Year: 1866

| When the result of the vote was announced
applause followed from the floor to the gal


leries.


House adjourned.


SENATE.


Mr.. MORGAN, from the Committee on
Commerce, reported, without amendment
the House bill to extend the time for the
withdrawal of goods from bonded ware
houses and public stores. Also, bill tc
authorize the construction of a telegraph
line between New York and the West In.
| dies.


Mr.. WILSON offered a resolution instruct
ing the Committee on Printing to inquire
into and report the amount paid to the
Washington City newspapers for Govern
ment advertising, and under what law, &c
| Passed.


Mr.. H0WE's joint resolution for the ap-
polntment of Provisional Governors in the
| Southern States was then taken tip.


Mr.. NESMITH addressed the Senate al
length.


Mr.. WADE followed Nesmith at great
length. He said


had not intended to say anything on this
| great subject. He preferred to wait for the
report OF the committee to whom the matter
had been entrusted for investigation, but as
the Senator from Wisconsin had, in his
eidDOIaGe speeCH u YesbeTuHFt ldlleQ 10
| touch upon some of the most important
parts of the subject, he felt constrained to
say something. sat


Doolittle begins by informing us of the
principles that Mr.. Lincoln had entered
upon and his policy in regard to the admis-
sion of some Of these States during the Pc
riod of the last Congress. / believe that
question was agitated before us, and all the
arguments presented failed to convince me
that the States could be admitted. The ar
guments failed to eonYiee me that the time
had come when it was safe to admit any Of
these, therefore, l cohtended against It, and
for that and those with whom acted were
accused of being little captiOus, and were
said TO be fllibustering against the will of
the majority. l think Mr.. johnson has
made great improvement on this subject
over his predecessor, although he has not
yet touched upon the point where think
the difficulty begins.


Mr.. Lincoln advised to admit Louisiana
into the United States while probably mdfe
than half her territory was trampled be-
Heath the hostile feet Of the enemy, and our
flag did not cover half the territory, and
perhaps half of the population of the State
did not think it would be safe to admit the
State upon such terms. had not seen any,
thing in their conduct or proceedings to
warrant me in saying such course would
be safe. You reeolleet Mr.. Lincoln did not
require ansthing more than that one-tehth
part should take ceft5!n osth; not very
difficult to take. Mr.. johnson has made All
improvement, great improvement on this,
for he does require they shall abolish sla-
very. He requires they shall repudiate the
rebel debt. He requires that they shall re-
tounce the right Of secession. He requires
that they shall agree to the constitutional
amendment abolishing slavery forever,
These in my judgment are great improve
ments upon the system of Mr.. Lincoln. Had
Mr. Lincoln himself at that time required
these things and had the States come up to
it, believe then would have yielded to
his wishes and given him my supF0rti but
Sir, haYe never had but one polar star to
my action, and that l adhere to, whether l
am in & majority or in minority. never
intend to be tempted from it one single
inch. have fixed my eyes upon the great
principle of justice and right and it
has borne me tritmphantly through all diff
fculties in my legislative career since Ihave
had a seat in this body. can triumphant
ly say l have stood on this floor when l had
not ten men to support mo against the en-
tire Senate, and when the principle l ad-
voeated was unfortunately more unpopular
than these announce to-day. How was the
whole Senate startled by the idea of uniYer-
sal emancipation ten or fifteen or even five
years agos Talk about unpopular doc
trines and th5 attsmpt to intimidate by
the intimation that l shall be found
in minority among the people-I know
l tread the great pathway of recititude and
right. think, Cir, | cen say with Paul,
"We have fought good fight" but we are
not entirely through with it. admit that
20 ~ ha
direction, bit our path is fortunately easier
than it has been. 1 will give the President
full credit for all he has done and honor
him for the manner in which he has insisted
on great guarantees have already alluded
To. He has commenced as it were to COM
plete this great arch Of freedom. He has
laid the foundation deep upon th5 road of
Justice and right. He has demanded be-
fore the law that all men shall be equal.
He has demanded that slavery shall be
abolished. l agree with him SO far, and
honor him that he stands firmly where he
does But, sir, he has failed to put the key
stone upon the arch that he has built, and
if YOU leave it where it is it will 60 TO FUN.
I want, when this question is once settled,
to be entirely done with it. | don't want
eternal fighting over this question of slavery
and distinction among the rights and privi-
le2cS Oh bl6 AIucIlGdu BCOplC. 4 soy W L AOSA-
dent johnson, to the Democratic party, and
to the people of the United States, that l
never will yield the controversy until all
men in America shall stand upon an equal
footing, equal before the law in every re-
spect. When they will fix it SO that it can
be done, l will give up the controversy in
which l have been engaged for so many
wears, and no man will rejoice more than !
that have been relieved from it.


Mr.. Wade further said that Congress, un-
der the Constitution, was the people, and
the only tribunal that can settle the great
question of the admission of State. We
are the men, who ought, in a free govern
ment, to be clear upon what principle any
State outside of the Government shall be
admitted to it. do not care for what pur-
pose, whether it is Territory of the Uuited
States or whether it is a State that has for
feited all right and all ability to act for it
self. 1t does not belong to the President,
and if it did, then the free government, Of
which we boast so much, would be the most
concentrated despotism on earth.


Now on lthis subject the Senator from
Wisconsin did not touch. l have already
said here are 4,O00,000 of people ostracized
from this government to be made serfs for
ever, notwithstanding your declaration OF
freedom, until you can find some waY when
LnfS right Cuu De SudrdutScu' 1 was OAo Vi
those who was the early advocate of urging
those colored people into the army, invoking
their aid to put down rebellion. Over and
over did urge it upon the executive two
years before it took effect. L feel that ac-
cording to the power with which l was in
vested, did as much as lay in my power to
bring Executive and Congress to call to
the aid Of the Union those colored people,
both in the army and naVy,and everywhere
else where they have assisted; and their
employment in that capacity enforces upon
me other duties Would l lend my voice and
vote to induce that people to jeopardize their
lives in defense of their country, and then
turn them over to the mercy of their enemies?
The man that would do it deliberately and
thoroughly is the meanest of Gods creatures.


Mr.. Wade discussed the temper and dis
position Of the people of the South which he
said was disloyal aud full of hate against
the Unen. He would keep the Southern
States out of the Union until they gave the
right OF suffrage to the Negroe by the legis-
lature or by the Constitutional Amendment,
on the same principle that the President
and certain Senators did "a great many other
things. Just as the President compelled them
TO adopt the Constitutional Amendment and
repudiate the rebel debt There was as much
right to do one as the other.


Mr.. Wade then referred to the manner IN
which the constitutional amendment and
other propositions OF the President had been
adopted by the South. Just as the conven-
tions were about to adjourn, they received
a dispatch from the President telling them
if they did certain things they would not bt