, 1865-01-28
Chicago Qrit. IT.
THE AMENDMENT e.. LEE CON-
STlTUTIaH.
&pccch of Mr.. .scCoaccyI. of
Morgan, in t;:e ssc4.sate Of ElIi-
noi., -Bau. ::e:, 1865.


Wc pint the following extracts from tbs
manly and able speech Of h!r. Mcconnell, OF
Morgan, the old wheel-horse Of Democracy in
Genital Illinois, on the resolution ins:.gacting
our Senators and Representatives in Congress
to vote Tor the proposed amendment to the
United Statcs Constitution, abolishing slave
r. in the States and Territories, Ms. McCon.
neil said:
difcussiou.- The grcat importance Of the question
TO the people OF this State and to the people ofthe
nho'e Union. md from the position I occupy in
With tie past md present % Position or the Political
party with which, through iiEe thus fur have act
ed. al demands Of me tlia. should not bsstlent,
md eirc an unexplained vote on this great Nation
al question: Not that anything may here say
will ut all change the decision Of this honorable
Senate from what sntc1pate 1t will be. Yet
.g @ ny p91on ps%
are acans with Inc, and 10 give the reasons which
tmpel u 70 the cour6e We ieel 1t our imperative
I should + OF have deemed this course necessary
bnt for the fact that an attempt hiss becn male In
Congress End in this Stntc, to induce belief that
tins question ofamendins the Constitution Of the
tins nation. ia party question involving tue
tencts and pEtnclples OF the Democratic party and
that the heretofore acknowledged principles nf
oppose the amendment Of the Constitution, now
sought 10 be made; and also further attempt5 are
being made to induce the belief thst al! those who
hut u ho now favor this amendment have lett the
PRINCIPLES.
in tt.is connection respectfully ask Of all, and
Of each Of those Democrats who insist that it Is
anti Democratic to favor thts amendment, to show
when it was ever made one Of the teneta Of the
Democratic party that the Constitution Of the
United States should not te amended In any OF Its
Parts which, by the provisions Of that instrument
could be amended. Did any Democratic Conrcn-
down as part Of the Democratic creed? 1sitnot
IN inherent right, guaranteed By the Constitution
itsclf to all The people and to each man Of the na
Of the Democratic party ever did al any time
abrid3e and curtail the constitutional rights and
privileges Of It's members! That party has nlwaFs
Of the Constitution, bnt I never heard before that
this construction extended 20 far Is to strike cut
and annthilate one Of It's sacred provisions. IL
one about which no parties Or party creeds ha1e hH,
been formed. assume that no doubt exists I'd to
the power to do this thing, and then the only
is = to ha Poy Of onG i Asopt
Charged with inconsistency, or the abandonment
Of party ereeds Or parry aiiiliadons1 l contend
that ,his IL Democratic measure, Justified BY
tionize and reform the original principles Of The
Government ftRelf. md to correct abuses vixen
tinusnce Of Republican form Of Government Al
9ny Known principle IN our system, md be that
dots not sustain II fo5cets ons Of the great Demo
Without il, unforeseen md growing evils could
never be corrected.
This clause Of OFT Constitution preserves to our
people the sacred right of revolution. 3 right
Which never ean be surrendered by any people.
Tins mode of1evotudon wa* new discovery by
our fathers In the science OF EoFernmcnt- Cp to
the time oi the formation If onr Government, the
only mode OF revolution was by I'll appeal to the
sword. The sages who formed and framed our
they recognized the right fanny people to change
OF entirely destroy the forms aud principles Of
ths Govefnmsnt under which they iiSe, and jaaa.
Tor themselves and their postcrit5. Those eaEos
sought only to change the mode and mitigate The
evils of revolution. Before their day tho sword
bloooshetl and cruel WET the only means 10 bring
about great reforms. I reincmoer but o3a in
s:anc9 IN tao n;s.uty O. Ecto1s s2hcrt tA.a was
not the rcsortcd to to ef:ct great r1furtn.
aud that VIE the adoption oi the Maus Ch.rta III
Eugland- By The sword dynnsues we're Oyet-
THROWN, governments reformed and often anathi-
l.. sranec e ha:sr HOOD aowtd IRON :no csatsc 10
the hor1lc-s Of the nation, the inuotent sudated
With the guilty. and the country ~4s iInpoveflsh-
cd tcg ag.s alter.
