Recollections of Forty Years in the House, Senate and Cabinet: An Autobiography.Sherman, John
History
Recollections of Forty Years in the House, Senate and Cabinet: An Autobiography.
Sherman, John
Sherman, John, 1823-1900; Statesmen -- United States -- Biography; United States -- Politics and government -- 19th century
"_Provided, nevertheless_, That no part of a military force of the
United States herein provided for, shall be employed in aid of the
enforcement of the enactments of the alleged legislative assembly
of the Territory of Kansas, recently assembled at Shawnee Mission,
until Congress shall have enacted either that it was or was not a
valid legislative assembly, chosen in conformity with the organic
law, by the people of said territory. And _Provided_, That until
Congress shall have passed on the validity of the said legislative
assembly of Kansas, it shall be the duty of the President to use
the military force in said territory to preserve the peace, suppress
insurrection, repel invasion, and protect persons and property
therein, and upon the national highways in the State of Missouri,
from unlawful seizures and searches. And _be it further provided_,
That the President is required to disarm the present organized
militia of the Territory of Kansas and recall all the United States
arms therein distributed, and to prevent armed men from going into
said territory to disturb the public peace, or aid in the enforcement
or resistance of real or pretended laws."
After long debate, this was agreed to by a vote of 80 yeas to 47
nays. The deliberate purpose of a majority of the House was to
prevent any further support of the Lecompton territorial legislature.
This amendment, however, was disagreed to by the Senate and referred
to a committee of conference. On the 18th of August, the last day
of the session, the disagreement continued and the conference report
was taken up for action. A motion was made that the House insist
upon its amendments and agree to another committee of conference.
This was defeated, but no definite action was taken, as a majority
of the House was opposed to a further conference, and so the army
bill failed.
On the same day the President, by proclamation, convened the two
Houses in extra session to meet on the 21st day of August, three
days later. The President, in his message, urged Congress to recede
from the Kansas proviso in the army bill. The Republicans of the
House were determined to insist upon that proviso, and, by repeated
votes, refused to withdraw it or to reconsider it, but, after a
session of nine days, the House finally yielded, but only after
the Senate had agreed to an amendment, which contained the substance
of the proviso offered by me, as follows;
"_Provided_, That no part of the military force of the United
States, for the support of which appropriations are made by this
act, shall be employed in aid of the enforcement of any enactment
heretofore passed by the bodies claiming to be the territorial
legislature of Kansas."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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