The Conservative. (M'connelsville, Ohio) 1866-1871, 1870-02-04
9oIititaI.
Admission OF virginia.
SPEECH
or HON. GEORGE w. MORGAN
liz THE HotsE OF REPEEsESrArIvE
January ~. 1870.

t.t Slate oil virginia TO representation In
the Congress Of the United States.
Mr.. Morgan desire, Mr.. Speak,
ker, that the current of the remarks
which ] will have the honor to submit
70 tho consideration Of the House may
be uninterrupted, / so announce at the
outset, in order that there may not be
any appearance Of discourtesy on my
part in declining to yield to any gem
tloman while ] am op the floor / un.
derstand that the dcbate IS to be rs
free and extended as may be desired,
and II any gentleman should wish to
controyeri any position which | may
assume he will have an opportunity to
do so at subsequent stage of the dig
cussion.
Mr. Speaker, the question before the
House is one of momentJus character
A question Of graver magnitude could
not be submitted to the consideration
ofa legislative body. And, sir, ap-
prosch its discussion with feelings ofso-
lemEity, and shall endeavor to treat
the matters upon which touch with q
spirit of fairness and candor worthy an
occasion like the present
am opposed to the passage Of the
bill reported by the Committee on Re-
construction, Of which l am an humble
member, for the reason that regard
the conditions upon which it is propos-
ed to grant representation to Virginia
Rs unwise, ungenerous, unconstitution-
al, and void, and favor the substitute
offered by my colleague, Mr., Binghaml
for the reason that it is in conformity
with the Constitution Of the United
States, and not for the reasons set forth
in it's preamble.
Ii is true, sir, that Virginia has con-
formed in every particular to what are
called the reconstruction acts of Con-
grsss. 1t is true that Virginia has done
all that Congress required her to do
IL is true that Virginia has appeared to
forget the rights which are solemnly
guaranteed to her by the Constitution
and has bowed almost with humility TO
the undue and unconstitution al de-
mands OF Congress.
And, Mr. Speaker, am in favor OF
admitting the State of Virginia to rep.
resentation, not because she has done
all Congress demanded her to do not
because she has in every particular
confOrmed TO the requirements Of the
reconstruction acts Of Congress, but,
sir, because a law more potent and more
grand than any reconstruction act
which has or can be passed by this
Congress, because the Constitution OF
the United States, that fundamental
law of the land, declares in the second
section of the first article that the
House of Representatives shall be com.
posed of members chosen every second
year by the people Of the several States
And, sir, the single question which ad.
dresses itself to my mind, and itseems
to be the only question for this honora,
BILE body TO determine, is this is Vir.
ginia State or not 2 If Virginia be a
State, and this Constitution has not
been totally overthrown and set aside,
then, as State under the provisions
of that instrument, she is entitled to
representation upon the floor of this
House and upon the floor of the SEN
ate Of the United States. That, sir is
my reason for being ready to vote foi
giving representation to Virginia, to re
storing Virginia to her rights under the
Constitution. But ] am opposed tc
bringing her back into the sisterhood
of States manacled in chains and
hence will not vote for the hill re.
ported from the Committee on Recon
.struc'ion.
But, Mr.. Speaker, inasmuch as {
number of gentlemen what number
do not know differ with me on thi
view Of the subject, l propose to sub
NIT to their consideration some reas
ons why-they should vote for the adj
mission of Virginia untrammeled anC
free from manacles ! propose to re
fresh the memories Of honorable gen
tlemen on this floor as 20 the events o
the last nine years in connection will
Virginia. 1t is fact which gentlemri
seem to forget that during the entir
war of the rebellion, Virginia had
State government, recognized by tn
Executive of the United States, recog
nized by the Congress of the Unite,
States, recognized by the suprem
Court of the United States, and recog
cognized by her sister States of the U
Mon. What is the history of the ev
ents which transpircd in Virginia from
the 18th of April 1861, wheE body il
the city Of Richmond, assuming to b
convention representing the peopl
of that State, by a majority of singl
vote undertook to secede and carr,
the State Of Virginia out of the Tn
ion
] call the attention of honorable gen
tlemen to the fact that the condition
of Virginia Is different from that o
any other ono of the States which al
tempted to secedo The people Of VII