Year: 1866

WASHINGTON MaIcn ).
HoUsE.-The House sat in committee
of the Whole on the Presidents message
General debate was the only thing in
order There was not score of mem
bers in the House while the journal was
being read, and the audience in the gal.
leries were correspondingly slim No
sort of interest was taken in the proceed.
ings


Among the reports of a private char
acter made yesterday was one by Mr.
Washburne, of Massachusetts,, from the
committee on Claims, adversely to forty
petitions for damage, arising from the
raid made by the rebels in 1864, in the
vicinity of Fort Stevens, and an adverse
report by Mr Sloan, from the committee
on the House bill to provide for ascer,
tanning and adjusting the claims against
the government for the injury or destruc,
tion of property By the armies of the
United States, or by the military author
tiles during the late rebellion.


Mr. MKee, Of Kentucky, then proceed
ed to address the House at length in sup
port of the amendment to the cou-
stitution which was introduced on the
18th of February, and which has been
referred to the Judiciary committee,
providing that no person should be quail
ifed to hold the Office of President or
Vice President of the United States or of
Senator or Representative in the Nation
al Congress, or any Office held under ap-
pointment from the President, and re-
quiring the confirmation of the Senate,
who had held office, civil or military,
under the late Confederacy, or who had
voluntarily aided the rebellion, OF who
should hereafter beguilty of similar of
fences.


Mr.. Moulton next addressed the
House. arguing that the union Of the
States and the existence of the nation
were two distinct things the union OF
the States might be destroyed without
affecting the existence of the nation
When the eleven Southern States enter
ed into rebellion and inaugurated civil
war the union Of the States was de
facto dissolved just as much as If the
rebels had proved victorious and had
had their independence acknowledged.
They had held no political position since
their rebellion except the name OF re-
bellious subjects. He contended that
they should not be restored to their for
mer condition in the Union until the po-
liticl power in those States was contn-
ed exclusively in the hands of loyal citl-
yens; until equal rights and privileges
were extended to all the inhabitants !
until their people gave evidence OF
hatred to tue rebellion and love Of the
republic until rebel sentiments, rebel
generals, rebel banners and rebel debts
were repudiated, and until the love Of
Justice, law and order was so firmly fixed
in the minds of the people as to give un.
questionable assurance OF enduring
peace, then, but not before, would be
vote to readmit them into tho uniSt "a


Mr. ThA--...--, Cd Illinois, ue&t au-
dressed the House The great question
to be settled was, is one view, the
question of union or disunion and IN
another view the question of centralized
despotism OIL a national government with
delegated power consisting OF States IT
the States that attempted to secede were
out Of the Union, either in fact or in law,
then the war had failed in its avowed
object; if they were not out of the Union
then the power OF the general govern
ment being re-established, they were en-
titled to be represented in Congress. If
the States could be reduced to territories
as punishment Tor rebellion, where was
the llmitation2 AS well might retrac-
tory State be reduced to territorial
condition for sliglter offence. ANY act
OF legislation declaring States to be ter
ritories would violate the constitution
Such al act would make the gov
erument as Cdious and as d9struc ctlve
of the liberties Of the people as II
secession had been successful The
States of the Union would stand to.
gether or the Union would perish and
become schoolboy's tale, the wonder
Of an hour" if the ties which bound the
State together were dissolved, aud the
Union would become a ghastly corpse,
for the soul would be wanting there
the proper habitation The States in the
Union and the Union and the States can
never be torn asunder Congress could
not drive the States out Of the Union
nor close the door Of the Union against
them To do this would be to destroy a
couutry the brightest in the history Of
mau and to darkeH the bright hope
which was davniDg upon it III the
language Of Henry Clay " | am within
the uuion. and DEFY any portion OF the
Contederacy to eXpel me or to drive me
out of the Union" Ii the rebellion had
been successful the seeded States
would not now form part of the Union
But they did not succeed they had
been left IN tue Union, and therefore
they had not been out of it, aud will not
leave it either III fact or in law


Mr.. Thornton cited the acts of the o.
ecutive and congress in support of his
position that the rebel States were not
out of the Union. For any purpose
whatever, a denial of representation
to them was an attack upon the opinions
of the President; to do it stultifed the
action OF the republican party and in
yolyed in it labyrinth Of incousisteu.
cies from which there was no escape,
but by the most base dishOuor He be.
lieved that the policy Of the President
would be sustained by the people of the
country who desired peace and union
with equality of rights to all the states
without degradation To any.


Mr. Kuykendall, of Illinois, took the
floor, and made constitutional argu


ment on the relations between the State
and general governments, contending
for the principle of State sovereignty
over all internal affairs, and that the
| reserved rights of the States could not
be infringed without a violation of the
Constitution He protested against
| Congress blottlng out by legislation
Il