The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1869-03-25

pufle- exnreSsel his acknOwledg gements
for The conf tence IN The President, eX-
pressed 10y the amendment OF Mr. Beck,
and sad he could not help adm1ring The
new born zea of states rights men VINO
now wished Stale officers To be appointed
b Federal authority TatneF nan Dg the
people Of the state. The committee, how
ever, though ut the appointment shoulu be
Be tie President OF tAe convention 10
proceeded 10 explafn, ana advocate the
va ious provisions of the bill Ii n ID been
reportai- from the Committee with great
unaBiraIty Ii had been sanctioned by The
Committee of the LIST House Ii had been
catefuIly and thoroughly cJnsldered Ii
the Ho Sc tnougat IL best 10 nave any
reconstruction in mississippi, he hoped Il
WOHid Staud by tie bill.
Beck addressed the House for an hour in
favor of the amendment offered Oy b m.
He declared that the last ConVe1 ton of
Mississippi had rendered itself ihIamOas
and n ter!y unfit 10 be the depository OF
power. lie contended that the President
OF tGa UdHed States, having 40 snimositles
IT, crafty and heing presumed to desire
the restoration OF good Teiat Ons with the
whole country, would appoint FFONl
snai Governor who WOuld see thaL at
least there was fair election. lie
urgef this, not frOm any newborn re IL
for Federal authority. but as cnoice OF
evils. The Democratic minority aid not
look 10 anv marty advantage n his. They
didn't expect the president 10 appoint any
Democra. TO such an office, buJ they oe-
Iieved the Pres dent wo lld 20 justice. and
see that tar m - were appointed And ialr
elections held. Therefore they were OPP
posed o depriviag he PRESIDENT powers
I;tyrenee asst. what powers this dill
took from the Z esideDt.
Beck replied that the President now had
the power, under all the Tei obstruction
Ws, to appoiHA Provisional governors
and military oesesrs. W no h&i the au-
tOriby to appoint Regist aFs and Judges or
Elections by this bill? The President was
deprived OF thls power. anu the mlilIary
cOmn3ndant was deprived of all power;
ali that he could do was to AID the PRO
visiOnal Governor in carrying out his or
cpfla inflUlnnS they might he.
Beck proc eded to give illustrations Of
the unworthiness OF the last Mississippi
Constitution. which this bill proposes 10
restore He asked whether IL was Won
derfui that the decent negroes OF Mtssis-
sIppi voted against 1t, as they had. Was
1t not wonderful Hlat any set of gentlemen
would now seek to restore power to such a
Constitution, without even giving the
President of the United States the right To
see that the next election was fairly heldT
That was the aNnaZlng prop 0sltton.
Lawrence replied to the comments OF
Beck on depriYing the President Of power
To appoint q Provisional Governor Tor MIS-"
sissippi, and argued mat no Such power
was vested ia the President. President
Johnson had undertaken TO exercise the
power of appointing a Provisional cover
I8or, but such action on his part had never
received any validity from Congress, and
no act con ferrlng such p,wer on the PreSi-
dent had ever passed Congress; tnab power
bad been conferred hy the Reconstruction
acts on the Military Commanders IN the
south aud on the General Of tue Army.
This bill. therefore. took no power IfOm
the PreSld6nti IL merely tfahsleIIed rom
the military authorities to the ConNeh-
ton the power to appoint Provisional
Governor for Mississippi.
Beck suggested that Lincoln hat eXer-
cised the same power In the appointment Ut
Of MIR. ohns III.
Lawrence replied that thab was not 50.
I Mr.. Johnson had been appointed Military
/ Governor OF Tennessee, which was a very
different tn ing from a Provisional Cover
nor-the one exercises material powers
/ the other civil rOwers.
/ Ward obtained the floor to oppose the
: bill, but leided to n motion to adjourn
and the House adjourned.