The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1864-12-30
S4ashrille SAniion,
WA. CAxEROE q CO.. Publishers.
FRIDAY, DECEMBER %. 1864.
The constitutional Amendment.

Tar more tnan the constitutional two
thirds-adopted the following Joint Re-
solution
"Be it Resolved, By the Senate and
House of Representatives of the Uni
ted States of America in Congress as
se1nbled, thirds of both Houses
concurriag, that the following article
be proposed to the Legislatures of the
several States as an amendment 70 the
Constitution of the United States, which,
when ratified by three-fourths of said
Legislatures, shall be valid to all in
tents and purposes as part of the said
Constitution, namely:
ART. XIII-Section l. Neither slave
ry nor involuntary seryitude, except as
punishment for crime, whereof the
the party shall have been duly con-
victed, shall exist within the United
States, or any place subject to their
Jurisdiction.
/ Section 2 Congress shall have pow
er to enforce this article by appropriate
legislation.
On the 10Th of June, the House of
Representatives passed upon the resol-
ution, with the following result Yeas
95-nays 64 A change of II votes from
the negative to the affirmative would
have secured the passag of the resolve
by the two thirds vote made necessary
by the Constitution.
Mr.. Ashley, of Ohio, in order TO have
power to move reconsideration, chang
ed his vote from the affirmative to the
negative. 1t will, therefore, be COM
petent for him, under the rules, to move
such reconsideration at the present
session; and he will do so, no doubt, if
it ia ascertained upon inquiry that
suffi, lent number of Democrats TO car
ry the proposition will either vote for
| it or absent themselves from the House.
We are not without hope that suffi
cient number of Democrats will heed
the verdict of the people as recorded in
| the iate election, and manfully give
| their votes for the utter extinction of
slavery by process of whose constitu-
tionality they can have no doubt The
| Philadelphia Press, we see, cherishes
the same hope. itsays:
"We rejoice in the indication that the |
Democratic party will take part in the |
coming Congress to remove It's own
/ stumbling block out of the path of |
national progress. IL the moral form |
of the question has heretofore worn to |
them an illegal face, to-day the sub
iect is both moral and legal A con-
stitutiOnal amendment abolishing sla-
very will at once dispel the fears and
exalt the hopes of the whole country
The disposition among the leading jour
mails of the Democratic party to meet
the question with candor encourages
expectations that since the election
has sealed promise of support TO the
vital measures of the government, the
example of the Opposition will be faith
full and substantial Because it is now
the most patriotic, the abolition of
slavery is the wisest of party measures.
Occasional" the Washington cor
sespondent OF the same paper, says
I" A number of Democrats voted a
gainst the joint resolution in the last
session with the greatest reluctance
They had 50 strongly denounced Mr.
Lincoln's proclamation of emancipa-
ton as illegal and unconstitutional, and
so frequently declared that they were
willing to assist in any movement that
would legally and constitutionally treat
the question, that they gave their votes J
against this essential reform with many !
self accusations. Icould name several
such if il was necessary. When these {
men now remember that the House of /
Representatives in the nert and near
Congress is already more than two
thirds in favor of this policy, and That,
the present House failing to pass This
Joint resolution by q two thirds vote,
the President may convene the new l.
Congress for the express purpose of
completing this most essential legislas
ton, why should not the work be done
among the very first things in the ap-
meeting of the two Houses ?
Shall we have the expense Of a called u
Congress to do what the next session 81
can easily consummate2 These sug-
gestions ought to weigh on every un-
preiudiced mind Reverdy johnson,
Of MARYLAND, saw the unansWerable G
force of the arguments in favor of this B,
of the Constitution pro
hibiting slavery, when he delivered his
zreat argument in favor of il last
Spring and you will note that the n
Louisville Journal, which, unlike Sens Z
or johnson, opposed the government
n its earlier policy, but came into its %
upport when this policy was proved
o be practical, Eow insists that this is
amendment is right, and should have =
,een enacted at the last session. The -
kentucky delegation will undoubtedly n
ee that the Journals arguments are OF
ensible and to the point, and expect
Ye shall gain some votes from other a
'order States Bat it is to the Nation
/ Democrats in Congress from the free
,tates that look Some of these gen.
lemen did not believe it was possible
o make this amendment Of the Feder- =,
/ Constitution a practical measure -
hat it would produce nothing bat ir-
itation IN the South, and would not be /.
in the North. Admitting
hat the amendment was constitution
/, they yet resisted it upon these OBJ
sctions But now there is no reason. g g
BILE pretext for such opposition. May - -
Te not hope, then, for the cooperation ~
f most, Il not all, of tho Democrats vi
j Congress, in the speedy passage of
ais most essential legislation ? &c
The Washington correspondent Of an
enneti's Herald, says an
IneFe - very gOOd pfosisect thab II
sufficient number of Democratic mem. tol
ers of the House viii yield their op Vii
osition 10 the passage of the constitu- O.,
onal amendment abolishing slavery, SI
nd permit it TO pass by the requisite
yo- thirds vote. Some Of those who
pposed it most strongly at the last ses-
on have the matter under considera- ,,ss
on, and are disposed to heed the M
Of the late election, and no ri,
niger Geek TO avert the final blow 70 cor
le institution which has brought 90 dy,
uch suffering and disaster upon the ea'
,untry." a.,
A Washington telegram in the Trib- nae
le of late date Gays There Is &
cd dprospect Of a passage through the
ouse, of the Constitutional amend Z
ent to abolish slavery" ~ ~
The \. Y. World, the lssding Dem nat
ratio organ in the United States, says Ssg S,g