Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1865-01-26
RUTLAND HERALD.
THURSDAY, JANUARY 10, 1866,
THE AMEND
mENT To ABOLISH SLAVERY.


AOuNf O4 VII Aokh tHfAetoN " NAAN ~ ~NNNea
the Joint rosolutlG& submitting to the
Legislatures. of the several StateY a
proposition toabolish siave7e by amend
ment OF the Construction bbing uuder
consideration, Mr.. woGSbrdge Of this
District addressed the House as fol-
lows.
~ Mr.. Speaker, l can well understand
and fully appreciate the argument
which my Eiesd from Ohio INF, Pen
dletoN advanced on the floor OF this
House yesterday contending that there
was no power in Congress TO pass this
resolution Had thar power EXISTED, On
the estimation Of nay friend, have I'D
doubt, from what | know of him aSh
nom the tenor of his remarks, that he
would have given the resolution his
hearty support. | arc, confess, some
what surprised to-day that my OtheT
friend from Ohio MIR. Cox has taken
the opposite ground, and that while he
admits that there is the power in Con
gress to pass this resolution, he denies
That it is eSpediept to do so. | regret
10 find sir, that man who has always
lived on northern soil man who ought
10, and who perhaps does, love the
Union, the whole Union, and nothing
but the Union as do, should be unwil-
ling to have Congress pass resolution
which, If adopted by the requisite ma
iority, would blot out from the face Of
this Government the only relic of bar
Darism which impairs its fairness and
beauty.
I.t In
not deem it becoming or useful to de
scend to the acrimOny Of party spirit.
The power of Congress to pass this
resolution depends upon the COnstruC-
ton given to the Constitution itself
The Dolity of passing the resolution just
hotc, in the present condition of the
country, is one as to which gentlemen
may entertain differences Of opinion. l
shall devote myself first for few mo
ments, to discussion Of the question of
the power orCOngress to pass the rcsOlu-
ton.
Our Government when first establish
ed was an experiment. 1t was breaking
away from established forms and thee
ries, and launching out upon an untried
If not an unknown sea, with no chart Of
the reefs and shoals which might be en-
countered, and with nothing but the
light of reason to mark out its course.
1t is true that republics $50 Called) have
arisen, grown in Respondent efulgenCe
and power, and gone out in premature
decay.
Greece, under a free Government had
slot like brilliant meteor across the
sky, Illuminating the whole heavens,
astonishing the world with her power
and culture and disappeared. Rome,
ander similar system, had been the
mistress of the world, and in elOquence,
poetry, and all art excited the admira-
ton of the ages, and left only a name in
history. 1t was left for our fathers to
determine the question of the power OF
the people to govern themselves Driven
from the old hearthstone, and believing
that there could be a church without a
bishop, and a State without q king,
they sought to establish g form OF gov
eminent adapted to their condition and
in accordance with their principles. At
first they established little democracies
governed by the people, and having nc
power or adhesion independent Of the
popular will but as they increased in
population and area and independent
organization, it became necessary fol
the mutual safety to form themselves
into some sort of a general Government
and the Articles of Confederation wa
the result of their deliberations
At that day nothing so shocked tn,
Judgment and sensibilities Of our faith
ers as the Capitalization Of power il
Government. They seemed to hay
deemed that the cause Of all their fOrme
woes.
In I7TS we find th5t the thirteel
States entered into league Of friend
ship or federation with each other 70
their common defense, the security 0
their liberties, and their mutual ant
general welfare, binding themselves t.
assist each other against all force offere
to or attacks made upon them Or any c
them on account Of religion, sovereign
tv. trade. or any other pretcnse what
ever. In other words It was q treat
between the thirteen independent an
sovereign States for mutual pruttlhOn
Tn order to avail themselves Of ii
benefit or such treaty or league or triCuf
ship it became necessary, for the COZ
yenient management OF the general il
tarest, that bOdE should he constitute
called Il Congress of the United State
wherein each sovereign State should
represented and measures be adopted f
mutual benefit and protection. In tn
Confederation each State retained
freedom, sovereignty, and independenC
except so far as powers might be del
gated to the United States. In fact t
States we're sovereign, and might,
many supposed, az any time withdra
from the Confederation and annul t
league Of friendship or treaty Of al
anCe.
In snort time it became appare
that in the Articles of Confederate
there was no thorough bond Of uni(
Eeaere was nothing to cesenfthe peol
aud the Government and bind the p
pie to the Government Fence we fl
that in 1881 not the Sta0s but the p
ole Of the United States forIked2 c.
stitution, and act forth its purpose
follows: 0
I'VE the p8psoOf ae United States
order to form a more perfect union,
tablish justice, insure domestic tramp
y ity, provide for the common defa