Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1862-05-15
SPEECH OF HON. j. COLLAMER,
OF VERMONT,

OF VERMONT, .
In the United States Senate, AprI "a,
S62, on the BIZ to Confseate the Pro-
perty and Free The Slares of the Rebels.
Mr.. CoLLAMER said AT this late
stage ofthe discussion upon this subject,
it can hardly be expected that very much
of the attention of the Senate will be Civ
en- to remarks from perhaps any quarter
but have felt it to be my duty to under
take to address the Senate as we'll as the
circumstances will permit, | have no
desire to make a speech for the purpose
of home consumption. | have prepared
no rhetorical discourse. have no figures
of rhetoric set down in a notebook, and
conned by rote What | have to say is
matter of business, aud | shall talk right
on, for | am in earnest about what l
have to say-too much in earnest to un-
dertake to find figures of rhetoric, or any
thing by way of establishment or adorn-
ment.
MIR. President, our nation is in stage
and condition Of its national existence
where, undoubtedly it attracts more than
it ever did before the notice of the nations
OF the world, not merely in relation to the
skill which is shown In our new proiec-
tiles, or improved ordnance, or invulner-
able ships, or even in our battles, but the
attention of the world is attracted to what
is to be the result of this great occasion
of this national experiment of ours They
ay 'your experiment of republican
orm of government succeeds well enough
IN time OF peace, when there is no occa-
sion to try it-when there IS nothing to
test il :" but they have looked forward to
some time which might bring periods OF
ultl and convulsion-and the question
before the world is, is our system compe-
tent to that occasion does it possess the
strength and elements of power sufficient
to meet the shock of such contingency:
Ii it will not do that, they say, it is not
what we have claimed it to be before the
world-the great and successful expert
ment in popular government Now
says the world, we shall see whether
you can succeed with what appears to us
a ieebly formed government, in time of
trial." That we may be enabled to sus-
tain the integrity of the nation-I mean
It's entirety, not its sense Of justice-by
the physical force of the nation, is but one
step in it. That is not the point The
great question before the world to be now
settled by US is, can we sustain the integ-
rlty OF our Government, and perpetuate
our Institutions, and do it according to
the limitations and provisions of the Con-
stitution That is what is to show that
our Constitution is competent to the trial,
and nothing short of that If, when this
occasion arises, we are compelled to re-
sort to means which, in effect, are the
means used by stronger governments, our
experiment is failure. If we are con-
strained to call up, invoke and put in ex-
, orciso in any one department of the Gov
ernment-t is immaterial in what depart
ment OF the Government-more of power,
more OF force than the Constitution pro-
vldes, or is limited by that Constitution
the moment we do that, or are constrain-
. ed from our supposed necessities to do it,
we acknowledge before the world that
our Institutions are insufficiently founded,
and that We are, after all, compelled, in
the period OF trial, to resort to the force
which, they say, is necessary to the exer-
else OF a nation, and our experiment Is a
failure. We should, therefore, particu-
larly In period like this, carefully study
ana sacredly regard all the limitations
and provisions of the constitution. 1t is
vain and idle in us to war against part
OF our people because they have made
war upon this Government, if we at the
same time have to sap the foundations of
the Government by stabbing through the
vitals OF the Constitution.
Now sir, | wish to call the attention of
gentlemen for moment, (for it is mat
ter of curiosity,) not to what l say, but to
few words that Mr.. Madison said. |
hold in my hand a part of the proof-sheets
of the nrst volume of the works of Mr..
Madison. Those works are now being
printed under an act of Congress, and |
have been furnished with the proof sheets
of part of the first volume In examin-
ing this work of one who has been called
the father OF the Contitution, who certain
ly had more to do with framing it and OBJ
tanning its adoption than any other man
in the nation and | have found a memo
randum of his, made in April, 1887, be-
fore the meeting of the convention that
formed the Constitution. Here is his
memorandum, which seems to have been
made for his own use, containing heads,
stating what were the particular difficult
ties, intirmities and trouble with the Ar
ticles Of Contederation,- wherein they
needed change with his remarks under
each head in brief notes. | desire now to
read one of those heads. 1t is this
so. Want of guaranty to the States of
their constitutions and laws against inter-