Year: 1866

rant the erection of State by executive
proclamation.


The object in bringing these new gov.
ernments to our doors at the opening Of
the session was to anticipate the action OF
Congress. The President like his prede-
cessor had his plan; he had right to his
opinions. But being Southern man, a
citizen of one of the offending States, he
was not likely to think as do the twenty
millions of the loyal States who fought
the eat battle He had never declared
strongly against slavery except as 1t was
in antagonism to the Union. lie had
been loyal and faithful under great trials
and for that was the choice of The Union
party for the second Office in the Repub-
lie The bloody hand of treason opened
the way for his succession to the first
Although it was his right and duty to
urge his opin ion upon Congress, he should
bave teken no step without US. lie has
taken difficult course, by treating with
the rebels directly, regard his course
as challenge TO Congress and the free
North upon a question of jurisdiction.
Mr.. Williams then referred to the great
Importance of meeting the assumption of
executive power promptly. The great
discretion of the President, his immense
patronage. during the war, had given
to the belief that it was he, and neither
Congress or the people, who had saved
the nation, and that it was his business
to restore the parts His claim of pow
er IN the proclamation of Decembar, 1868,
provoked no animadversion here, and the
Hous, bill failed ON a second trial. The
press and politicians of the nation have
been silent, only complaining in whispers
that he has extended suffrage to the black
man.


People inquire only wh1t does the Pres
ident intend and the Associate Press by
daily bulletins reports every phase Of the
imperial pulse. The time has come to
rectity these errors, and assert the powers
Of this body


with the highest admiration of the
constancy and heroism OF the present Ex-
ecutive under the severest trials, and with
every disposition to support his Admin
lstration SO far as fidelity of my own high
trust will allow, L cannot consent that
question like this, in which the interests
offs mauy generations arc involved, shall
be Withdrawn from the people Of the
loyal States, who have suffered and sac
riticed 50 largely, aud settled by he da-
clsion ofany one or even seven men, no
matter whence they come or what posi-
tions they may hold. No more can al
low myself to be instructed here, that
while the power of setting the terms of
readmlssion is with the President, have
no jurisdiction as an American legislator
except to register the acts that he has
done, and then humbly inquire as a
member Of this House only, whether the
candidates who present themselves for
admission here have complied with the
mere formalities which his Legislatures
have prescribed. 1t is here only-in these
Halls, that American liberty can live
They are her inner sanctuary, her holy
OF holes, her strong tower of defense, her
last refuge and abiding place. Here are
her altars, and here her priesthood 1t
is only here, too, that my own great State
whose blood has been poured out like rain
and whose canonizcd dead are now sleep
ing on every battle field of freedom has
been called into counsel during the last
four years. She has no voice elsewhere.
On the theory of the President and the
results of his experiments she has giveu
out no uncertain sound. She bids her
sous whom she has placed on guard at
the Capitol in this hour of the nations
trial, stand firmly, as did her heroes in
the bloody trench, by their trusts as Rep
resentativcs, and resist with jealous
watchtulness every attempt from what
ever quarter to encroach If the per-
formancc Of this duty should involve a
difference with the Executive of her
owu choice, while she would deplore the
necessity she will expect her Represent
atives to take counsel from those who sent
them here, alike unawed by the frowns
and unseduced by the Establishments of
power | dread the conflict, which is
not new one in the worlds history, but
cannot choose but meet it when it
comes and have a trust that we shah
tOI pO obiS " uIoCuoo tllC SlEdO uucollOu
of the times, and to settle it, too without
prejudice, and in utter oblivion of the
fact that the Executive has any theory
on the subject.


1t has been said that these plans were
merely experimental, and that Congress
must at least judge Of the eligibility Of
its members. 1t appears, however, that
the power referred to us is only that of
each House to act separately as to its in.
| diyidual members The President hav.
ing founded the new governments, claims
for his own creation the right to resume,
of couvse,. and without inquiry into his
work or theirs the places they held be-
fore among us, making, as he says, "the
! work of restoration thereby complete"
and instructs us then it will be our duty
to Judge of the smaller matters Of the law
-"the election, returns and qualifications
of our own members" Nothing is left to
Congress but to register the edcts and
rstify the work Of the Executive The
speaker objected strongly to the course Of
the President, and said that he might as
well have prescribed the whole law to the
South as part of it. There is no occa.
sion for experiments which tend to con.
fiict between Congress and the Preside
n n \