This ,sas the moto adopted by our fathers iu the
erent struggle with Great Britain for their inde
pendcnce. end thcJ having just passed through
those bloudf sccnea we're anxious that thls nation
ant ,ht!e s.l:t might enjoy its blessings might
avo'd 50 great a calau.ity, and yet preserve the
sacred ris III OF revolution.
The exercise Of that right We now here propose,
party should oppose 1t. The question IL not now
for ua. ipr Congress to amend the Constitution;
but it is 10 call into action that great democratic
people. Ta{s principle cannot be resorted to IN.
less Congress takes the action now proposed and
inaugurates the measure. It is proposed that the
state determine upon the proposed amendment
and II fourths Of tue States shall dec1de IN
tasor Of such amendment, th n 1t ehall become
part Of the Constitution; bat II not then the Con-
etttns1on remains As ii III. Now let me in kind
that great t1mc-honored Democratic principle
IL psupIc 10 decide Ills question: We ars, ii
hecn actlng in and With The Democratic party that
test. il this not government Of the people In
which the majority rule according to the forms oil
the Constitution, and shall we no. permit the
people to ACT and themselves determine as to the
proprfcty Of the proposed amendment: Sunc of
Us u metnbcss OF this Senate, acting here IN our
judiciary characters, voting 70 han1 this question
poles to acf ~ c1tszen voters in ooz ini.ilual
capacity to vote for members Of the General AS
satuhy, pledged to vote for the amendment When
ourselves. But acting here as Senators, as mere
agents for the people, feel that It IL our duty to
1a=s this question oTeE to them for their decision
and not ptcHumptuoue1y deciGe It ourselves against
The aIaeLdmcnt proposed
The Speaker, after showing TINT the people
Of the United States have the right under tn.
Constitution to make the amendment pro
posed, and thereby abolish slavery, traced
the coursc of tho Southern slave holders be
fore the outbreak of the rebellion In consider
| alton Of the question how much the Northern
Democracy were indebted to them:
tits urged that the Democrats ought cot tt
support the pToposed amendment because It IL Al
attack upon the institutions Of the South and u2o1
The southern democracy. and II ts turning aEatus
our Southern friends, and such a course will en-
ttre1y ALLEVIATE the South and prevent the rcstoEa
+! tion ot the Union.
leaving nj. those queetions about alienat1ng th'
South and preventing the Restoration Of the tnlol
tempt at IN answer, 1appeai 10 Democrats to know
II tic Democratic party Of the Northern State
owe these Shareholders anything. HIVE they eve
y 70 III as eo
been political party 90 badly treated as tho Dem
| oc1atic PARTY Of the Northern States has been b
those Southern slaveholdeIss Ihsy began s1 70 n
distely after Gen. Jacksone last term as President
| by bringing out Hugh L. White OF Tennessee, t
run against Martin van B9Fsn the 5ssqlsr De%; n
I
| because Mr. Van Buren resided in free 9tatk
and would not swear that slavery was divine IL
sutution, This act qf the Southern shareholder
did the Democratic party in tic West more lazi
than any event that had happened before that dal
and its balefnl effects have been felt BY the part
| ever tince.
Look at the .noet active lcadrra Of the southeE
wing Of the Democratic party In the Charlotte
Convention In 1sGo They we're men that nevs
had belonged TO the Democ1aus party until aitt a1
| when they we're left in the South without par1
IA nest II nullthers and agltaiors--who vent in1
the Democratic party to ruin It. It MAS the ktn
Of men tha: came up to the Cincinnati ConEent1o
in 1e5C, and by corrupt combination with certa]
lIorihtrn leaders, beat douglas, and nominate
their tool, james Buchanan, who was sworn, an
pledged 10 do their bidding, which pledge b
inos1 faithfully fu6l1ed. IN lint conEenilon r.
insisted upon the principle Of non.intsryentlo
with slavery in the territories, and yet their car
didate, buchanan, vas secretly pledged 10 use u
his power to Gritty slavery into the .teEritorte
which power he did use to the great disgrace At
injury OF the Democratic party. lie and they /
augurared the Lceompton fraud in Kansas. Al
! .l,~H .x.fG .t.s