Columbia Democrat and Bloomsburg general advertiser. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1850-1866, 1864-06-25
Mr.. DENISON said {:

Mr.. SPEAKER, | am opposed to the bill
this opportunity to explain my views upon
the subject. The name of the bill is ga
b. II to guaranty 10 certain States, whose
governments have been usurped or over.
thrown, II republican form ofgovernmcnt.'
Tho object of the bill is to change the
relations between certain States and the
General Government, and to make it i'm.
possible Tor the States referred to, under
any circumstances, to hold slaves or to be
organized under any constitution which
permits slavery. | do not think that any
political party, or any great number of
men, excepting the abolitionisls in the
northern States, ever cared anything
about the extension, perpatui.y, or dc
strucion Of slavery. they have not been
Interested in the subject further than they
were benefited by the cheap system of la
Dor in the South, and the market which
their manufactures found in that portion of
our country. Blu. that the General Gov
ernmcnt should assume the right 10 con-
lrol, by act Of Congress, the domestic iu-
stitullons Of sovereign States, is differ
ent question.
The State OF Pennsylvania few years
back in her history determined to abolish
slavery. What would have been the con-
dition of the question if the General Gov
ernmenl had denied the power of that
State to dispose OF IA mere question of
property in any manner which the people
of that State might choose ! Such as.
sumption of power would have been resis-
ted by all the people Of every State in the
Union as an encroachment upon the re.
served rights OF the States. And such
would be the case if the people of that
State should see fit to adopt slavery at this
time. There is, not, under the theory OF
our Government, any power delegated to
the General Government to prevent that
condition of things, or we have all great
ly misunderstood our own Government
and the relation VIII ch each of the States
has held to the national Government. The
proposed law will change that relation, not
over new States asking admission into the
Union, but over States heretofore existing
as part Of the national Government and
which still exist as States as fully as ever
they did, even if the language Of the bill
be true that tho State authority has been
usurped or oyerthrown. If the people o.
the State have committed treason the nun
icipal corporation cannot be guilty Of trea
son, nor forfeit any Of its rights as State
any moro than township could cease tc
be part Of a county because all the able
bodied men should move out of it, or be
convicted Of larceny, When other mer
should come or children grow to be men tc
fill tho effices necessary in municipal cor
lporation it would still be township aud Q
part OF the county as much as if the mu
nicipal offices had never been vacant =
And such will be the condition of th,
States referred to, unless by this law or tn,
amendment Of the Constitution now pend
ing we change that state of things.
| The law proposed is especially intended
t to govern men who arc not represented il
the passage of the bill, and at a time whel
we have not the power to reconstruct
single State, and If such law could eve