Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1869-12-18

sFNATE-After our report closed

| and sfter remaining therein nfte~n m,n,,..s ~
doors were rcoPened, and the discu--son OF the
Georgia bill renewed.
Mr.. stockton argued at length against the ooY-
sttutionality OF the act, and declared tina; the
majority by their action were recogni King the
right Of secession, which right he had aixays
denied. They were now altering the Con~tita-
ton I'm q manner not provided by the COnstitsl-
Ton. III this matter affected Georgia alone he
night not rsise his voice, but IL sfec;od New
Jersey and Ohio and other States They were
10 strike out the word " white" from the consti-
4 tuition OF New Jersey by the forced act OF this
m'htary provisional government OF Georgia ~
T n is now pretended that this amendme ent ~
adopted, the day will come when IL will be de-
clared 20 be no part OF the Consultation.
Mr.. Ferry thought that the effect Of the adop-
/ ton Of Mr.. Morton's amendment would be not
/ only 30 render doubtful the passage OF the Ut
/ teenth amendment, but 20 throw doubts upon
the adoption OF the fourteenth amendment,
which might result in its being iadicially de-
clared nun aud void hereafter. Furthermore.
70 declare the Legislature Of Georgia illegal
would be TO set aside all The laws effecting
nearly every private and public relation OF life,
and to wipe out the entire Judi ciary OF the STATE
Ne should prefer rather than this that the state
should he remanded "a a military government.
! MI Cenkling thought 10 better not ~ trust 20
the Legislature Of Georgia 90 rescind ia actiOn
| In regard 10 the expulsion OF the coiorel mem-
bers as he was not satisfcdthey wouldsct in good
faith. He read from the opinion of Alexander
H. stephens 90 the effect that the decision OF she
Supreme Court OF Georgia could not cause the
restoTati Of the colored members. Consider
I
had thought IL best not 30 advocate any farther
delay on the bil. In regard 10 the pesdlng
amendment, IL was not necessary, and there
was nothing to be gained by il. Then IL would
furnish 70 the Senator from Ohio, (Mr. Thur
man, 20 a good many people in New York and
other debatable staaes a considerable amount Of
| liked ammunition. IL would be just what they
wanted 70 say, that by coercing Georgia the
| people OF New York and Ohio had institutions
imposed uron them which they had refused.
Again, the Democratic Legislature OF Georgia
had over and over again pledged themselves 10
ratify the fifteenth amendment.
Mr.. Morton said he willing TO withdraw
that part Of his amendment requiring the ratifi-
cation OF the fourteenth amendment; bat he
would say TO the Senator (Mr. Conkling) that n
they were furnishing liked ammunition. the
enemy had already enough OF Il for their de-
struction, as they had required the rebel States
20 ratify the fourteenth amendment, and n
was declared adopted by the coerced votes OF
the rebel states. IL was too late 10 20 back
| now.
Mr.. Conkling remarked that IL was true that
Congress had in the earlier part OF reconstruc-
| ton required certain conditions; but the Demo
cratic party was estopPcd from makiag any
| complaint about that, for their representative,
Andrew johnson, had commemorate IL by reluir-
| ing OF the States the adoption Of the thirteenth
amendment.
Mr.. Morton said there was no ues of Juggling
in Andrew johnson, and IL would not 10 10 20
back on themselves. It would be a confession
before the country that all they had done was
wrong. He believed thai the vote OF Geoga was
teenth amendment Then The Democrats
would give up their efforts 90 get control of the
Ohio Legislature, New York would not rescind
Rhode Island, and the Democrats would go 20
work 20 conciliate the votes OF American citizens
OF African descent. IL this requirement was
not made he did not believe there was one
chance i'm fifty that Georgia would ratify H.
