Year: 1866

De


In the House Of Representatives, on Mon
day, June 4th, House bill No. SAB, to restore
to the States lately in insurrection their full
political rights, being under consideration, Mr..
WILSON said


Mr.. Speaker, it is apparent that this House
is not prepared to seize upon the full measure
of the opportunity now presented for a full,
just, and final settlement of the grave ques.
tions involved in the restoration of the insur-
gent States TO their practical relations with
the Government OF the United States. / fear
that that comprehensive craftsmanship which
cares for posterity as we'll as for itself will
not leave its impress upon the measure we are
now considering. Ny fear does not arise from
any apprehension that We are likely to go too
far and make our legislation too searching and
far reaching. Such result is rarely accom-
pshed by men. Radical ideas are always,
IN greater or less degree, weighed down and
impeded in their onward march by the pos
SCISSORS Of that element of timidity which we
are accustomed TO call conservatism. No
great reform Is ever accomplished with the
aid Of those who, for the time being, denom-
nate themselves conservatives. Such persons
always insist upon having things as they are,
ami continuing them in that state forever,
There is not enough of this element in this
Congress TO prevent a change in the existing
state OF affairs; but there Is sufficient to pre-
vent such a change being made as would Sc
cure TO this Republic future Of rest We
will stop short of the point OF absolute safety;
but we nevertheless will accomplish great
wnrl which time will carry on and complete


This Government needs the active support
in the insurgent States of all its true friends.
Every man i'll those States who is friend to
the Government of the T. nited States ought 10
be entrusted with the ballot in its defense. A
majority of the people of those States who
engaged in tie rebellion are as hostile to the
Government how as they were at any period
OF the war. The Z Cnlon men are in IA hopeless
minority in most of those States. and will so
remain for many years unless some means are
devised to reinforce them by extending the
right Of suffrage to the great column OF loyal
citizens ready at any mo nent to act with the
white nionists as com non political defense
of themselves and of the Government Many
of the loval whites of the South are anxious
to lie thus reinforced. Some Of them hare
told me that they hoped Congress would put
something into It's legislation for the restora
tIon of TIE insurgents States which would en-
allie them to raise the issue of impartial snf-
frage in their several States. Upon being so
informed proposed the following amendment
to the bill now under consideration:


That whenever the above recited amend
ment shall have become part of the Constitu-
ton of the United States and any State late
" in insurrectlcn shall have ratified the same,
and shall have modified its constitution and
laws in conformity therewith, the Senators
and Representatives. from such State IL found
duly elected aud qualified may, after having
taken the required oaths of office. be admit
ted into Congress as such: Prorided, That if
any State, after ratiiyihg said amendment and
Conforming its constitution and laws there
with. shall establish an equal and just system
Of suffrage for all male citizens within its ju-
risdlction who are not less than twenty-one
years OF age. the Senators and representatives
from such State shall he admtte rs aforesaid,
without being required to await the action of
other States on said amendment Afad pro-
rided further, That nothing in this section
contained shall be so construed as to require
the disirauchisement OF any loyal person who
is now entitled to vote


This amendment has been examined by
several of the earnest Union men of the
South now in this city, and has received thei.
approval. They assert that 1t will afford them
an opportunity to raise the issue of impair
tial suffrage, with a fair prospect of success,
in several of the nsnrrectionary States, and
ayow that q failure to secure such suffrage
will seal the doom Of the true loyalsts of the
Southern States. Hence | urge that if the
pleadings of justice are not sufficient to Sc
cure the adoption of this amendment let US
at least yield to the promptings OF expedien-
cy, and give this means of defense to those
who desire it.


but. sir net Only 40 the white loyalists OF
the South need the aid of the votes Of every
loyal man in the South, but the Republic also
needs them. The destructive doctrine of Sc
eession is not dead nor is it even sleeping.
II is as firmly rooted in the minds Of those
who waged war TO enforce 1t as it was before
the first gun was fred in the laie great civil
war. They have not yielded one iota Of the
claim they made of the right of a State to
secede. and we need votes as we'll as theories
to overcome and crush out the life q thi:
ia.sen.esous neresy. ; Ihe doctrine OF the
pnity of the Republic needs the vote of every
friend in the Southern States. Why, sir, even
the President himself does not regard this
question rs finally decided by the conflict Of
arms. In his last annual message the follow.
ing singular passage occurs:


ut is manifest that treason, most fragrant
in its character, has been committed. Per-
SONS who are charged Yith lis commission
snoald have fair and impartial trials in ths
highest civil tribunals of the country, in order
that the Constitution and the laws may be
fully vindicated the truth clearly established
and affirmed that treason is q crime, that trai-
tors should ba punished ana the offei}se mac
infamous; and at the same time, that the
question may be judiciously settled, fnsly
and forever, that no State of its own will has
the right TO renounce its place in the Union.


The suggestion is eaough to cause every
secessionst IN the country TO rejoice, for it
merely changes the venue from sovereign
conventions of the States to the courts. In
so far as this passage atfrms the existence OF
the crime of treason and pronounces in favor
Of its punishment, it is well enough, but
when it follows this with the declaration that
treason trials are desirable not alone ipr the
punishment of traitors but also THAT the
question may be judicially settled, finally and
forever, that no State of its own will has the
right to renounce its place in the Union" it
becomes treighted with an amount Of mischief
which never should have found place in q
Presidents message. The right OF State to
renounce it's place in the Union never had
any existence, and is, therefore, not { oues-
ton for judicial determination The power
of State 20 renounee its place in the Union
was question for armies to decide Finally
and forever il has been decided by the trib-
unal to which it VS. referred, unless il be un-
settled By casting i into The jarisdiction of