Year: 1866

Committee Of the Whole on the State of the
Union.


Mr.. Speaker, it was not my purpose
to make or write speech during the
present session of Congress on the
general subject of reconstruction "
which has been so fully and ably dis
cussed in this House and in the re-
hcctions now to be submitted do not
propose to confine myself to any one
Of the great questions SO well consid-
cred and presented by gentlemen on
this floor. But in so far as the; brief
hour permits will attempt a very
cursory and general consideration of
the I" state of the country" Permit
me, in passing, TO say that during the
great rebellion, after the supporters of
the Government had become conscious
that the rebels were in terrible earnest
in their purposes and efforts to break
it up by waging war for its overthrow,
bringing into requisition such barbar.
Gus instrumentalities as suggested
themselves to the hearts and minds of
" fiends incarnate," that then, and on
ly then, the Government, impelled by
the loyal people thereof, adopted the
rights and some of the usages of war
to repel the assaults made upon it and
them, not only by armed traitors in
the South but by the more wary and
cowardly adjuncts Of orgaized treason
in the North.


Thereafter, until the armies of the
rebellion were overthrown by and sur
rendered to the armies of the Union,
there was but one idea and purpose
entertained by the loyal people every.
where in reference to the rights and
privileges of rebels in the great work
of restoring the Government. Public
opinion had also definitely settled the
rights and privileges OF the loyal men
Of the country in the same great work
of restoration. The popular heart had
been touched and the popular mind of
the country had been instructed by the
terrific incidents of the war, as waged
by the enemy, and the patriotic efforts
and utterances of the great leaders of
the loyal hosts in civil life while
graphing with the monster treason.
Not a patriotic heart felt single emo
ton nor patriotic voice uttered "A sin.
gle sentiment that did not fully accord,
harmonize, and demand the assertion
Of the great principle that The loyal
people of the country must govern the
country"


This was not only demanded by 10y
atty, bnt was expected and accepted
by treason. The people who by their
sacrifices and valor had saved must
govern the country. There was not a
sign in the political armament, nor a
sound in the earth or atmosphere that
portended any other purpose prior to
the meeting of the Thirty-Ninth Con
gress. Early in the history of this
session certain gentlemen gave out
ominous indications that there would
be an attempt at least to reverse the
well-defined and clearly pronounced
Judgment of the whole country.
These manifestations, however, did not
seem to create any alarm and command
much respect or attention, because
their authors were and are the repre-
sentatives of what is popularity known
as the Democratic or copperhead par
ty of the North, which party had con.
tributed more to inauguratc and pros
ccute the rebellion than very many of
its active and efficient leaders in the
South. Congress and the country very
naturally supposed they were only re-
peating themselves in disparaging the
northern patriots and eulogizing the
southern rebels or making cheap pro.
posals fer their future cooperation
when restored to power and place in
the nation.


In the progress Of time and the
happening of events these indications
assumed form and force until they de-
veloped in what we shall be pleased
to name as the Democratic rebel the
ory Of reconstruction. The postu-
late of this theory is that "Once a
State, always a State" The greatest
if not the only objection to this theo-
ry rests principally, if not entirely, as
to the scope and effect of the recogni-
ton of the principle given to it and
claimed for it by its authors and sup
porters, to wit the doctriue that
" once State, always State" carries
with it the right of each and every of
the rebellious States to instant or i'm
mediate representation in the Govern.
ment and that they not only have,
but have had that right during the en-
tire period of the rebellion, and have
retained all their relations to the Gov
ernment the same as if their people
had not rebelled. This theory carries
with it as the logical aud inevitable
conclusion of such premises, that
those States have all the while main
tanned and can now assert all the
rights and privileges of States in the
Union. and that there is no power
vested in the Congress to delay or pre-
vent them from resuming those rights
or enjoying those privileges at their
option and election. And because the
Union majority in Congress, acting for
and representing the great Union par
ty of the country, does refuse or neg
lect to accept this theory as the true
and only solution of the questions in.
volved, it has been wantonly and bit
terly assaulted by traitors and rebels
everywhere, North and South, and the
terrors of another war have been in


voked and the military power of the
country summoned to drive from these
halls at the point of the bayonet the
men who dare to scruple and refuse
the insolent demands of traitors.


The unmitigated treason and Grim


inality of such demand, based upor


such wicked theory, need only to b,
| stated tn become obvious tn eyar,