The Portland daily press., 1893-01-28

opposition, he refusing to consent to the
measure unless it contained some provis-
ion by which the people of the Southern
States could reestablish civil government.
He accordingly proposed an amendment,
which came to be. known as the Blaine
amendment, which provided that when
ever any Southern State accepted the
18th amendment and established equal
suffrage without distinction of race or
color, it should be entitled to represen-
tation, and the provisions of the bill
for military government should become
imperative. The amendment was ruled
out in the House under the previous
question, but the Senate adopted it,
and finally the House concurred, and
reconstruction was completed under
1T. In the debates upon the con-
solidated fourteenth amendment Mr..
the seth Congress closed his posi-
ton as one of the conspicuous leaders of
the Republican party and one of the alb
lest of the country's legislators was as
sured. The foundation had been laid for
national career of brilliancy which has
seldom been equalled in this country.
1t was in this Congress that Mr.. Blaine's
celebrated controversy with Mr.. Conk-
ling occurred. The occasion was Mr..
Conkling's motion to strike out of the
pending army bill the section which pro-
vided for the continuance of the Provost
Marshal bureau and the Office of Provost
Marshal General. Mr.. Conkling, in the
course of his remarks had severely
criticised Provost Marshal General Fry,
and in defending that officer Mr.. Blaine
alluded to Mr.. Conkling in language
which that gentleman never forgave nor
forgotJ This episode has been presented
in very different lights by the admirers
of the principals to the controversy 1t
derived its Importance rather from the
effect it produced upon the relations be-
tween these two distinguished statesmen
than by reason of any intrinsic weight.
The Fortieth Congress opened on
the same day that the Thirty-ninth Con-
gress closed-the fourth of March, 1857.
The contest between President johnson
and Congress, which began toward the
close of Thirty-ninth Congress had
grown so violent that the Thirty-ninth
Congress had passed law that the next
Congress should assemble Immediately
after its predecessor had expired by limi-
tation, in order that the means might be
at hand to thwart any move on the part
OF President johnson, whose attitude
toward reconstruction measures had
come to be looked upon by the Repubh-
cans as unpatriotic and as ieopardizing
the results Of the war The contest be.
tween the President and the House was
continued, the former yetoing the recon
struction measures passed by the latter,
and the latter as promptly passing them
over his veto. Congress adjourned on
the Both of March only to reassemble
again on the third of July and continue
the struggle with the President. The
contest closed with impeachment pro-
ceedings, in which the President was ac-
quilted. During all these stormy times
Mr.. Blaine was one of the most conspic-
uous leaders of the majority, and in ev-
cry debate his voice was influential in
their guidance. Financial questions
claimed great attention in this Congress,
and in them Mr.. Blaine was a leading
spirit. In 1867 the theory that the pub
lie debt should be paid in greenbacks
had taken firm root. Mr.. Blaine com
batted it with all his energy and logic,
and made an elaborate speech against it.
Indeed he was the first man in Congress
to give utterance to any opposition.
Another matter in which Mr.. Blaine was
very conspicuous was the protection of
American naturalized citizens. Under
the doctrine once subject always sub
jeet, the English government had ar
rested one Costello, a naturalized Ameri-
can citizen, for a speech in New York
which that. government had deemed
reasonable, had overruled the plea
which had been made in his behalf that
he was an American citizen, and had
sentenced him to IL years penal servi-
tude. Mr.. Blaine and other prominent
American statesmen resisted the Eng
lish doctrine, and claimed that Costello
was entitled to the same protection as
native American citizen. As the result
of their efforts Costello was released
Out of this matter grew the treaty of
1870 with England, in which the lat
ter abandoned the doctrine of once
subject always subject, and accepted
rights and equal protection to all
citizens, whether naturalized or native
born. On the assembling of the Forty
first Congress Mr.. Blaine was chosen
Speaker. The great parliamentary
knowledge and skill which he had al
ready displayed on the floor had an op-
portunity for full play, when he reached
the Speakers chair and his career in
that Office was one of great distinction.
He was ready and adroit, quick to COM
prehend situations and exceedingly skill
full in Strengthening out the tangled
threads of legislative procedure. For
three successive terms he occupied the
1t was while he was
Speaker that the celebrated contest over
the passage of the force bill took place,
led in behalf of the measure by Gen
Butler. Mr.. Bla ne was opposed to the
measure, and while the debate was pro-
ceeding left the Speakers chair and
made speech on the floor against the
bill. The bill was defeated by the Dem.
ocrats by flibustering, Mr.. Baine refus-
ing to count quorum, holding that
present quorum was not sufficient and
that presence must be supplemented by
voting. In 1874 the Democrats swept
the country and elected large majority
of the House of Representatives; and
when Congress- met the following year
Mr.. Blaine found himself for the first
time in his career member of the mi
nority and their recognized leader. 1t
was in this Congress that his celebrated
debate with Hill of Georgia occurred.
A bill had been introduced granting gen
eral amnesty to the men who had been
engaged in the rebellion. Mr.. Baine
moved to amend it by excepting jeff Da-
c. .x1,