The Ebensburg Alleghanian. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1865-1871, 1865-11-30
Hon. Schuyler COllax on Re
construction.

Hon. Schuyler Colfax, Speaker of the
National House of Representatives, was
serenaded in Washington city on the
evening Of the 18th instant, and in reply
to the compliment, made brief speech,
which may be fairly accepted as en5ody-
ing the collective judgment Of large
majority of the new Congress on the sub
jecs Of Reconstruction. The following is
an extract - -5
"The Constitution, which seems fra
med for every emergency, gives to each
House the exclusive right to judge of the
qualifications, election and returns OF its
members, aud | apprehend they will ex-
| erciee that right. Congress having passed
| no law on the subject Of reconstruction,
| President johnson prescribed certain ac-
! tion for the States which he deemed in
olspensabie 20 their restoration to their
former relations to the government, which
| think eminently wise and patriotic:
"First. That their conventions should
declare the various ordinances of secession
null and void, not, as some have dune,
merely repeating them, but absolutely
without any force or effect.
"Second. That their Legislatures should
ratiiy the constitutional amendment abol-
ishing slavery, that this cause OF dissen-
sion and rebellion might be utterly extir-
pated.
''Third. That they shall formally repu-
date the State debt, though by its terms
it will be loEg while before 1t falls due,
as it was TO be payable after the recogn;-
ton of the contederacy by the United
States. This reminds me of an old friend
in Indiana, who said he ed to give his
note payable ten days after convenience
(Laugh.er and cheers.)
"But there are other terms Oh which
think there is no division atuong the loyal
men Of the Union. First, that the Dec-
iaI Iatiun of Independence must be recpg-
nized as the law OF the land, aud every
mar, alien and native, white and black,
protected in 'the inalienaole aud God
given rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit
Of happiness Mr.. Lincoln, in the Enan-
cipatlon Proclamation, which is the proud
est wreath in his chaplet of fame, not only
gave freedom to the slave, but declared
that the government would mautaiu that
freedom. We cannot abandon the M and
leave them 9efenseless, at the mercy OF
their former owners. They must be pro-
tected in their rights OF person. and prop
eriy, and these freemen must have the
righ: to sue in courts Of justice for al just
claims, and to testify, also, SO as to have
security against Outrage and wrong. L
call them freenaen, not freedmen. The
last phrase might have answered before
their freedom was fully secured, but they
should be regarded now as treemen Of the
republic.
Second, the amendment of their State
constitutions, which have been adopted by
many of their conventions so reluctantly
under the pressure of dispatches from the
President and the Secretary of State,
should be ratified by majority of their
people. We all know that very small
portion of their voters participated in the
election of delegates to these conventions,
and nearly if not all the conventions have
declared them in torce witEout any ratif-
cation by the people. When the crisis
has passed, can they not turn around and
say that these were adopted under duress
by delegates elected by meagre vote
under provisional governors aud military
authorities, and never ratified by popu-
lar vote? And could they not turn over
the antl-Lecompton argument against US,
and Insist, as We Gid, that constitution
not ratified by the people may have legal
effect, but no moral effect whatever