The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1869-12-18
1881.

/ presented by each were endorsed by the
people. after q full dis cussion.
/ Thurman reiterated his assertions, de-
elaring that in the elections referred %
the grave issues involved in the Constitu-
uonhl Amendments had received COM
paratively little attention In conseQuenco
OF the more exciting appeal to the ueuDle
oy tne hepupllean party In denunciatfpn
OF andrew Johnson as q traitor, not to- -hfs
country but TO his party. He dIffereda win
ms coiieague concerning the true interpre-
tallon OF the public sentiment of Ohio as
evinced IN the recent elections.n -hoidinr
thal where many questions We're involved
IA the success of a political party, it was
impossible 20 aseribe denniteiy 10 any par
tIcuiaf measures It's proportional popu-
4aIliy' lie charged that in bringing for
th4 S,9i,st, party had repudiated
me ne ChLeago Platform upon which
ana 9nio relsfred nsa OeeR u esGriad oF Grant,
publican maJ0rities in thaf Sfata "a an
evidt nee tnat they had loat the aenee
o. the people. Referring To the r-iection
ofthe Fifteenth Anne endgnent bv the Ohio
| Legislature ne sa1ds Al the doctrine that
| a state could not Withdraw It's assent 10 n
/ Const stutlonal Amendment was correct It
| would follow that when a state mad re-
JecIeo a proposed amendment, its action
/ Q 1uld lot afterwards b : reversed
Sherman said that ike the acts of Con-
gress, The ae ion OF state Legislatures
might DC subject TO repeal at any time. In
| reply 10 his colleague, he claimed that the
/ people OF Ohio never occupied q doubtful
| position on the questions of the adoption
of either the Ihirteenfh. Fourtesnth or
/ thteentht Amendments. If the simple
| question was to-cty LETT 10 the people of
| ONO, Whstber tEssy would disfrancnise q
he beiieVedtae answer would be Ia the neg
/ alive by fifty thousand majority and in
Justice TO that state he made this state
meat
In the course of further debate between
| tne Senators from Ohio, Thurman replied
at length TO his COLLEAGUES. He said that,
4 under q pretense Of sustaining the previous
! Reconstruction measures, this bill struck
ooWn state that IL was dangerous In
/ nTNnHfntH- ftnnEFaag al "a "a rrNt
| members of the Legislature Of GeOrRia
because they were obnoxious politically.
1ne same power might hereafter be exer-
/ cssed TO strike down members OF the Legis-
| Iature OF any other State. The excuse that
| tue authority for such legislation was con-
tion that Congress shall guar
antee 70 each State a Republican
/ one, a1d had no application to the case
/ He hoped when John Chinaman came
| tov0te. his colleague would be able TO ex-
| plain why he should be excluded, why II
/ was that man with black skin could
vote and man with yellow skin
! Williams submitted an amendment. sub
| stantally similar TO MortOns, which that
| Senator accepted as a modification Of his
| oWnSs slz: That the Legislature shall ratify
] the Fifteenth Amend uent proposed To
! the Constitution of the United States be-
fore Senators and Representatives. from
| Georgia are admitie ed tn seals In Congress.
Carpenter said he agreed with Morton
On tue merits of the proposed amendment,
! anu t4ttt al the members OF the judiciary
Comm tltee agreed Ia desiring the ratifca-
/ tton OF the Fifteenth Amendment b.
GeoTela, but the question remained
whether II was policy for the senate TO
embooY that enactment in this bill. By
leaviDs out the provision Congress might
! evadea question which would otherwise
tion.
Tue discussion was further continued,
! the main point being, by requiring the
| adoption of the Fifteenth Amendment as
conultlon precedent. At this time Con-
| gress might incur the danger Of debating
/ and mpslling the adoption Of terms.
4 state being in duress at the time could not
| afterwards be bound By lis action, that
| LhefeDy SAID action might be proved
| Invalid, tile adoption of a constitutional
/ amendment depending for its ratification
7 on such action rendered 10 necessary.
The Senate then lO0k a recess Tia 1880,
EVENING SESSION.
The CONFEDERATION OF tho Georgia bill
/ was resumed.
Davis aFguea that only by successful
| revolution could the relations OF the
! Southern States with the Union have been
/ permanently Aundered, and the oppression
| Of rebellion involved the return OF those
! States to their former relations 70 the Gov
| ernment and 4he restoration of the
/ former condftlon Of things without the
Intervention of sthe Federal Legislation.
