New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1865-01-28

Iso here gentlemen Of tho Committee. in re'pecfrSi
obedience 20 your invitation to give the reasons men,
in uy Judgment renders the speedy passage OF ING COZ
tomplated measure by the existing Congress oeAs'''
for The best interests Of the country.
Since The introduction Of the IN the first ses
sio, Of the present Congress. the whole people h's
passed Judgment upon y oy ,heir ssuon u, ,1 ,ntoin
thereby justying his Issuance Of tho great sct OF
cipston Of January 1862 which il ~ signanss 'of ~
coming tine, bis first administration.
CONSTITUTIONAL POWER.
Irropo,e 10 inqnire first whether the power 70 mnse
Ito PROPOSED amendment exists and secondly 10 pre-
seat The reasons which render Immediate I'uon W.
BirGble . =,
TIE tenth article Of the Federal Constitution provides
that the powers not dtitSa,d 10 the United States oy
the Constitution prohibited by II, 10 tic Sta.s s
reserved to the states respectively, or 10 the people
This expression Of the viii 81 the people lroukh tieh
authorized agents precisely defines their relations 70
the Union and 10 ;her respective States ana s rah
catioD by the States, as Sovereign coUDhhl.es Iel,o
sentig the people, another act OF formal sur ehuer
and reservation Of political power precisely ana sccu
ratey doGned and expressed. Il.s 10 tIat uo ~
efuurnt Of the Union In the execution OFT deieg''ed
powers became tho direct Government OF the people
personally compulsory upon every member oi uio coa
muniiy; and thus too II 49, thai TIE States iespecuey
and tho people ave retained all power. NOS mus ueie
gated subject only TO the limitation implied In section
article L. which clothes tho Goyerome:t ei the Union
with tho power and imposes npo, J. uo gay! 20
md to protect II nom Invasion non wilhouh slo VIC
lence within.
Fortunately,
did leave tlo authority 70 tmend thet mgt,umeLt
81 Implication bit IN express terms they pr0idedior all
contingencies in the fure by designating Sic manner
in which smeodmeDls may DO made TO the Iuodane,as
law That provision important a. 10 DC enDracc
in single sitcl, called tbs Fifth Ind ls IN tbese
| words: -
'TLe Congress- whenever two-ihd' Of both I'Ouse' .hs
deem II necesssy shall prcpose amendments 10 tt
ton the application Of the Logsturo Of wothrd 81
e .e;t ''s es cs sGnTe be- 2t Pr IN md
purposes. pert Of this Constitution, when rallied ~ e
venon OF trsefourt, thereof s'ie ono or he o'nti mode
q mtho may be ropo'sd by .he o9ns.'
thousand s,h, hundred aud ,hei IN any msne aisG'
The FRS, and fourth caucs 10 the ninth section o. the h u
Gle and hut State without consent Shall D. asbn'ea u
its equal suffrage IN the Sers;e."
1t VIII be seen that the power Of amendment s broad
general and comp cLensiye.
In conformity VITA this power, various amendments
| have ieIotofcre been made.
| AMENDMENTS HERETOFORE MADE
| Some OF these amendments were additions 70 tho
Constitution explanatory OF nat WAS regarded oDscue,
while others werc direct and positive changes in thnt
instu ment; yei when ratified by three iourte OF tAe
states sud Esyng been recommended ~ tWo thhos oI
Congress- these amendments became az binding IS any
Of tie original articles IN tho Constitution. But Two
solitary exceptions are named which could not DO
nmended-iIst tnst article referring 10 tie importation
OF slaves uOi 20 DO changed prior 70 the year soe
second Sa,e should be deprived of Us equal repre-
sentaon in the Senate without It's own consent These
two tie ony exceptions provided ion 10 that lnstrh
mcAt hic cannot To chant ed and for Ihe purpose oi
this discussion they are not Dateria Now hc there
have been three amendments OF the CONSTITUTION adop.
cd urng ontire political history, various propoa
tons looking other changes havo been mado but nos
having received the requisite twothrds yote In Con
gress they failed. Blu. the right VI amendment has
lever b,o Questioned, until OF this era, Wen rome u
tbs ioLds u huhal bondage. recognizing thnt IN 10
other way they resist the overthrow ny tho Aner''
people Of ,he system Of Slavery they now insist
that the power H. change tho Consultation dos net ex'
ls or II II exisss It's exercise Ia irsught Win bnoscu
| liable mischief
ACTION OF TIE THIRTY .aEvEgIu CONGRESS.
