, 1866-02-12
EQUAL RIGHTS.
Senator Summers Speech On the con'
stitutional Amendment.


nef's speech On the Constitutional Amdnd
ment. The entire speech fills nearly tire
pages Of the Globe:
TIE CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT,
The morning hour having expired, the Joint fcso
luftun 10 amend the Constitution in relation foen
resentat1ou, Tas taken up.
M SUMNER, rsnmIng the floor On thI5 subject
oechh win The consideration OF The American lde1
OF Eepublican government, and passed IN reved ths
public acts Of the States At 1he adoption Of thn ma
tlonai consultation, showing TINT they had refused
TO recognize any exclusion IRON The elective trnu.
chiee on aeconnt o! color or race. The Coutiu{nfa
word white" IN The Articles Of Confederation! lie
showed that with the exception Of SCUM Carollta ia
be, concluding ii. remarks o. thai head, Wers lie
o. the adoption OF the national Constitution illus.
tIatlnE with fare harmony The American ldea of a
RRnes eoef se.e sSay s1fGn
national Constitution, which carefully e1ceptE per.
sons not taxed from the basis Of representation,
psss a. open homage to the principle that thcre can
&c no fa1ati1n without representation. AIdfnIso
the cToHning fact that the national Con:tituto1 rec
oenizss no distinction Of coior--thst il Eests ali
Mlta the sane an Impartial jusi1ee-and who are ron,
sa VINO VIII dtre to thrust INTO hls charter an oil.
eaiehieal principle which can hnd sanction IN il
1epp6lisan ls se, te3t; NJ Sumner ne1 proct:ded
tien 81 republican government. it s in ai' sa'n,
said be, That you cite philosophers Or pubIicIs!s OF
The examples Of former history against these. /
n Sst Of ;h
opinions of The ls.hers md the publc acts Of tho
fathe1s all With one yo!cc proealming, nr.t, that
Al men are equal IN rights, and secondly, that
Of The governed. and here IL the American !dca
of republic which must be adopted In The H.
tcrpre.ation Of the national Constitution. You
cannot reject #. As well rrtect the decalocuc In
determining 1no:al duties; Of IA we'll 1c]eci the
mnrtpl1sadon tab!e tn determining question Of
arithmetic. Referring 10 The only objection that
poa reeceult1on Of slavery at the Adoption df The
Constitution. be reminded the Senate, hrst, that
our saihers dld not recognize slasefy as ptrma.
sional and ,ransitory while they concealed It fsom
view BY words which might mean something fel+e.
eN9adTlhat1he slave was always regarded legal
ter, accond,ue 10 The Nomenclature of blackstopes
CSMmeHfdr1es, Which were much quoted at the time
N5 Nhsa ma masteE md sevant wcre grouped With hus
Of wiic and child. the .ase WI represented b. ss
sceonnteo IN h}s eatc the cardinal principle of the
together, was not IN any respect violated and
e1ess and by n!l the sae Constitutions except hat
casdea IN determining the elective t1anchtse. and
thai one Of the authorized expounders ot the NJ.
tionni Constitution at the time. Alexander HamIl.
the ye15 question now before Us. II The law were
to restore the rteh,s which have been takcn away.
Tue neeroes conld NO longer be refused m equal
Such xas the understanding, and such Tas the
proDtee At the adoption Of the Constitution; such
vas lhe declared meaning Of our fsshe1s aeeord-
Hamilton therefore, while confeaslng so1roNlully
iheir tneont1stenc!es in rccoRnsztng skve4y and
throwing over their shame The mantle which the
son OF Noah threw oyer his father. re must reject
every argument inference on This account sgaitlst
the true idea Of republic, which Is Other than
where al citizens hare an equal voice IN the Gov
gave to mankind new idea of political arestpess'
70 did the ialhe1e Of thesr great example e1ye to
mankind new idea Of eovesnmeut. DO you ask
dictionary Of James Otis, Samuel Adams. Palsjck
Henry. and Benjamin Franklin. 1t Il IN the Ie11coo
Of the kevoiut1on; Il In The Sources Of our Ma
1h,s new idea vas The great discovery 81 our ish-
ers. Rob them Of this snd you tate nom them
ihefr hiRlest title 10 gratitude Columbus, yeutue-
space, but our tathe.s ventnring likewise, discos-
cred new world Of public duty. It Is not for ia.
their children, 10 forget their discovery
PROPORTION OF CITIZENS D1sHRAScHIsED n TUE
REBEL srArEs.