He defined his Opposition to the bill TO be
| on general grounds aud particularly be-
| cause IL assumed to dictate arbitrary and
| unheaTd OF restrictions upen the Legisla-
are OF Georsia, as To Its method of pro-
| csdure in the details or -organization as to
the qualifications of its Biembers; that IL
was eE post Idcto in its PROVISIONS, because
] il provided penaltfes FOR tilat which before
was not criminal; that II implied the
power of Congress to puHish a State by
! that dangerous aeresy "a assumed power,
the exclusion OF stats from representa-
The discussion which followed assumed
wide range on political topics and was
/ prOBrs cted till a late hOur.
Casserly said that four years of a Govern
ment Of the bas onep In the South bad
1 demonstrated the utility OF the RECON-
siruction policy of Congress; that violence
| ant disorder were iIs legitimate results,
and that the coercfve measures now pro-
/ posed to secure the ratification of the Fif-
| teenth Amendment would invalidate the
action on the subject.
After further TemArk b. Hye, Ihayer
| and Norton, the Senate voted on the
amendment of Williams, that the Legis-
/ lafure shall TatlfY the Fifteenth Amend
ment, proposed TO the Constitution of tile
/ United States, be the Senators and
| Representatives. are admitted 20 seats in
Congress. The amendment was adopted
| by yeas 30, nays Is.
NAYs-Bayard, Carpenter, Casserly,
| Con king, CoIbett, Davis Fowler, Hamil-
/ ton. Norton, Rice, Salisbury, Stockton,
Thurman, Vickers and Wiley.
The question reeurred on the latter p0r-
| ton of the amendment submitted bv Nor.
/ tion, providing for he intltctlon of penai~
| ties pom all persons rendered Ineligible 10
/ hold Office, except those whose disabilities
| had been removed by Congress, who shall
| attempt to exercise any office created by
| the Constitution and laws OF Georgia. The
amendment is also retrospective, applying
TO all persons who may have been already
elected TO office.
! Thurman objected to the anendment,
/ because of It's Unlimited character.
Morton then Withdrew the amendment,
l with the intention OF incorporating IL in
| the form of a Dill.
Thurman said Georgia had in good faith
/ complied with every requirement of the
| RecOnstructton Acts, but it had been pre-.
sented to the people of Georgia by ex-
/ Governor Brown, the head and 'front.' OF the
| recOnstru ction movement there and others,
/ that the new Constitution conferred upon
negroes not the right 10 hold office, Dut
/ simply the right to vote. The coIcred
! men who were deprived of seats In the
/ Legislature did not exceed four or five IN
/ number, and even they participated ia
/ the adoption Of the Fifteenth Amendment
/ aud election Of United States Senators.
\ He asserted that not one iOfa Of PROOF
could be produced to show that single
member OF the Legislature was dlsquaLl-
/ fed, and mat the pretext for the present
I legislation in regard TO GeoIglh nta no
| foundation He declined 10 nave any part
in what he believed the perpeluatlon OF a
siess ss,ssserIg = ssnnoved to amend the second
| section. 50 as to make distinction in the
1 adnfnfstrafIon Of the oath therein pro
/ vtded favorabIy TO those who had given
| aid fo the rebellion, in contradistinctiOn
/ with its voluntary supporters. Amend
/ r,ref1t agreed tO-yeaS y, nays 2.
Carpenter moved that the Senate ad-
fourl until Monday.
Drake called for the yeas and nays, and
said the State OF Georgia might stay ut Of
the Union twenty years besOIe be would |
vote to difquaIlfy single man in that
state who was compelled to aid the rebel !
lion. nor did he want, after being kept in |
lie Senate Chamber until after midnight |
ia order 10 pass the bill, to have the SEN
ate adjourn over till next week, sim ply be- |
cause an amendment had been put in |
which the Judiciary Committee did not |
wish put in. He prOtesteI against angry
feeling, and objected TO any adjOuI nmemt |
until 1nai action mad been had on the bill. !
Carpenter dIsclained being actuated by |
any angry feeling, cut said the bill, IA the !
opinion of Its friends, having been mate
rally Lessen ed IN value they wished 10 be |
absolved from any intention OF longer de- |
tanning the Senate IL the members aid not
wish to stay.