you may
have some remembrance of me in Bangor.
Ny object in writing is to furnish you. as a
member of Congress from the district in
which | used to live, some truthful inf0r-
nation regarding the condition fpolitical
affairs in thisState, and to urge upon You
to do whatever may he done, and that
promptly, for our relief. a continuous ey
perence rs an otlic. of the bureau since the
first month of the surrender has enabled me
to estimate with some degree OF correct
ness, the dangers and necessities Of our
cause. speak without eyaggeration or
desire to luislead when declare that the
acts and disposition of the rebels of Ala
bama are more malignant and desperate
than at any fo'ner period. The constitu-
ton presented to the people, while it pos
sesses features of strength that their (tc
rebels) previous acts and disposition ahso-
lutely demanded for the safety OF friends of
the Government, is yet without shade of
vindic.iveness Yet, since ii deprives them
of the power to put their feet upon the
uecks of loyal people, as they have done