Year: 1868

ing to the spirit of the Constitution, ant


as know according to the Constitution O


the Fathers, by the Executive, all the time


and that in the Senate-a many-headel


body, where responsibility is so divided


that 1T rests upon no particular individual


"A responsibility should be assumed


which is worth nothing to the people, and
guarantees nothing to the people, anC


guarantees nothing to the fidelity and


security Of the public service? The peo.


pie will want to know why, for thre


years, party with a majority of two


thirds of Congress have not restored the


Southern States to their practical relations


to the federal government? Why is i,


that such Il period has elapsed and nc


genuine, peaceful and permanent results


have been attained? They know what i.


the condition of affairs. They know wha,


temporary enterprises have 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 iudg.


ment, with a very earnest demand, why


is it that these States have not been res


tored in the spirit of the Constitution and


with that harmony which will promote


the permanency of the Union, the stabil-


ity of our institutions, and the prosperity


OF every section of our country. The peo-


pie will want to know in this contest why


it is that Congress stepped in between :he
/ Executive and an immediate peaceful,


practical and permanent restoration of the


States to their practical relations of the


Federal Government? Why it was that


when we were so far advanced in that work,


under the policy inaugurated by the Exc


cutivc, when States were accepting the


propositions, adopting Constitutions that


were acceptable everywhere, agreeing to


everything demanded by the North,


acquiescng in the results of the war in


every respect whatever, Congress came in,


ard exciting a strife with the Executive,
stopped, and to some extent defeated the
restoration policy which was bringing
again permanent union and permanent
! prosperity? That question will be asked


by sensible, thinking people, and it is for
the majority in Congress and for their
partisans over the country to give direct,
plain and unequivocal answer. The peo-
pie will want to know in this connection


why it is that by this political controversy


which Congress has cotton up with the Ex-
ecutive, striking down his policy, when


almost q success, the return of trade. pro-
duction and of prosperity have been indie


finitely delayed. They know as Senators


know from the time when this controversy
the policy Of restoration, then almost COM
pleted, the productions of a large portion


of the country have from year to year fall


len Off: that the exports which those pro-


ductions furnished, enabling us to keep up


the balance Of trade somewhat in oar


favor, have fallen off so much that in Il


large degree that balance has been made


up in gold and in 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 on


the contrary they are kept in that disturb.


ed condition that investments dare not be


made by capital, and that labor is afraid


to make an effort even if capital should be


invested. The people will ask one further
question: What has been gained Ly this
controversy? Like the question that in
former times was asked by the grandchild
of the grandfather in relation to the great


battle-what has all this been about?
Senators know very well that when the
Thirty ninth Congress met the work of
restoration according to the policy of Mr..


johnson was almost completed. Consti-


tutions had been adopted in the Southern
States abolishing slavery or declaring it
abolished, forever rcpudiating the South
ern debt. and making every pledge to the
Federal Union which Northern sentiment
demanded; but Congress intervened
against that policy and interposed its own,
and now the people alter two or three
years of delay, of distraction, of the dis
turbance of trade and commerce, want to
know what has been gained by it. When
you come to answer that question to the
people you cannot show them Il single
Southern Constitution which any repnb-
lican mind can say is better Constitution
than had been adopted under the johnson
policy, unless you say it is a better consti-
tuition because the negroes are entranch
ised and part of the whites disenfran-
chised, and the power in great section of
the country taken from the white men and
given to the colored. 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 de-
mands of the North in every particular
after it had declared slavery abolished,
secession a fallacy and the rebel debt not
to be collected, why then in one third of |
this country did the party in power break |
down State Governments? why was it in |
that work you made the civil law subordi-
nate to the commanding officer, and gave
to a military officer the power to drive the
legislators from the halls of legislation and |
to substitute men of his own selection in
their place and subverted all the princi-
Piles of u free government, recognized,
honored and revered in this country, and
establish in their stead system of gov.
ernment that finds no parallel in any Of
the countries of the world since the days of
pro-consuls? 10 that question it seems
to me it will be difficult to find suitable
answer. 1t is not enough to say that in
there were brols and MUIR
ters. Why, sir, some time ago, | read to
the Senate, from one of the papers pub


ished in this city. a telegram comm. from
the central portion Of Alabama, that the


fifth white man had been murdered in the
same neighborhood, and no notice what
ever had been taken of it, and that, too,
lnder the government of the military


powerful and despotic, that you he'd cs-
;ablished there. When the people of the
country demand to know of their legisla-
ors why civil law is subordinated to mil
tary law, why the judg upon the bench
$ stripped of his robes of office. and in his
stead there is substituted a military com
nander to decide upon the rights of the
people, when they demaned to know why ,
n secret commission aud military court, I
he citizen is tried for criminal otiense or
ouching civil right, why these things :
re done in this country i'll time of pro- i,
ound peace, some grave and weghty an
wcr must be given them. They will want !
o know why it is that you pretended for /
ime to repudiate on the part of CONGRESS i