Year: 1866

n


We spread before our readers La
, week a teIegraphic synopsis Of the gres
speech Of Mr.. Doolittle, of Wisconsin


in support of President Johnson's pol


cy of reorganization. The speech ha


since been published at length. W


annex the conclusion, in which d


sums up the reasons for an early an


full representation Of the Southern


States in Congress


But now come TO the question o


representation in Congress.


Having shown them TO be States il


this Union, aud therefore entitled Il
representation under the Constitution


having shown that Congress, by tn,
same Law under which the presen


House was elected and organized ap
portioned the two hundred and forty
one members just as much among thes5
eleven Southern States as among the
remaining twenty Eve, and that undel
that law their right 10 representation
is Just as certain as the right OF any
Northern State, now come TO consider
another and wholly different question


First, whether they have properly
chosen Senators and Representatives
and


Second, whether they have chosen
right Representatives.


Although State may have right
to choose Representatives, it may not
be in a condition TO choose them A
raging pestilence might suspend cleo
tons foreign invasion might make
them impossible; iusurrection and civil
war might do the same thing the
temper OF :. people might become so
| diseased or estTanged that for a time
they would refuse TO choose them.
While this would not take away the
right to have representatives 1t would
deprive them Of representatives IN fact.
Again, in exercising the right to
| choose, they may select men incapa-
BILE, ineligible, or unfit to be received in
either House of Congress.


4 friend asked me the other day
shall this Congress admit as Senators
and Representatives rebels fresh from
the batIle field, whose swords are yet
dripping with the blood OF our sons
and brothers, No, siI; no Who has
ever thought or dreamed of any such
thing The oath required OF them
make that impossible. And does any
one suppose that this Senate, which
expelled Blight for writing "a letter
TO Jefferson Davis has not tie power
or the courage 10 defend itself against
the guilty instigators of this great
crime} Have We no confidence in our
selves2


Another asked, what security have
we that the south wall not rebel again
il We admit their representatives. /
answer this question by another. would
there not be lenfold more danger OF
their rebelling If We do not give them
representation than if we do Who
does not know that the most iustitiable
Of all causes fo. rebellion Or revolution
is TO tax and govern 3 people without
representation? The old thirteen re
belled against England for thst, and
four OF these thirteen are among the
States my colleague would now reduce
to the territorial condition. Up to this
time the South never had any justiiia-
BILE cause Sor rebellion


Follow out the policy OF the Senator
from Massachusetts and my colleague,
and you will give them what all the
world will say is a just cause for war.
By so doing, we shall change positions
with them. We shall place ourselves
in the wrong, and give them Just
cause of complaint, now that they have
surrendered We were right in the be.
ginning right in every step of our pro
gress in the war; right in authorizing
the President to end the war when
the supremacy of the Constitution
was vindicated, and the union of
the States, with their rights
aud equality unimpaired, restored;
right in rendering to the rebels
upon their surrender msgaanimous
terms of peace, more magnanimous
than we would offer to q foreign foe,
because they are part of our people,
with whom by. interest, by necessity,
and by the logic of geographical and
commercial position, We are for ever
bound to live and hold the closest re-
latiOns. If We now direct the President
to withdraw the terms of pacihcation
he has offered end they have accepted,
and above all, if we should, in the spir-
it of this resolution Of my colleague,
declare them no longer States in this
Union, but Territories, subject to the
control of Congress as the other Terri
tories of the UlRited States, we should
place ourselves in the wrong, salsify all
our professions Of devotion to the integ-
rity of the Union, and reduce them TO
be our dependents and vassas.


For one moment consider the condi-
ton of the Territories They are not
under the Constitution at all Mr..
Webster in one of his mssterly efforts,
Mr. BENTON in his review Of Dred Scott,
demonstrated that the Constitution is
for the States and not for Territories at
sll. Territories are outside dependen
cies. and governed by Congress not un
der its power limited by the Constitu-
ton but by its absolute power. The
Supreme Court decided in Csnters
case. and have often affirmed the doc
trine, that Congress possessed all legis-
lative power over the Territories as sb-
solute as IN the District of Columbia


What. in effect, does the Senator
from Massachusetts, and my colleague
propose TO place outside of the Con
stituton and to govern with unlimited
power eleven States and ten million
people, nearly one-third of all the
States and people Of the United States,
without any representation, And is
this the way to pAeify great country
| and satisfy the vi ish of a great people


The people of the South have been
so completely prostrated by this war
| that they would bear almost any hu-
initiation before rising in arms again.
But If there is any mode Of proceeding
more likely than any other 10 provoke
them 10 do so, il is this proposition
| thus 10 reduce them 70 be our vasssls
| What effect would it have upon our
| selves IL would turn the North into
| = nstiou Of shareholders, the people Of
/ the South being our slaves. Ali slavery
| ia the end destroys both master and
/ slave This would very soon make the
/ south not ht 10 lie free, and We ourselves
become TOO much corrupted and de
| u.orali7ad by the exercise Of such power
to permit them to be free


| 10 hold them thus would require the
preseuce Of a large standing srmy,
which. ii kept on foot for long time, Il
sure n the end to undermine the Yir-
| tue OF republican institutions, and pre-
pare the way Tor 8 concentrated des-
potism, perhaps sn empire


IL would subject US TO incalculsble
expense. which the financial situation
OF TIE country.is in no condition 10
bear


Il would, in my opinion, and in this
feel that am sustained by the opinion
of the present able head OF the Treasu-
" aff.ct our national credit most dis
sstrously At home and abroad 1t is
well known that upon the reception Of
The Presidents message st Frankfort
on the Main. our bonds advanced two
per cent Reverse his policy, and treat
those States IS subject and conquered
provinces, and our national credit viii
sink at once. Such 3 course would IN
yite. if not prO6uce, . ciFil WSr


/ I; would keep The question open, TO
be the source Of eves-inereaslng irrita


ton. until al hope OF union would be
gone


II would demOrAlze snd disheartsu
The friends Of the Un,on 81 The south,
| and turn their loyalty into hatred II,


H.. Il