Mr. HENDERSON. The Senator is slow to understand. I hope it comes from conscious innocence. But, Mr. President, to be serious. I deprecate. this language, it tends to no good. It comes, I fear, more from feeling than from judgment formed on a proper consideration of the case. Great interests are at stake, and the who now wield the power of this nation, hot in the executive and legislative Depts, have a grave responsibility on their shoulders. If mistakes were eretofore made in the organization of the Government, now is the time to correct them. Our forefathers were wise men, perhaps the wisest that any age has given us. No one doubts their integrity, their unselfish devotion to true republican principles. If they had carried out their own repeatedly exressed convictions on the subject of slavery, this war of the rebellion would not have come. We all know that considerations of an early union, the necessity for protection against foreign Powers, as well as the supposed immediate demands of trade and commerce, added to an indisposition or absolute fear to people with the avaricennd prejudice connected rigith slavery, induced them in the formation of the Government to ignore the condition of the African slave. They mournfully contented themselves with keeping the word “ slave” out of the Constitution. They scorned to sanction, by direct words, its existence, but yet provide, under another name, that the nations power should be used to mend, when broken, the chain of, human bondage. They excused themselves and the Government they made. by responsibility on the States. They puotpteindg, thine deed they expressed the hope, that the States would soon emancipate, and they framed a Constitution admirably suited to that condition of things. Slavery was inconsistent with the very principle on which they built. To save the pain of cutting, they consented to leave one fiber of the cancer, hoing that nature would soon heal it. Nature did not heal it, but the cancer grew from year to year until the whole body politic became diseased. The last 5 years have been spent in a grand surgical operation to save the life of the patient. The cancer has been cut to its roots. The patient is suffering, but he is stronger than when the operation commenced. Who is the timid surgeon that would now hesitate to remove the last particle of disease? If there be one, that man will be responsible hereafter for much i suffering. Some say, leave it with the States; they will cure themselves. The State governments are a necessary rt of the national Gov ernment. The Presient tells us one cannot exist without the other. They are the limbs of the human body. Would you partially remove disease from the arm and than tell the arm to cure itself? Would you half cure the heel and foolishly trust to nature for the balance simply because the heel is so far from the seat of lite? A limb sick, makes the body sick, and he who would preserve health and vitality must ward off disease at every point. I have been led to these remarks by looking at the present condition of the southern States. Is there no symptom of disease there? All over the country Congress is denounced because it does notaccept the Presidents healing or restoration of those States as a perfect cure. Is the old disease eradicated? If so, Congress ought to admit their Representatives, and it deserves the denunciation of the country in default of speedy action. Does the President himself believe that the cure is perfect? If we admit them they must henceforth be treated as 10 al States. We must give them the exercise O all local and municipal power not granted to Congress. In that case we should at once re move martial law. The privilege of the writ of habeascorpusms should be restored. It is now suspended y the will of the President. When oncendmitted, the condition of the freedman and the poor white, must be left to them. The suffrage cannot then be changed without their free consent, uninfluenced by any considerations. If admitted, and the are stron enough to repudiate the public cbt, with raw the eiisions from the wounded veterans, or deny t ie claim of loyal States for expenses and loyal men for damages, the COUDLIE must accept it, and accept it in peace. I0not fear many of these thin s, but the President himselfseenis to fear muc. If he is satisfied with these organizations, why does he not treat them better? During the session of the Georgia convention Mr. Seward telegraphed to the provisional governor, as follows: “ Your several telegrams have beenreceived. The POTUS cannot recognize the copleof any State having resumed the relations of loyalty to the Union that admitsas legal obligations contractedor debtscreatedin that nameto promote the war of the rebellion. "WM. H. SEWARD." Why? Was not Georgia an independent State. The President said it was. did not Geor a have a right to assume and y any debts s e pleased? What right had hii. Seward to tele graph to the convention of Georgia that Geor gia should not pay a debt? and yet my democratic friends say the Presidents policy must be sustained. What policy? In it the policy of letting the President do as he leases, reors ganize a State government, and ) wherever it runs counter to his views to stop it in its legislation and say, “Thus far shall thou go and no further.” Butif congress undertakes to interfere, notinterfere, but esitate, to sanction these asperfectand legitimate State governments, they are aset of Jacobins, “ Frenc revolutionists, " “dangerous men, ” who ought to be turned out at the point of the bayonet. The President calls it “hammering at the other end of the line.H The State of Tennessee has been reorganized. How reorganized? The President himself was the beginner and the originator of it, as the Military governor of Mr. Lincoln. The Tennessee members are here seeking admission. But the President has put General lliomasat Nashville. The Senfrom Illinois [Mr. TRUMBILL] the: other day presented his proposition here, put tingjudicial powersin the hands of the military, for certain purposes in the seceding States. It was to protect negroes, when discriminated against in their civil rights, by State legislation in those States. The press all over the country opposed to these socalled Jacobiiis announced the fact that the Senfrom Illinois, the great leader of the new revolution, had introduced a most dangerous proposition, carrying military man down South to usurp the entire political power of the revolted States and to administer noel: justice at the point of the bayonet}. I did not like it myself. I am afraid of even the appearance of military rule. But let us go on with the case of Tennessee. The President usurps these powers, I should say uses them, and the Presicut is right, but the Jacobins are wrong. Will ou tell me the difference? Is not General T omas put in command intennessee by the President himself? Yes. Is he not kept there by the President? Yes. Did not General Thomas under the Presidents or ders arrest a bishop of the diocese of Alabama, the other day, and imprison him? Some said it was only because the bishop would not pray for the President and yet General Thomas is not dismissed. But suppose Congress should undertake to interfere Witii the worship of the Christian religion down South, what would be said about it? Let me read an order issued by General Thomas a few days ago. It is a letter addressed to Messrs. Guild & Smith, attorneys at law, at Nashville: HEADQUABTERSDivision or rm: Tsimsssas. NASHVILLE. Tans" January 17.1866. Sins: Ithas beenreportedto M orGencral Thomas that you. as counsel for one Jo n Allen, of Smith county.have instituted suit against James S. Bur hain. of Sumner county, late on tuin 1st Tennessee moiinted iniantry. for rent for the said Allens farm while the said farm was under the control of the U.S. as abandoned property. This is clearl a Violation of GeneralOrderS.No. 29.from these eadquartersoften published in the newspii ers of the State and musthave beenseenby you. I do direct! inc to say to you that you will at oncecause si |s.iudit to be discontinued and dismissed forever. failing in which you. John Allen, and the circuit court clerk of Sumnercounty will be arrested and brought to trml beforea military commission. By commandof Mine r GeneralThomas: R. W. JOHNSON. BreoetBriaad 1 General, U. S. A. Mason. Guru) it Suira, Attomyo at law.