Year: 1868

dton that they would declare under oath that they
would not hereafter attempt to deprive the loyal
black men OF the South OF their political powers, and
that was spoken OF as an atrocous hardship. He
looked upon II In no such light He thought II a
favor 70 those white rebels that they were
allowed 10 partake OF political power at all.
1t would have been right and just II 1t had been
deemed eypedient TO withhold absolutely from them
all political power, and he could see no justice or
propriety in any man charging Congress with in
justice because IT said to those rebels that they
should not exercise political power unless they swore
not 10 strip II from those men who were loyal
during the war and TO whom Congress was in
honor bound to extend and perpetuate that right.
elected In Alabama were not natives Of that state,
he reminded the House that more than
were natives Of other sates; at Of the sixteen @
nos Representatives only four were born in that
State; that the gentleman who made the objection
tr. Beck was not native ofthe State of Kentucky,
which he so ably represented, nor OF the American
continent at all, and that his other colleague on
the committee Mr. Brooks) was not a native OF the
State which he so ably represented. lie declared
that he was satisfied that the constitution of Ala
bama met the approval OF the majority of the quail
fed electors or that State; and f he had not been so
satisfied he would not vote for the bill.


MT. FMARNswoRTH, FARM rep) OF ILL.,, at halfpast two
four to O'clock the vote on the bin to be taken
at half-past seven. Expressions OF dsapproval on
both sides OF the HOuse.)


The SPEAKER intimated that this was the last day
for legislative action for some time.


MT; BANKs rep) Of Mass, suggested that the vote


The motion 3 Mr.. Farnsworth was rejected by
large majority.


Mr.. ELDRIDGE, (dem.) OF Wis, then proceeded to
address the House in opposition to the bill He re-
ferred to the various movements OF Congress against
the executive and judicial departments OF the gov
ernment and saw In all these movements menaces
against the peace and security OF the country There
had even ,el been q proposition, he said, which had
War, TO disband the Capitol police and to supplant
that force with military force and II that PROPOSE
tion had not been noticed and defeated Congress
would have been legslating under the gleam OF the
sword. anu the Supreme Court wOuld
terpretng the laws at the point of the bayonet He
declared that Alabama was State OF the Union,
unless the war for the suppression OF the rebellion
was monstrous crime; unless every man who
traitor. The bill, he said, could be justified by no
man not filled with internal hatred OF our govern
ment and desiring its overthrow. 1t must, 1t
his senses could expect anything eise The white race
had never in the history OF the world been subject to
the black race. The madness or folly OF Congress
could never compel the white race to submit to its
African domination or government He was glad
that the Reconstruction Committe and the gentle
hardwood TO proclaim their revolutionary pur-
pose to build up mighty nation on the
pie Of the States which denied universal ne
gro suffrage to take heed and understand
that no State shall ever, according to the report
OF the Reconstruction Committee, be admitted until
the right OF universal suffrage shall have been made
permanent and impossible Of violation. He read ex-
tracts Of speeches made by Mr.. Colfax and by Mr.
Bingham In the House Of Representatives against en-
forcing the LecOmpton constitution on the people OF
Kansas, and applied the sentiments to the case OF
Alabama. He asked what had caused this most re-
markabe change In the views and opinions Of those
gentemen2 Was it the emigration now going on
from the States Of the South, crushed by military
desp0tsm, into the State Of Kansasp The course OF
Congress in this measure would not restore a
good government and prosperity to Alabama.
to the State Of Alabama and the other States Of
the South represented in Congress- but he could not
be party to this bastard constitution-this negro
government. He could not be DartV such
outrage, not only on Alabama but on all the States
OF the Union. With his views he could not impose
this constitution on the people OF Alabama If it had
been formed by the angels Of heaven instead of by
Congress. The acts Of to-day would affect this repub
the white people OF Alabama submitting to q
constitution thus forced upon them was ut
terly absurd and preposterous He had not
they would submit. They might submit 50 long as
they were in the presence Of and were overawed by
certainly come when the pride Of race and blood
would not brook the domination OF inferior men;
when the white people OF that State conscious OF the
great wrong inflicted on them and conscious OF their
Godgiven strength and their right to be free, would
rise and drive into the the African rule placed
more extracts from speech OF Mr.. Bingham on the
Kansas question, only substituting the name Of Ala
they applied to the present question.


Mr. WILLIAMS, trep.) OF Pa, stated that he should
vote against the bill, and as he would be found at
variaDSp with many OF his own political friends ne
desired give the reasons which had brought him to
that conclusion He did not believe IL either essential
or wise to compel the people OF Alabama to enjoy the
privileges or the Union and to share In its govern
ment against their will. II there any consider
able number OF white men in the South who had any
sense of contrition for what they had done beyond
that feeling OF remorse which swayed the heart Of
Satan and his peers, only because their enterprise
had failed, he had not seen the evidence OF it. He
did not believe In forcing those incorrigble delin-
quents into an association Of power with a people
whom they hated and government which they had
striven TO overthrow.


Mr.. BINGHAM, (repl OF Ohio, addressed the House
IN advocacy OF the bill, putting II on the statesman


like axiom that iii you cannot get all you wish you
should get all you can" lie thought, however, that
sufficient restrictions had already been imposed on
the people OF Alabama, and, therefore, he was OPP
by the laws nor the constitution. It was the right
OF the people to alter or amend their
The TSsea sa saes to and the ney ons eoa
not be deprived Of that right. The American
system would be total failure II the people could
not be trusted with that right There was no co0ra-
BILE excuse for attempting to engraft such provi-
sion on the statute book. cannot he said shut my
eyes to the great fact that this government was
built by white men upon ideas, II not instincts that
were peculiar 10 the race, that the predOmnatng
element Is still the same and that there is
to expect that N the long future It wi, VIII ever p9t on
be understood to dsparage the political rights OF any
race that fate or fortune has cast upon our shores
whether II be the docile African or the other and
more turbulant one that comes by ship loads,
with It's Old World ideas and its anti-repub-
Ican instincts ,d In &C Church and state, to





socalled American democracy. We have them both
to deal with, as we have had the Spaniard and the
Frenchman, and have now the Mexican and the In
dian, and, under the new purchase OF the President
and the Senate, II ratified here--whch God forbid -
the Esquimaux, or mongrels OF the Polar sea, and
must do the best we can TO incorporate and assmi-
late, II we can these heterogeneous elements by
educating them into love OF order and just appre
citation OF the rights OF man. But nobody, suppose,
would think Of constructing durable re-
publican State from any OF these materials
without judicous intormixturc, little
leaven or navorng, at least, OF that high
instinct which puts the man above the brute and has
in the progress OF ages evolved stability and jurs-
prudence from the asserters OF individual manhood,
and, as q consequence, just respect for The rights
and liberties Of all. The negro, Us all know, has just
and bound down his higher faculties for more than
two hundred years. That he will be able 10 main
tain himself for any considerable time, even by su
perior numbers, without considerable amount OF
support from loyalists with white skins, In the
presence Of the stronger and sublimated IL not
higher ethic element, l do not believe. When you
bring these two races-nay, any two races In juxta-