The States and Union. [volume] (Ashland, Ohio) 1868-1872, 1870-01-26
Admission Of Virginia. -'- q
SPEECH OF HON, G. W. MORGAN,

IL THE HOUSE OF REPREsRSrATIyEs
- january IL, 1870. saY
On the bill (H. r. No. 1889 to admi
the State of Virginia to, representa-
tion in the Congress of the United
| States. '-'- -'--s F''.'j '-'+.,'-f'.
Mr.. MORGAN. AS I desire, Mr.,
Speaker, that the current, of the re
marks which 1 will have the honor tc
submit to the consideration of the
House may be uninterrupted, / so an.
nounce at the outset, in order that
there may not DE any appearance oi
discourtesyI on my part in declining to
yield to any gentleman while L am on
the floor. / understand that the de
bate is to be as free and extended as
may be desired, and if any gentleman
should wish to, controvert any position
which / may assume he will have an
opportunity to do so at q subsequent
stage of the discussion. -5'-' 4. .'-
Mr. Speaker, the question before
the House is one, of momentous char
acter. A question of graver magni-
tude could not be submitted to the con-
sideration of a legislative body. And,
sir, l approach its discussion with feel
ings of solemnity, and shall endeavor
to treat the matters upon which /
touch with spirit of fairness and can
dor worthy an accession like the present.
Il am opposed to the passage ofnthe
bill reported by the Committee on Re
construction, of which L am an hum
BILE member, for the reason that / re-
gard the conditions upon which it is
proposed to grant representation to
Virginia as :unwise, ungeRerous, UNI
constitutional, and void, and L favor
the substitute offered by my colleague,
Mr.. Bingham, for the reason that it
is in conformity with the Constitution
of the United States, and not for the
reasons set forth in its preamble, .1ri
1t is true, sir, that Virginia has con:
formed in every particular to what are
called the reconstruction acts of Con-
gress. 1t is true that Virginia has
done all that Congress required herto
do. 1t is true that Virginia has APP
peared to forget the rights which are
soIenlnly guaranteed to her by the Con-
stitution, and has bowed almost with
humility toDthe undue and inconstitu-
tional demands of Congress. . r,,..,,
And, Mr.. Speaker, I am in favor Of
the State Of Virginia to rep
not because she has done
all that Congress demanded her to do;
not because she has in every particular |
to the requirements of the |
acts Of Congress, but,
sir, because q law more potent and
more grand thah any reconstruction
act which has or can u be passed by
this Congress, because the Constitu-
ton of the United States, that funda-
mental law Of the land, declares in the
second section of the first article that
he House of Representatives shall be
of members chosen every
second year by the people of the sew
,ral States. And, sir, the single
question which addresses itself to my
mind, and it seems to be the only qnes-
ion for this honorable body to deter
nine, is this: IslVnginia State or
lot? IF Virginia be a State, and this
has not been totally over
brown and set aside, then, as State
lnder the provisions of that instru-
nent, she is Untitled to representation
Ipon the floor of this House and upon
he floor of the Senate of the United {
'tates. That, sir, is my reason for {
eing ready to vote for giving repre- 1
to Virginia, to restoring Viz '
mia to her rights under the COnstitu- q
ion. But 1 am opposed to- bringing 1t
er back into the sisterhood of States V
lanacled in chains; and hence 1 will I
ot vote for the bill reported from the il
Committee on Reconstruction. la p2ls
But, Mr.. Speaker, inasmnch as a n
lumber of gentleman+-what number S
do not know-differ3 with me as to s
MS view of the subject I propose to Il
lbmit to their consideration some f.
sasons why they should vote for the
Omission of Virginia untrammeled Il
nd free from .manaclcs. I5Cpropese r,
, refresh the memories of honorable II
entleman on this floor as to the ev d
ITS of the last nine yearsiin connec- tc
on with Virginia. tbs fact hich 6
sntlemen seem to forget that during a,
10 entire war of the rebellion Virgin b,
/, had a State government, arecogniz- al
liby the iExecutiyeIoof the United al
Iates, recognized by the Congress of G
e United States, recognized by the b,
lpreme Court Of the United States cl
ld recogpizetl by her sister States Of ii
o. Union, n What is. tho lhistoryaSf
@ events which transpired in Vir-j
MIA from the 18th of April .l86I.l
ben a body IN the. .city of Richmond