The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1865-11-10

ARTICLE XIu.
"SEc. /. Neither slavery nor involuntary
servitude, except ss punishment for crime.
whereof the party shall have been duly CON
victed, shall exist within the United States
or any place subject @ their jurisd ction
"SKC. .. Congress shall have power 10 eu-
force this article by appropriate leeis ati0u.
Adopted Feb. 9Th. 1868.
The first Clause could be adopiei uithout
any hesitation. In fact, t has been adopted
lis now part of the Constitution of the
State OF Mississippi. But the second elause
is more than any Southern State ought 60
swallow. To adopt it would be sn implied
admission thai she Is not acting IN good
faith, and therefore preiers that Cong1ess
shall perform the disagreeable task OF com
mending the p0isoned chahcs. In late
speech al Yonkers, senator Wilso7, of MaF-
saehusetls, who is one si the leaders Of the
radical party which desires 70 requisite the
affairs Of al the southern States, used the
foil wing language
''The Senator denied that the Democrats
supported President JohBsun's policy Did
they support the constitutional amedd-
meut2 No man was stronger IN favor Of
that thsn the President There was 3
great deal in that amendm n. L aul hor-
ized Congress, by appropriate legislation, 70
make the emancipatcd slaves in al respects
freemen, and in ali respects citizens Of the
United states. LApPlause.l That amend
ment would be adopted by the requisite
number Of States, and Congress would make
the freedmen reslly ireemen. [Applause.l
We can, under that constitutional provis-
ion, declare null and void all The back code
legislation Of any OF the States Of the
Union cheers) )-and put the colored peo-
pie Just where your old women and minor
sons ars tonight in the Stats Of New York
under the protection Of equal and lust
laws. [Cheers, aud "Put him down. The
Democratic party tells us that they are IN
favor Of the constitutional amendment.
Bat dare they boldly take that position to-
night in the Safe Of New York;"
That is the policy, is IL. To ransack ell
the laws Of the States, and see IL there are
net some that don't make the negro the
white mans equal, and il there Is, blot is
out But be that as tmay, something must
he done 10 prevent such power getting into
the hands Of Congress. IL is not enough
that We refuse to adopt it. Imprudent dec
lamation at Jackson against the second
clause is not going to prevent its adoption
by the necessary number OF States -Four
States only are required to make 1t the law
Of the land. The friends Of the measure
have only 20 wait until the requisite num-
Der OF oltA ta iaAlAN H. anu lA - a t-Af
whether that number is secured this year,
next year, in Eve years, or twenty years.
What then is 10 be doDe2
Let the Legislature Of Mississippi By its
action re elatiye 10 the government and CON
troll of the negro, exhibit liberal policy
such action VIII demonstrate that there Is
no need of Congressional action. Let themi
then, declare their readiness TO adopt unan-
imously The first clause of the amendment,
ahd let them, also, protest in the most sol
emn manner against the second clause.
Call on our friends everywhere to bear wit
ness that we can abolish slavery, and ''en-
force it by appropriate legislation" our
selves, without the interierenceof Of Congress.
Do this, and we may succeed in having the
subject reconsidered in the next Congress,
and the objectionable section Withdrawn
Act otherwise, and its ratification is as IN
eyitable as the DEGREES Of late,