WHO falls g. rem, nbcr that IN tic last term 81 tho
thirty scycn'h Congress thnt body insisted uron the
pasf re II a rcsc ,iou having for ts object an amend
men, OF the Consultation. foioger uerIctihs any In
;IrloEtrcJ by Congress with Slavery Ia tho otatrs
This solution passed the House Of Representatives by
a vote Of 20 Os aud N the senate by vote OF ~ To
IL securing the support Of the sgre South and thor
allies in the North those only opposing Who wero nd
verse 90 giving 30 tho constnion tho rover ~ rem.
leTiny permanent this Institution. III who insi.tod
upon IeiQciua.lng slngcry ~ sh'rae!'cy, and that
ID should be- placed Ike HAT clause o. the Constitution
which provides TINT state shal b deprived Of its
reorganization IN tho Senate without is consent
o. this rosoution provided thu, Consrcss should roeom
mcnd the people al ancudmcnt % tho Constitution
forever ssJane.ng Ibis instu,'on 81 human slavery
Tlis action do pat u those thea iavorng the iDs
tuiion should corcusi ely control their action now,
since tley thereby conceded tho coht utonal power
AID GRO LicTor deferred by that action from alleging
lint that power doos not exist For hCureFess has tho
s'eht 10 pforose an amendment tn The COls'i ution
witch shGi forever bterdict any Interference win
slavery, does no, tho power carry with Il the
rislt 10 aboiish ,hs usttuton II Congress shall SEQ ~
20 90 ,ocoumesd by a tSothird vote nod that vote
sas DO ratified IN ttrco foaTthr OF tho Sa.es acting
either tATcusa Aor Legislatures or ontoDs OF the
People 80 i pros ided In tho CnnsttuH0i Notwith.
sisuiing ts c-o recently as the commencement 81
,he Rebclonvhich secured the ncton ~ al the Dom
Ocrato members Of the House OF Representatives, ~
hat dine. u y painful 10 witness that ths yoco' sc re-
equity made f. nov 20 thoroughly Ignored.
EXTRA srsslos OF cosGEgss
Indeed, such vast Importance do ! otach 70 imme
da,p action this subject that ~ tho amendment uu
fortunately should iil now, trust that President Lin
coin will immediately issue bis proclamntion, converting
a Ica C,agress and yiye this The principal motive
Tor sue. action. Let the, pr0climatoa 70 90 Europe
with The steamer that takes 'hc nev6 II tlo 10
lection OF the amendment rni ro'sbly It may save us
n On JuroIenn Intervention. Dut why incnE aHch n
fearful hazard when il can all DC avoided by immediate
favorable action on the question: These arc rcyou.
tonary timos, when delays are alwoys danseroun. II
postpone action until enoiher session tho returning
steamer may bring as tho fntol rcvs--f Il TOO l1n!
How often befo.e have these omnous words sounded in
the sigeoB Of Pa? "a, and how coon again may re I'M
IeIla mandate illuminate against 80 another co.,. asatf
CHANCE oy issue.
To defend md paTpctuaie the Institution Of Slavery
the alleged OF the rebeors leaders 81 the
South for thor attempt to overthrow tho Government
az lie origin II he war What 10 their present pro
pored action Already tho Precedent 0f the CUnedoracy
is atlest commander md I'll il leading statesmen,
advocating lhe abolition Of tho Institution Of Slavery.
" order to secure foreign recognition and to strengthen
tieir armies with the emanoipatel slaves III IL thus
seen the Rebels have charged their position sincs the
oIlein 81 the Rebellion. First insisting TINT their
action Indispensable IN order , protect slavery
and second. uTlinc thai Slavery be Immediately
abolished, II thereby they secure tho dgiei0n OF
these American States ard tire consequent ,ismeubor
ment Of the American Union. What are the facts
Here fuur millions ~ saycga class hitherto recog
nised undcF the Constitution persons In tho congres
songl representative end consequently In the ogisin
ton II the country. hut recognized ~ property. wlcn
in to hands and 1nder The tyranny ~ thor rsteTq
The Rebel leaders their willingness 20 give
them their freedom IN order 10 their aid in sepi
rating the Union Shall the Government of the United
tatcs aii 10 anvil Itself of IT'S privilege Of giving lem