Year: 1868

eeutlOn OF the laws why is IL tuat W Tie
Senate has been assumed that responsibility
Why is it that Congress has said that the power
to remove from Office shall be taken from the
executive when that power has been exer-
cised and as I believe according to the spirit
of the Constitution, and as know. according
to the construction of the fathers, by the Ex-
ecutiye all the time; and that in the Senate q
many headed body, where responsibility is di.
vided so that it lights upon no particular in
dividual, a responsibility should be assumed
which is worth. nothing to the people and
guarantees nothing to the fidelity and security
Of the public service


The people will want to know why tor
three years party with majority of two.
thirds in Congress have not restored the
Southern States to their practical relations
with the Federal Government; why is it that
such period has elapsed and no genuine,
peaceful, and permanent results have been at.
tained. They know what is the condition OF
affairs. They know what temporary enter
prises baYs been set on foot in the Southern
States. They understand all that quite well ;
but they want to know, and they demand to
know, in.my judgment, with.a YEA, EST
demand, ~hy it is that these States have not
been restored in,the spiritof the Constitution,
and with that harmony which will promote
the permanency Of the Union, the stability OF
orr institutions, and the prosperity of every
section of the country. The people will want
to know in this contest why it is that Con-
gress stepped in between the Executive and
an immediate peaceful, practical and perma-
nent restoration of the States to their practi-
cal relations to the Federal Government ;
why il was, that when we were so far ad-
vanced in that work under the policy inaugn-
rated by the Executive, when States were &C
cepting the propositions, adopting the Consti-
tutions that were acceptable everywhere,
agreeing to everything demanded by the
North, acquiescins in the results of the war
in every respect whatever, Congress came in,
and to some extent defeated that restoration
policy which was bringing again permanent
union and permanent prosperity. That ques-
ton will be asked by sensible, thinking peo-
ple and it is for the majority in Congress, and
/ for their partisans over the country, to give a
direct, plain, and unequivocal answer. .


The people will wan: to know in this con-
nection why it is that by this political contro.
versy that Congress has gotten nip with the
Executive, striking down the policy that was
then almost a success, the return OF trade.
production, and of prosperity have been in
definitely delayed. They know, as Senators
know, that from the time when this contro-
yersy -was gotten up by Congress 10 break
down the policy Of restoration, then almost
completed, the productions of large portion
of the country have, from year to year, fallen
off, and that the exports which those produc-
tons furnished, enabling US to keep up the
balance of trade somewhat in our favor, have
fallen off so much that in large degree that
balance has been made up in gold and in the
Government securities. The people want to
know why it is that trade cannot be allowed
to return to its ancient channels; that the
industries of the country are not encouraged,
but that, on the contrary, they are kept in
that disturbed condition that investments dare
not be made by capital, and that labor is
afraid tolmakezan, etforL even L capital should
be invested.


The people will ask one further question,
what has been gained by this controversy, like
the question that in former times was asked
by the grandchild. of the grandfather,in rela-
ton to the great battle, "What has all this
been about - Senators know very we'll that
when the Thirty ninth Congress met, the
work of restoration, according to the policy
of Mr.. johnson, was almost completed. Cor
stitutions had been adopted in the Southern
States abolishiDg slavery, or declaring it abol.
ished forever, repudiaiing the Southern debt,
and making every pledge to the Federal
Union which Northern sentiment demanded {;
but Congress intervened against that policy
and interpesed its own, and now the people,
after two or three years Of delay, Of distrac
ton, of the disturbance Of trade and COM
merce, want to know what has been gained
by it. When you come to answer that ques-
tion to the people you cannot show them d
single Southern Constitution which any Re-
publican ::ind can say is better. Constitu-
ton than had been adopted under the, johnson
policy, unless you say it is a better Consiitu.
| tion because the negroes are enfranchised and
part Of the whites disfranchised, and the
power in the great section OF the country
taken from the white men aud given to the
colored men.


The people will want to know why it is
that after the close OF the war, after there
was no longer rebel soldier with gun in
his hand, after the South had amended its
Constitutions and changed its laws according
to the demands OF the North in every particu.
lar, after they had declared slavery abolished,
secession fallacy, aud the rebel debt not to
be collected, why, then, in one-thrd of this
country, did the party in power break down
State governments and establish intheir stead
military. governments why was it in that
work you made the civil law subordinate to
the military law; the judge upon the bench
subordinate to the commanding officer, and
gave to the military officer the power to drive
the legislators from the halls OF legislation,
and to substitute mon of his own selection in
their place, and subverted all the principles Of
free government, recognized, honored, end
reyered in this country, and established in
their stead system Of government that finds
no parallel in any, Of the countries of the
world since the days of the proconsuls. 10
that question, it seems to- me, it will be diff
cult to find suitable answer. 1t is not
enough to say that in neigbborhoods there
were broils and murders. Why, Sir, some
time ago read TO the Senate, from one Of
the papers published in this city,ca telegram
coming from the central portion of Alabama,
that the fifth white manIhad been murdered
in the same neighborhood, and no notice
| whatever had been taken of it and that, too,
under the government, military, powerful, and
despotic, which you had estsblished there.


Mr.. President, when the people of the ooun-
try demand to know of their legislators Why
civil law is subordinate TO military law; why
the Judge upon the bench is stripped of bis
robes of Office, and, in his stead there is sub
stituted military commander to decide upon
the rights of the people; when they demand
to know why in secret commission and mill
tary court the citizen is tried for q criminal
oGense, or touching civil right, why these
things ore done in this country in time OF
profound peacs, soHe grave and weighty an-
sHer must be eiEen thsT.