138 



CONGRESS, UNITED STATES. 



to the argument, so often repeated upon this 

 floor and throughout this country, that the 

 United States, and not the Executive, are re- 

 quired by the Constitution to secure to each 

 State a republican form of government. Un- 

 der that authority the President has no right 

 to decide upon the legality of State govern- 

 ments. That duty clearly belongs to Congress. 

 Congress, then, had the right to destroy the 

 means which enabled the Executive to usurp 

 this power or prerogative of Congress; and, 

 sir, it had the courage to do so on the 3d of 

 March last. Had it failed to discharge its duty, 

 in view of the remarkable and unexampled 

 scenes then transpiring within these halls and 

 in this Capitol, well might the patriot have 

 despaired. But with singular unanimity and 

 determination the Democratic House was ani- 

 mated but by one voice and one will. The 

 present Executive of the United States too 

 clearly saw the absolute necessity of non-inter- 

 vention, the right of the people of a State to 

 regulate their own affairs in their own way, 

 subject only to the- Constitution, and hence 

 wisely, as Commander-in-Chief of the army, 

 ordered its removal from the soil of the two 

 prostrate States, and thus opened the way for 

 the return of peace with its myriad blessings, 

 rejoicing the hearts of the people, and banish- 

 ing the dark and lowering clouds of war which 

 for fifteen years had never ceased to threaten 

 every household with the storms of war, and 

 paralyzed every interest, moral as well as ma- 

 terial, in the Southern States. 



"The committee, therefore, after a calm 

 consideration and full discussion, agreed to 

 omit the insertion of the restriction upon the 

 use of the army, which was so persistently 

 urged by this side of the House at the last ses- 

 sion, and which failed to meet the approval at 

 the other end of the Capitol, and therefore re- 

 sulted in the failure of the army bill. 



"I repeat, sir, that despotic policy of mili- 

 tary absolutism, under the late Executive, hav- 

 ing yielded to the milder and more peaceful 

 modes pointed out by the Constitution of the 

 United States, there is therefore no necessity 

 for the insertion of the restriction in this bill, 

 but on the contrary potent and patent reasons 

 for its omission. I hope it will be the pleasure 

 of. this Congress, before it adjourns its labors, 

 to mature and enact such legislation as will in 

 future be a guide to the Executive of this coun- 

 try in the use to which 'the army of the United 

 States is to be put, and that henceforth the 

 army shall never again be employed for such 

 anti-republican and unconstitutional purposes 

 as that of upholding or overthrowing State 

 governments." 



A brief discussion ensued on the number of 

 men in the army, and the bill was passed and 

 sent to the Senate. There it was passed with 

 several amendments, in which the House re- 

 fused to concur. Subsequently, on November 

 19th, the Senate receded from their amend- 

 ments, and the bill was passed. 



The extra session closed on the day previous 

 to the commencement of the regular session. 

 No important public act had been passed. The 

 bills and resolutions offered in each House, and 

 not decided upon, were continued into the reg- 

 ular session. 



For the President's annual message, see PUB- 

 LIC DOCUMENTS, ANNUAL CYCLOPEDIA, 1877. 



In the Senate, on December 10th, the fol- 

 lowing resolution, introduced by Mr. Matthews, 

 of Ohio, was considered : 



Whereas, By the act entitled " An act to strength- 

 en the public credit," approved March 18, 1869, it 

 was provided and declared that the faith of the 

 United States was thereby solemnly pledged to the 

 payment in coin or its equivalent of all the interest- 

 bearing obligations of the United States, except in 

 cases where the law authorizing the issue of such 

 obligations had expressly provided that the same 

 might be paid in lawful money or other currency 

 than gold and silver; and 



Whereas, All the bonds of the United States au- 

 thorized to be issued by the act entitled " An act to 

 authorize the refunding of the national debt," ap- 

 proved July 14, 1870, by the terms of said act were 

 declared to be redeemable in coin of the then present 

 standard value, bearing interest payable semi-an- 

 nually in such coin ; and 



Whereas, All bonds of the United States author- 

 ized to be issued under the act entitled " An act to 

 provide for the resumption of specie payments," ap- 

 proved January 14, 1875, are required to be of the 

 description of bonds of the United States described 

 in the said act of Congress approved July 14, 1870, 

 entitled " An act to authorize the refunding of the 

 national debt" ; and 



Whereas, At the date of the passage of said act of 

 Congress last aforesaid, to wit, the 14th day of July, 

 1870, the coin of the United States of standard value 

 of that date included silver dollars of the weight of 

 412i grains each, declared by the act approved Jan- 

 uary 18, 1837, entitled "An act supplementary to 

 the act entitled ' An act establishing a mint and reg- 

 ulating the coins of the United States,' " to be a le- 

 gal tender of payment, according to their nominal 

 value, for any sums whatever: Therefore, 



Be it resolved ly the Senate (the House of Repre- 

 sentatives concurring therein), That all the bonds of 

 the United States issued or authorized to be issued 

 under the said acts of Congress hereinbefore recited 

 are payable, principal and interest, at the option of 

 the Government of the United States, in silver dol- 

 lars, of the coinage of the United States, containing 

 412i grains each of standard silver; and that to re- 

 store to its coinage such silver coins as a legal tender 

 in payment of said bonds, principal and interest, is 

 not in violation of the public faith nor in derogation 

 of the rights of the public creditor. 



Mr. Matthews said : " Mr. President, the Gen- 

 eral Assembly of the State of Ohio at its ses- 

 sion last winter adopted the following resolu- 

 tion: 



Resolved ly tJie General Assembly of the State of 

 Ohio, That common honesty to the tax-payers, the 

 letter and the spirit of the contract under which the 

 great body of its indebtedness was assumed by the 

 United States, and true financial wisdom, each and 

 all, demand the restoration of the silver dollar to itu 

 former rank as lawful money. 



" This resolution was passed with great una- 

 nimity. There were but three negative votes 

 in the House of ^Representatives and but one 



