Year: 1867




of reconstruction in the committee &
fifteen.


MIR. Speaker, the House does nc
stand committed to the position tha
was occupied by that committee. An
l will say here in advance, that while a
between the original bill and the amend
ment, would by all means support tn
latter, yet 1 am prepared to sustain
bill some other than the one recommen
ded by the gentleman from Pennsylva
MIA, provided it has incorporated in i
the main principles contained in that
Rather than have nothing will supper
the bill that he has presented with th
amendments that have been proposed t.
it. The gentleman from Ohio [Mr
Spalding has proposed an amendmen
which has been accepted by the gentle
man from Pennsylvania, which, in m,
judgment, much improves the bill as il
came to US from his hands. 1t must b,
borne in mind that the amendment t,
the Constitution as proposed by tina
committee was much changed in it.
features here in the House, and aftel
going to the Senate it there received 4
material modification, and when it cam.
back to the House we passed it at onct
as amended by the Senate. By simply
turning over one leaf in the committee /
report We find what the article was as il
passed both House and Senate We are
told not only that this Houseis commit
ted to the policy adopted by that com
mittee, and it is said that in the politi
cal campaign last Fall the constitutional
amendment was declared to he a fna
measure of reconstruction, aud that il
was sent out to the States by Congress
for ratification as such final measure.


L have made this statement of the
history of this matter and If the posi-.
ton which the Committee on Recon.
struction occupied. We have no assur.
ance that the committee would report
anything different from what they have
already reported to this House, and YET
if | am not mistaken, this bill is now
before the House on motion to recon-
NIT to the Committee on Rsconstruc-
ton. Sir, the House had better consid-
er before it makes that disposition of it.
We should rather retain it here before
US, where we can change, mature, and
finally pass it and send it to tie Senate.
The Thirty-Niuth Congress has made
no progress on the question of recon
struction. This House will not pass a
bill in accordance with this portion of
the amendment. The Senate would
pass no such bill. The House and Sen
ate both stand committed to an entirely
different policy of reconstruction from
what is contained in that amendment.


And how does it happen we have
made no progress? 1t is not the fault OF
Congress; it is not the fault of the mem
bcrs of either branch of Congress. When
Congress met in December, 1865, it
found that the President of the United
States had been busy during the long
recess In building up State governments
in every one of the States that had been
in rebellion. say States, for conven-
ience sake, though my judgment is that
not one of the ten insurgent States has
a government at this time with single
element of loyalty in it, or an element
that constitutes State. They saw fit
to sever their connection with the Fed
eral Government; they denied all allie
glance to it and fought for four years at
great sacrifice of life and expenditure of
money to maintain their separation, and
it is proper that the General Govern
ment should take them at their word
and say that they have no State Govern
ments under the Constitution of the
United States, until such time as their
true and proper relationship can be per-
manently settled. l hold at the same
time that the territory which they in
habit belongs to the Government of the
United States, is within its dominion,
and subject to its control


The President of the United States
told us in his annual message of Decem-
ber, 1865, that the work of reconstruc
ton was all done, that the insurgent
States were restored and reinstated aud
would send their members to Congress,
and that Congress had only to pass upon
the questions of election and quali6ca-
tion of the members from the several
States. Thus was Congress frustrated
in its work; the President by what
call an act Of usurpation, had presumed
to do all this work, and he has been
struggling ever since to force his policy
upon the country on the ground that he
had the power to do this work and it
did not belong to Congress. Had the
Executive been in accord with this
Congress at the commencement of its
first session there would have been some
progress in the work of reconstruction


But, sir, how do we stand to day
what is the position of the Government
what is the sentiment already expressed
crystalized into the form of law? The
constitutional amendment when it i,
adopted becomes of binding effect only
upon States that have repre- entatioB in
Congress. 1t applies to States and State:
only. Then look at our recent legisla
ton. Only few days ago loyal Ne
braska aud Colorado came and asked tt
be received as States into the Union
What was doue in the Senate? A sec
ton was annexed by way of amendment
that impartial suffrage should be tht
rule within each of those Territorie,
when they became States When i
came to the House it was amended, the
object being to make it more secure