Mr.. Sherman declared that the people OF Ohio,
at their last election, by majority of six or
seven thousand, declared in favor OF the If
teenth amendment, and IL the Republicans
elected from Hamilton county were true % their
party, the Legislature would carry out the will
OF the people and ratify il. The Democratic
Legislature had, contrary 10 the will of the peo-
pie, rescinded the ratification Of the fourteenth
| amendment. That amendment was the only
narural issue before the people in l,s66 and the
vote was carried by the Republicans bv IS ,O9J or
$500 majority. The year after an amendment
10 the constitution was proposed, enfranchising
the colored people, but also having disfrsn chis-
sitiOn, and the people voted IL down on account
Of its dsfranchising clauses.
Mr.. Sherman said that i'm 1896 the question OF
the fourteenth amendment scarcely was spoken
OF. IL was all Andrew johnson. Party rage
was excited to the highest pitch by abuse OF
andrew johnson for his desertion of his party.
submitted To the people of Ohio the clause which
accompanied it disfranchised deserters, and this
could not have been the Democrats, for the,
democrats had always polled their fun vote and
, ,ne hepubhean majority was reduced from
lOOtOc0 in 1868 TO less than 1000 in 1859.
Mr. Nye.-The Democrats never went in.
Mr.. Sherman.-who says that ybv Sir ,n,,
own own county, with its Democratic majority OF
are voters in the whole State of Nevada. In re-
gard TO the fifteenth amendment that was mot
an issue In the last campaign; for one word
spoken by the Republicans i'm reference 70 the
tfteenth amendment there were pages said i'm re-
gard TO the extravaganza Of the Democratic le-
gislature.
Ohio had declared in the last canvass their
adhesion to the fifteenth amendment, and II the
Legislature carried out the will of the people.
ne hoped 10 have the privilege Of presenting
before the close of this session the voice OF Ohio
as the cap sheaf TO the pillar of liberty.
MI Williams suggested a modification of the
TO provide that Georgia shall not be admitted IN
representation In Congress until it ratifies the
fifteenth amendment.
After further discussion, the Senate af ga m
M, took recess until 80 p. m.
EVENING SESSION.
Ihe Senate reassembled at 80 ID. m.
q. Mf; I'll Davis argued at length in opposition to
,dr; Mr.; Norton also argued against the constitu-
Mr.. Nye said all the arguments adduced here
ON the Democratic side to-day could be found i'm
the Globe. They had been hearing them for
foIr years, and he was getting tired oft.
Mr. Casserly said that John Bright had told
the British Parliament that after seven hum
dred years OF government Of Ireland they had
nothing but military rule and the suspension
Oh the habeas corpus, and now after ali these
years of attempts at governing the South thew
had nothing but the fragment and the suspen-
SION OF the writ Of habeas corpus TO offer SEN
ators say they are tired of hearing these old ar
guments. They are old, they have been repeat-
ed ever since wrong struck down innocence. and
right. uieo
The amendment of Mr.. Morton WAS the,
adopted, yeas, 3s; nays, 15-Messrs. Bayard.
carpenter; Casserly, Conkling, OOrbett, Davis,
Fowler, Hamilton, Norton, Rice, SALISBURY
negative.
Mr.. Morton then offered another amendment.
that any person eagaged i'm the rebellion. having
neretofore held office Of any kind, and whose
disabilities have not been removed. shall be
subject TO tine and imprisonment on aftemptrhr
70 hold any ONCE under the United States in Tie
State of Georgia.
Mr.. Thurman said this would bar out ninety
nine in every one hundred people of Georgia.
and was much more sweeping than the four
teenth amendment.
Mr. Morton said he would withdraw the
amendment, and Incorporated IL as a general
bill applicable to all States.
MI. Sawyer moved to amend that only those
persons who gave voluntary aid 20 the rebellion
shall be excluded from their seats in the Lecis-
latnre; which was agreed to.
Mr. Stewart declared that the bill was now Of
no further use.
The bin was then reported to the Senate,
having been considered i'm Committee OF the
Whole, and all the amendments made were
agreed to except that Of Mr.. Sawyer.
Mr.. Howard moved TO amend by proy;s3,ny
that only those who had given aid TO the ref,els