Mr. PRICE. And legally elected; that in reference to the condition of the States, and in reference to the condition of the constituencies by which these men were sent here, no inquiry, no investigation, no jndment should be given by the Congress of the U.S.; that, in. deed, there was to be no power in Congress to direct or even to advise how this should be done so as to secure the safety of the nation in the future. This is purely a difference of opinion which might fairly exist between honest men inside of this Hall and the President. Each, I grant you, has aperfeet right to his own opinion on this subject, but neither has the right to proseribe the other because of that opinion. But I am sorry, sir, to be compelled to say in this House. in the hearin of the country, that the President has so far forgotten himself and the position which he occupies of that opinion. This is a fact so patent that no man in his senses dares to deny it, for official heads are falling almost every hour into the basket prepared for that purpose, and for no other reason but because 0 a difference of opinion with the President on this question. But I rose more particularly to reply toa remark of the Gentfrom Kentucky [Mr. Rousseau] when speaking of the gentlemen elected' from the State of Tennessee. So far as I know them they are loyal men. Some I know are, but I do not know them all. Now, when he referred to those gentlemen as in dorsing his statement that they opposed the action of Congress and sustained the action of the President on this great subject, which at this time is agitating this country and the world; I say when he named Colonel Stokes, I thought it was a pretty good opportunity to let Colonel Stokes speak for himself. If [had been allowed to read what Colonel Stokes said on the subject I would not have troubled the House with these few crude remarks. The gentlemen who come from Tennessee are good men. No man upon this floor will receive them with more open arms or give them a more cordial welcome when the hour arrives that the can be admitted with safety to the Uniontion I will. I think they are entitled to great credit for the noble stand which they took during the troublous times of the late civil conflict. I say that when the safety of the country will justify the reception of these men upon this our as members of shall be so broad and so deep that the revolu as to proscribe men simply for the expression Congress no man will 0 further and no man will be more rejoiced than I will be. I ask it to go upon the record, that when I express these sentiments I only express the opinions of the radical members of the 39th Congress. Colonel Stokes risked his life on the battle field in support of the Government, and has been electe by as loyal a constitucnc as any Gentfrom Tennessee; and I tiink he ought to be presumed to know as much about the matter as the Gentfrom Kentucky. He goes before the people and ives his statement of the whole question. am perfectly willing that the poop c of the U.S shall, on his statement, decide between Congress and the President. We are told by the friends of the President that the battle is to be fought at the ballot box on the 2nd Tuesday of October next, and later this fall. Yes, sir, the battle is to be fought there, and there it is expected to defeat the radicals and hand the country over to the men who favor the President’s policy. Well, sir, we are prepared to meet them. We only want the issue to be fairly understood. 'We want the people to know before they deposit their ballots who have been to blame, whether Congress or the President. When the question is fairly submitted I have a perfect confidence on which side success will be. I am perfectly willing to let the case go to the jury of the count and abide the judgment. I feel confident it will not be with those who sustain the policy of the President. Now, what does Colonel Stokes say? He knows what he talks about. Notwithstanding what my friendfrom Kentucky has said about slavery in Massachusetts and slower in Kentucli, I am perfectly willing to let the people decide the question at the ballot box on the testimony o Colonel Stokes. Let me read what he says: "Butit is said a radical Congresswill not admit Union men of the South. ‘1'. am one of th se men, and an applicant for a seatin Congress. I abovewhen the proper time comesCongress Wlll do its duty in regard to ennessee and any otherState that takes thesame position. Why is it not done now? We have had a war for 4 or 5 years. You cannot expecteon gressto heal all these differencesin a few days. It wastheir duty to examinethe condition of the governmentof theseStates, to eigaminc their constitutions and laws and when their loy algovernment in properly establishedto recognize it and then one point is settled. After that comesthe questionas to the qualification of members. Congresshad a right to prescribe a testoath, and I say