Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1865-01-24
SPEECH OF HON. F. E. WOODBRIDGE,
On NE proposed .,meadm,ai 10 The Constitutions
Ab0hShing SilgrV

MIR. Speaker, | can well understand and fully
appreciate the argume Mt which nay friend from
ONO Mr.. Pendetou advanced on the floor Of
thus House yesterday, contendlng that there was
no power IN Congress to pass this resolution
Had that power existed, In the estimation OF my
friend, nave no doubt, from what know Of
him and from the tenor Of bis remarks. that he
would have given the resolution bis hearty sup
port. am, | confess, somewhat surprised to-
day that my other friend from Ohio Mr. Cox
has taken the opposite ground, and tnat while
he admits that there Is the power in Congress
to pass this res olution, he denies that 1t is eI-
pedsnt to doso. ! regret to find, sir, that
nan who has always lived on northern soil,
man who oughs to, and who perhaps does, love
the | Mon, the whole Union, and nothing but
the Union, as do should be unwilling to have
Congress pass resolution which, If adopted by
the requisite majority, would blot out from the
face OF this Government sho only relic of bar
barlsm which impars ia fairness and beauty.
SIR, in discussing the question, do not deem
Il, becoming or useful 20 descend to the acriirO-
ny OF party spirit, The power OF Congress to
pass tins resolution depends upon the cOnstruc.
tlen given to the Constitution itself The pol
icy oil passing the resolution lust n0w, in the
present condition OF the country, is one as to
which gentlemen may entertain differences OF
opinion. shall devote myself first, for lew
moments, to discussion oil the question of the
power oil Congress to pass the resolution.
Our Government when first established WAS
an experiment. It was breaking away from es
taslshed forms and theories, and launching out
upon an untrled it not an unknown sea, With
..b. 81 a.
be encountered, aud with uo;hicS but the light
OF reason 20 mark cut its course. lt is true
TINT republics 80 csllci) bad arisen, grown in
r''plendent ,tuigence aod power, and gone out
in premature decay.
Greece, under FREQ Government. had shot
Ikea brilliant meteor acgoss the sky, ilumlna-
ting the whol3 heavens, astonishing the world
With her poWer ard culture, aud disappeared.
Rome, under q similar G,stem, had been the
mistress o., the world, and IN eloQuence. poetry,
and all art excited the admiration Of the ages,
and left ouly q name IN history. twas left lor
cur fathers O. doterhin1 tho question OF the
power ot tbs people to govern themselves.
DlYeu from The old hsartnsOne, and believing
that there could be "a Church Withou, bi,hop'
and state wthou. king they sought 90 ss-
,eblish q iorm OF Government sdaptod to the ir
condition and ia accordance With their prlnci.
ples Az drst ;hey established hllle democra.
clos governed by the people, and having M
power or adhesion Independent OF the popular
viii but as they increased IN population and
area ana Independent organisms, i, became nee
essary Tor the mutual safety 10 firm thomselvss
into some sort oil q general Government and
the Articles OF Confederation was the result Of
their deliberations.
At that day nothing 80 shocked the Judgment
and sensIbi'lues oI ogr fathers az the central
nation Of powagln Government. They sssmed
to have deemed that the cause Of all their Tor.
mer woes.
In l71S We End that the thirteen Siaie, en-
tered into a league Of friendship or federation
with each other for their common defense, tho
security OF their liberties, and their mutual aud
general welfare, binding themselves to assist
each other against all force offered to or attackn
made upon them or any of them on account of
religion, sovereignty, trade, or any other pre-
tense Whatever. In other words, 1t was treaty
between the thirteen independent and sovereign
States for mutual protection
In order TO avail themselves OF tho benefit OF
such tr'tiy 'r l'igHs % h1rt-hip, . became