The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1875-03-23
UNITED STATES SENATE,
Senator Johnson Speaks.
Great Interest Manifested.
WAsHINGToN. March -

WAsHINGTON. March -.
The Senate galleries were dcns"lv
crowded long before the hour Of meeting,
and by the time the Senate Was called to-
order not even standing room could br
obtained. Iuthc galleric- and doorway>,
or passages lcadhg there upon the floor,
were large number of the members OF
the House of Representatives and others
entitled to the privilege of the floors.
After the reading of the journal ol
Saturdays proceedings, Mr.. Boutwell,
submitted resolution providing for the
final adjournment OF the Senate on the
day of March at - o clock, and
gave notice that he would call 1t up rs
soon rs the resolution now under consider
alton was disposed of.
The consideration of unfinished bu,I-
ness, the resolution approving the action
of the President in regard to Louisiana,
WAS resumed. and Mr. johnson, of Ten
ncssee being entitled to the floor, began
to speak at ten minutes past twelve.
MIR. johnson said this resolution propo.
ses to cover acts and measures. which !
think are clearly in violation of the or
ganic law of the land and without au-
thority. That being so | would not give
NV consent to the resolution and would
be compelled to vote against 1t. think
it proper that | should give some few
reasons why l cannot give it my vote.
In the first place, Mr.. President, 1t seem"
to me that the consideration Of the re5o-
luton embracing the questions of such
grave importance is not lcgltlmately be-
fore this body. In other words It Is not
legitimate to consider it before II Senate
convened rs this has been To act solely
upon business pertaining to the executive
department. If it is legitimate to act
upon he measure now nnder con.
liberation by this body 1t would
is legitimate to consider every net and
every question upon which the admins
tration has acted since It's advent INTO
power. 1t does not seem To- me To be
travelling much further out of record for
the Executive to come forward and pre-
sumo to act in defiance of the Legislature,
than for the legislature to come forward
and approve the acts OF the President.
Ordinary measures are presented for the
consideration of Congress, and when they
are acted upon, it is the duty of the Pres
ident to consider them, and to approve
or reject them.
The Senate has no right 10 act.
Mr.. johnson argued at length that the
Senate had no authority to act upon the
resolution: especially in the absence OF
the other House. He contendcd that the
resolution of Mr. Morton and Mr. Free
linghuysen were the same in substance
with mere modification in the matter
of verbage to suit the particular views
of some individuals. He then referred
to the trouble in the Tennessee Lcgi>a-
turr in 1866, and the action Of the federal
Government instructing General George
n. Thomas then commanding the fedcr-
al forces there, to strictly abstain from
any interference. His instructions, he
said were as follows
WASHINGroN, ID. c., July Z, 1866.
General Grant will instruct General
Thomas that the facts stated IN his tclc'
cram do not warrant any interference
ofthc military. The administration OF
the laws and preservation OF
the peaae i'll Nashville, belong
properl " to the State authorities, and the
duty of the United States authorities Is
to not interfere in any way in the con-
trovcrsy between the public authorizes
of the State, and General Thomas viii
strictly abstain from any interference h"-
tween them.
Here is a precise case, and that was the
action ofth0 Government. 1t was O'-
licved that it was civil .tritc--a con
test between two divisions al the ciNiI
goverrment-an WAS case, as stated ~
the telegram sent back TO General
Thomas, similar to the one in LOUISIANA.
That dispatch was signed hy
the Secretary of War, and wa>
written in the presence Of tn" President
and sent to General Grant TO send to
General Thomas. He was told that tins
WAS not case calling for the inference OF
the military, and he General Thomas
should abstain from interfering under
any circumstances whatever. II W"u!1
seem that this mark. the me H'tMe'"
the civil and military authorizes. ! mere
i precedent of the government IT In,,'
cases. and the case, are almost parallel,
and that j. what the government did
then. What are We tod now! we see
then that the present President OF the
United States, was familiar with, and un-
dcrstood what was the action o; the gov
ernment in cases of this kind, ana
Of the duties of the military and ci!iI
authorities. We see then, that
the question was not unknown to hun
and he has not acted without proper ana
sufficient information upon the SUBJECT;
II he has been informed OF and carried
out the order. or telegram, that nave
read. he mast have understood it. AP-
plau,e in the galleries.
He then referred to the rcmovS! ot Gen'
Sheridan from the command Of the tl!Ih
Military District, August ?6th 1867, ana
said it was in consequence OF the wall
which came up from the people oil tha'
section. Why was it that this man
Sheridan had been selected ane sent back
to those people, who, before, condemned