herethat I would sit in my seat until I froze to death before I would ever vote to repeal that oath nntil the southern pacificand their papers shown different tone toward the Nonwio, n menor: the South. the president hassaidhimself that Congress mustdeclarethe State government properly establilshed before it can becomevalid. Vhy, then. are theseStatesnot admitted? Because they have not comlied with the President's own requirements? But ITennesseehas; why is she not admitted? I will tell you. Congress asked for evidence as tothese States. It askedfor the proclamations, constitutions. documents.lawn. The residentneversent them to Congress until March. But meanwhileit had been gatheringproof from otherquarters and at length it Wus just readytoadmit Tennesseq. Then onebranch of the Legislature was (lls'UI‘EZIXHZaMnld, the rebel clement, not being willing to submit to the rule of the majorit. soughtto break up and destroy the govern ine nt. The left the House Without a quorum, an it is still without a quorum. And I saythatwhile the government was in that condition thereis not a man of you who would think that Stateshould berecognized. We therefore do not complain of the delay. We know that admission now would destroy the Union elementof those States. Congress is doing right in holding themback. When the rebel armies 1st surrendered there was every where a disposition toward loyalty; but I slapd here to inght to saythat there is new a feelingas bitter to wnrd the Union men of the South as there overwas in 1860 or1 861.And the facts have proved that Congress, in its cool and deliberate treatment of the inptter. deserves the thanks of all Union men in giving opportunity for these rebels to show their hands. Time Will show that Congress was right. But all these things"Ill be settledwisely and safely, and when loyal men get control of these governments there Wlll then be po difficulty.andall thesequestions'wnlbl esatisfactorily settled. In Tennessee we shall electnewmembers to make:1q uorumon Saturdaynext; then the franchise bill, securing control to loyal men, ivill pass; and then I haveno doubt that Congresswill notpromptly and rightly." There, sir, is the opinion of a man who lives in Tennessee, a loya man, an honest man, a fearless man, in whose face these doors have been shut for 7 long months, and yet he to day tells us thatwe are doing right. If we are domg right. as a matter of course the President must be doing wrong in o posing as. He says we are not only doing rig it, but that the loyal people of the country ought to, and will, give us their applause because we are doing right in this matter. Stronger testimony than that can hardly be adduced upon this question. It bears directly upon the point and comes from a man fresh from the battle field where he has been contending with red handed traitors. And here are a couple of resolutions which I want to have read. adopted a few days since by the Union men of Tennessee the bone and sinew of that State, who, when she comes in again under the old flag will be the men who will carry it in the forefront of the advancing column of freedom: “ Remloed.That we unite with our brother radicals of Tennessee in nfeeling of esteemfor and confidence in those 2 unflinching patriots and statesmen, Charles Sumner and Thaddeus Stevens. who have defended themin Congress against the calumnics of their enemies, and that wetender the heartfeltthanks of the Union menof Tennessec for their efforts.in connection with thoUnion party of Congress, to establish a policy by which. in the languageof our late President. alias “my policy, “traitors may be punished and Resaoslvoend made odious.’ That the exrebels ofTennessec, who, hy their own acts, voluntarily renounced the principles of the elective franchise and freely took up armsto destroy a Union to which they only returned when all their efforts had failed, have therebyforfeitedall claim to American citizenship and are only in the Union as reconstructed traitors and paroled pris oners." There is the indorsement of Mr. Stokes’s constituency after having read the speech before referred to and having had time for consideration. Now, Mr. Speaker, this is the testimony of the men who are immediately interested, and are personally cognizant of all the facts and circumstances connected with these matters from the beginning to the end of the war, and they are satisfied, and if they are, should anyone else complain? And now, sir, thanking the House for its indulgence, I only say, that with the hel of God and the strong right arms of the ibyal men of this country and the clear consciences in the breasts of the radicals in Congress and in the country, we intend to reconstruct this Union and take in the honest men of the rebel States, not only as prodigals, but as brethren. The loyal and true men, both North and South, do not want this done until it can be done with perfect safet to the whole country.