Year: 1866

be read.


Mr CowAy-I think the resolution had better 30
over to give us time to consider il and read IT, ,
The CHAIR-The question Is upon taxing up the
resolution. Ii Is not now before the Senate.


Mr. CCSANI cannot say certain that this |, not the
most important resolution ever offered In this body


cannot conceive anything. myself OF more Importance,
than that we should decide upon the spur OF the mo-
meni that States shall be shut ont OF this Union WIZ
ont debate and without due consideration. 1t may DC
that Senators have made up their minds to this may
be that IL has been determined. But certainly think
that no who desires the permanence Of this Unlon
ought desire push IL after the struggle we nave
made for tho Union after the dead have been buried
and after the cost has been found out Are we 10 de
termine here. as the Chicago Convention determined
that this failure, and that this Union cannot
be restored think the resolution, at least deserves
the careful. cool deliberate and dispassonate consid-
Grafton Of this body. Senators VIII remember now
many people have stakes IN this thing, now many
people In this country md other countries--Whas
The hazard NAV be in coming 10 a determination OF
This kind. think certainly, the Senator from Name
(Mr Fessenden would not desire resolution OF tIs
kind pass without at least that consideration whch
becomes wise and temperate men invested with hlgn
and solemn tIust. say think no man VIII declare
that this resolution should pass through TINS oody suu
denly and in haste and heat or without tha careiui
consideration that the magnitude OF the subject de-
mands Let, therefore, reason and calnlness govern
for the present. Let Us think over IT. consider IT, anu
read H.


Mr.. Frssrypry-One would imagine. Mr. President
that the importance Of these questions and attachment
to the Union, and the proper consideration OF al mat
ters relating thereto were exclusively confined 70 tue
breast Of the honorable Senator from ienhsy Nahii
From the solemnity Of his tone, and tho manner IN
which he addresses the Senate upon that subject one
would suppose that the great majority OF this senate
composing as thought day or two ago something
over Nv thirds the body had really little attachment
for the union Of the States and little more power OF
considering what was best Tor the uhlted op.es VI
America and a reasonable degree ofpatriotism winch
should lead them 10 consider all these questions WIN
care and with all that deberaiion which belongto
them Sir do not need the warnings oi the senator
from Pennsyvana. / do not need them for myself
and do not believe others need them. The question
submitted in that resolution is very simple
one IL is question whether Congress has
any rover in relation 10 the great cues
tion OF reconstruction and restoring the Union
to its former condition. whether 1t has any power
self here with credentials from any portion Of the
country In due form; whether the Congress oi ire
United States Senators elected by the states and
Representatives elected by the people oil the States
have or have something 10 do with the re-organHa


on Of this Government to its former shape whether


they are ANYTHING more than mere tools and instruments


TO look papers 0nd decide whether they are IN que


form or whether they have right 10 bring their deDer-
ate Judgment TO the consideration OF oil great questions
Now. Sir these questinns should he considered deber'
atey with and With all the time that ~ necessary
in order 10 understand them well and decide weIl
agree with the gentleman that all that time should DC
given The rules of this body such that all that


time must necessarily be- given. Every member Of this
body speak dd Jhgg In season ana ont ei season


breadth and out OF BREADTH in ideas and out OF ideas
have sometimes Witnessed III uoul
allow that and cannot control the rules and 1t has
never occurred in my day thnt question OF


importance has been decided IN the Senate
until IL had been thoroughly. ably and well
discussed. Now. Sir, that is all pretence, II the
honorable Senator from PennsyN aria Will allow me 10
say 80. Io has fears OF this matter beng passed
upon without due consideration. The question ~ SIM
ply Of bringing slc resolution before the senate
md deciding whrn shall begin its cOnsldefatlOn
IL my Judgment tbee IS no time 50 proper az now TO
take up precisely that question, and ascertain before
60 any further IN the confederation o this great
question whether not we have any power over this
subject at all. Sir We have done nothing hardly any
thing from the beginning of this session, but debate
this very question one way or another-gentlemen OF
all shades OF opinion contendng that the Southern
States were not States. others eontending they were
States for some purposes. and not for Others What
say now and what insist upon is. that at the earliest
moment the Senate will proceed to the consideration oi
This question which lies at the foundation Of oil others
III we have right consider and discuss the question:
or II We have right 10 DO anything beside looking at
credentials that here and seeing whether they are
right: II we have such right 1t is time we should
know H. 1--we have not the right 1t Is time We should
know IL. Has the Congress Of the United States no
right TO look upon these great questions az body OF
men having something TO do with the principles and
the character Of the institutions Of the counry That
Sir IS the reason why / am unwilling to proceed with
any other question until this is settled do not know
what the views Of the Senate may be.


Mr. Dnos-I renew the question Of order I beg


leave 20 read the 26h rule IL provides that all other
resolutions shall o npon the table one day for consid
Grafton; also, reports OF committees





taken except that the resolution was not yet before the
senate After n vote 10 proceed TO the consideration
OF the resolution the point would be in order.


Mr. CoyyAS then replied TO the remarks Of Mr.. Fes
sendon. lie bad quite as much interest In the main
tenance of the Union, and in s peace and prosperity
as Mr. Fessenden had. Ho did not know why he should
not supposed 10 know rs much about the question as
MIR. Fessenden did lie had not the honor TO be a


member of ths Committee OF Fifteen who appear to have
charge Of this Union; who carry about their
airdes the keys OF the Union at whose hands the
The southern States want TO bo admitted into the mon
but still he had some interest In this question. lie re
presented State IN the Union. whether well or Ill II
was for the people Of Pennsylvania and not the Senate
10 decide He agreed with Mr.. Fessenden
that this was great question oyershad0wng all other
questions and he asked whether it improper or ont
Of the way to ask that that question DO postponed TIL
AT leas, the Senate had time TO see the resolution In
orn ard To contemplate the length and the breadth Of
The proposition contained in it, lie thought there
nothing 80 extraordinary in all that as for him Cowan
TO bo subject 10 denunciation by the Senator from
Maine Fessenden). lie was not to be affected by such
deDnnciation come from what quarter II may. When
he thought great question was presented here,
involving the interests, not only OF the peo'
pie OF his State but Of oil the states
and he might Of all tho world, he would say what
he thought about let the consequences be what they
nav We have been considering from t1at same Com
mitee Of Fifteen. from day To day another proposition
which he Cowan) understood to be fundamental prop
osion TO settle and determine all these questions ana
TO restore tho country to peace union and prosperity
Cannot continue that discussion for day longer or
must this bantling that comes from the Committee
Of Fifteen be thrust upon US suddenly ana rushed
where. think IT Is inconsistent with the usages of
this body.
Mr.. SALISBURY rose to poin! Of order. He held
that this resolution properly the subject OF Joint
resolution not OF concurrent resolution lie held that
the subject matter Of the resolution could only be em-
braced in joins resolution Or law OF Congress


The CHAIR decided that the point would be In order
when the resolution was before the Senate az present