After alludiug to recent French definition of A re-
public be proceeded to consioer thc acipai chssete
Of The rebel states. Examining the ceusus tables
he showed thst there were 3,6oo 6 colored pcsrons
now ss.9s unes tue hou.
thrust out already contribute largely to the public
revenue. 1aoW then can Jou aeny Them reprssen-
!ations IhefE money is not retected- why reject
can defect no color II their money: fon ought to
detect no color III their votes II looking al these
sta,es s,u toeeshes. the duH Of Congress seems
1ooK II tnsm tepafatel7; @ begtn VIII Tennessee,
linz distinc,iyc ndncnie al rcnnbliren coTrT-
lnent. HoW can ibis state be recognized as repuh-
I'M Tcnnesste ~ Ike rsst ns9enssxs ~ ~ f.,
Ihere Is Yr1m,a WITCH ai.ranehise. x H,a III ia III
oa pSeie aba eb shfd e. 1s wnSs -,
c,Iizens. being ncariY fiji Of ia whn1s nnnn1s
lion. There il N,saissinpI. Which stts.
ltaachiseB 4S7,4l0 citizens, being much
ton. And there il South ca.olita. With d'sfsaa.
ehlsc. II IDS atizens, oen2 @ neassy twoihlrd. @ Of
sanding % lie bsosa mag Of tbe peop}e psa1 ~
baee: bat ht.e 1s pyramld hsianced m r. nntnt
1o caIi such rovetnment t.renub;,can" /. mneE
err of een-e and deccnry. mnnsrrhv sG,rnnnJ.i
~ rrnnh11r.n fnstit,fS1ns ,rnnid i,s T.. nsn;
* cos1rrt nrirr1n1cs nj f-ira r1nrc aaenII Is
Snmsn nrb,. it ao noF dtfiouit @ secqly " 70
arcfcs. IN arisiocaev' nccnr1ino ~ IL
81 Ike t.t An o0arehsi, H. sove,,su, f H.
fa.r ma il pot errT m ar3.foc-scSS - hnt ~ n ~
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ps;ho,,. 49, @ 81 ~ .,s.4 = az
way, nd 5et he 1e11n a.stoess,, e.pec.,, % IL t.
aunuaea ~ ~ W Maose 5iaete DISTINCTIVE
,e ~ III f o' ene skms Aefe ". sumner
AH.isr,, W. -, seteneG @ o. NJ
~ -. 1h.t ~ disttrani3h., .hs,., 9nt oesr
ar @ srI.tnc~.~v ~ & e, a.tn.It M o.
Which ~ 10, e1mmup3s.ted IN % 81 FL h,sSfSSs nS
~neI ~ .,,1sn, sGs sSn,rix h1 Snsth,, ae H.: ha
th.r shs1.s,vss ~ - ot;,, IS5... ~ NM. Iuey
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III. ,.ran No fasies .'I ~ ~ mn.1
,ntfon or yesrs IL tnnsst,,,ian b.o me- H.
< h.rmnnr Cir H. y must
frda,ss,1ne-e -, ,hst h,;yn"n s, r. t. ..
nrevail Tbe nrot.s, al ihe f,hsr. na, h =.
xedin, Al, n,her TIae Thts /. nna X ~. ass
vjco1ies a. oi he Uar-perhaps ;be % e,ea,esa "a ~ T.