Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1865-01-27
THE CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT.
SPEE ECH OF
Hon. JUSTIN S. MORRILL,,
OF VERMONT,
Delivered I'm she House of Representative
-f.ar jan. 9th, 1865.

Delivered In the House of Representatives
-.w Jun. 9th, 1868.
Mr.. Speaker: If the vote on this ques-
tion had been taken on Saturday, should
have said nothing, and to-day l intend on
4 ly TO occupy few minutes in what may
prove fruitless attempt to obtain some
thing more than mere party vote in be-
half of a measure which will mark an era
in our history, and should enlist the cordial
favor of every lover of the great principles
upon which our Government was founded
1t is no occasion for passion, but the times
call for direct and unequivocal action.
Every vote will explain itself, with no aid
from any other, and viii admit Of no CON-
lmentary.
There is reluctance upon the part of
a portion of this House to even propose,
for the subsequent action of the people,
this amendment 10 the Constitution Of the
United States, that to me is surprising.
There is not the smallest doubt of the
constitutional power or of the legal reeu-
larity of the proceedings contemplated.
Any objection must, therefore, apply to the
merits of the measure, and not the measure
itself; to the end and not to the means.
How can any man, educated in any Of the
schools of party to be found in our coun-
try, be opposed to the utter and complete
extinguishment of slavery? There is no
party whose creed is not fundamentally
thoroughly hostile to this most deservedly
hated institution. and none which could
not, consistently with al its theories of
good government, hail with joy its final
oblitrration. unless it be within the row
contracted limits of the so-called Confed-
crate States. Can it be that gentlemen
are unwilling even TO allow the people OF
all the States to pass upon this proposition
For that will be the whole extent of our
action, or merely TO give the people an
opportunity to show whether two-thirds OF
all the States will decide that there are
reasons of sufficient gravity TO induce them
to adopt the amendment. This question
will come up. 1t is only question Of
time. When it does come before the peo-
pie, will gentlemen then be prepared to
take the stump against it? IF not, the
harmony of the record had better now be
provided for.
har str fJa
North as well as the South, who were but
recently not afraid to tamper with the
Constitution, but were clamorous for an
opportunity by which further guarantee:
were TO be secured 10 slavery, and car
such party now logically refuse to con.
csde the same opportunity by Which fur.
ther guarantees to liberty shall be secured
and by which the question of slavery may
be forever put to rest? l ask that the
: people shall have the right to reach this
question once, and, as / hope, forever
Let US take the chances even with all the
votes of the former slave States included
> Do gentlemen of the free North intend tC
themselves have abandoned or are ready e
abandon it / do not believe that is the
attitude they desire TO assume here or OF
the page of that remarkable history we ar'
now making, wherein it should be the am
bition of all, if they cannot obtain honora
ble notice, at least 10 escape the scorn o
posterity by voluntary disappearance,
: from the public gaze.
!. But ii is said that this question of sla
$ very is one of the reserved rights of tn
STATES which we must not touch. 1t ma
> be proved traitor, pirate, and murderer
but is still too sacred to be touched by mi
itary or even civil authority! / conced
that there are many rights reserved TO th
States, yet if it were the conviction of two
thirds Of the States that any one of thes
d rights would be more safely or more wisel
:, exercised by the General Government
e who shall deny their power TO surrende
any such right TO the control of the Unite
States? Bot slavery is wrong; S
recognized by the whole civilized world
at and cannot claim immunity as a rfgh
'f There is now, practically, but one amend
ment to the Constitution which we are M
s at liberty to make, and that relates to
r wholly different subject, namely: " n
r, State, without lis consent, shall be deprive
OF of its equal suffrage in the Senate" An.
thing else than this is as much an ope
a question as it would be if we were now
h. work framing Constitution, for the fir
he time, for free people.
he In all the agitations which the questic
lis of slavery has, from time TO time, forc'
ye upon the country, the lustiest upholders
ID the domestic institutions ofthe South, viii
NJ denouncing what they styled unconstit
ye lional interference, have claimed for ther
~ selves the EXTREMIST doctrines of democr
cy, according TO the philosophy of Jeffe
son and. also, that if living in slave State
they would be abolirionists and if th
= could constiiutionally reach the questi