Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1865-01-20
The Slavery Discussion i'll the Federal
Congress.

In the Yankee House, on Wednesday
the amendment.to the Constitution abolish
ing slavery was up. Mr.. Townsend, OF
Nav York, opposed it, and during his
speech had the famous '.Crittenden resolu-
tions' ,Iead by tee Clerk.
MrT Gilman Ohdianaj said this amend
ment could not be adopted without being
followed by n ore radical measures. If, in
the judgement of our fathers. slavery was
inconsistent with q republican form of gov
ernn'ent, they would have abolished it
The Democratic party were opposed to the
amendment because they want the Consti-
tuition preserved as it is. He denied that
because of slavery our country had become
Kissing and reproach. In consequence
of slavery, on the contrary, it had grown
in population and wealth, and commanded
the respect Of the world nor had its des-
TIMES been unduly controlled By Southern
men. The Constitution has been the source
of the nations prosperity, and it is the only
ark of our safety.
Mr.. Cravens (Indiana) believed that sla-
will finally die if gentlemen but address
themselves to putting down the rebellion.
He bel eyd the war would have been over
before now if they had said nothing about
slavery. lie thought this was not the prop
er time to make SO radical an amendment,
and he was OPPOSED to it on the ground Of
policy, expediency and justice.
Mr.: Broman Pennsylvania contrnded
th,t = bo4 .hU
the people during the late President cleo
ton they had given their verdict, and he
held that it must be carried out, if not by
this, at least b. tho next Congress He
answered the arguments which had been
advanced against the amendment, and con-
tended that the object Of the Constitution,
as declared in its preamble, was to preserve
the liberties of the people.
Mr. Pcndleton (Ohlo) maintained that
the right Of amendment is limited to two
ways first, by the letter Of the Constitution
itself. and next, by the spirit. intent d
scope OF that instrument, and this idea un-
derlies the foundation. It was not an alb
stract question, but question Of compact
A change could not be made subyertine
the.Constitution and encouraging mon
archy, because republicanism is at the base
of our system, and to overthrow it is ntt to
amend, but to subvcrt the Constitution =
Ii three fourths of the States pass such an
amendment, ana they find that Rhode Island
should 30 the one dissenting State, she
would have the right, and il would be her
duty, to resist b. force, and her cause would
b me sacred in the eyes Of just men and
sauotiiod BY God, Such an amendment
wou,1 not be binding on moral law, and
theroF re Is illegal and void, and it could be
enforced only by those who have the power
OF tie sword. Ia further arg ument he
nlainCa ned that il was not in the power o
three foprths CT the StateG TO determine the
character Of ,ho institutions Of the other
70 2rth.
We cannot oontraveac the letter ant
spirit of the Constitution We cannot sub
vert kepgfAapism and destroy liberty
and @ecidsafhe status Of the cit:zen
Of tho State. Ifthis is imposed by force
1t viii come the right to resist by force
and 10 array all the power which may make
resistance effective He would stand BY
the Constitution through good and evil re
port. He would stand by it as he under
stood it to the end He loved bis who'll
county. North and South, and il was be
cause he loved It he would do no act to re
tard tbs restoration of peace and the recon
structian Of the Uuion.
Mr. Jenches (Rhode Island} said h
understood the gentleman to remark that
in the future, the cause Of rebellion would
be traced to others than hose now in arms
He would ask tie gentleman to say q
whose door the sin lies, and by whom com
mitted.
Mr. Pendeton replied that be was no
surprised the gentleman was solneWha
touched by what he had said 1t might b.
the gentleman misunderstood the exac
force Of his language, but there possibl,
! might have been in the neighborhood OF til,
gentleman, and in his own State, and in al
the free States, those who would infract th
Constitution. He (Mr. Pendleton) hac
said let gentlemen beware how they pusl
| their doctrine. lest it would be found tina
the compact Of confederation had first beer
broken elsewhere than in the South. Ii
conclusion, he declared that he was no
Influenced by any sectional or partisan
feeling, but solely by a regard for the char
acter and PEI petuity Of our free institutions
Mr. jenkins (Rhode Island) expressed
his establishment that Mr.. Pendleton called
this a compact Of confederation, and asked
if we are not one nation, what are we
He called upon the gentleman and all 0
his school to frame an Indictment on tn
charge that had been made that Northern
men had infracted the Constitution.
Cen'l sherman On Slavery
From gentleman who had several con
situations with Gen. Sherman recently, th
Augusta Constitutonaist learns, he says