East Saginaw courier., 1866-08-16

such a government which We hre
bound by every principle of fidelity
and justice, and good faith to defend
and maintain.
Gentlemen, we are not now living un-
der such a government (Applause.)
Thirty-six States have for months
been governed by twenty-five States.
Eleven States have been wholly with
out representation in the Legislative
bodies of the nation. The numerical
proportion of the represented and un-
represented States has just been chang
ed by the admission of the delegation
from Tennessee. A unit taken from
the smaller has been put to the larger
number. But ten States are still de-
MED representation in Congress, to
which they are entitled under the
Constitution. The President not in
pursuance of any constitutional pow
er, had called on the confederate States
to accept conditions for their admis-
sion to the exercise Of their Legitimate
functions as members Of the Union.
The ratification of the amendment TO
the Constitution abolishing slavery,
az d the reputation of debts contrac-
ted to overthrow the Government,
were these conditions. They were met
and accepted. The eXaction OF new
conditions is unjust, and violation of
the faith of the Government, subver-
sive of the purposes of our political
system, and dangerous to the public
prosperity and peace. Each House of
Congress may be the judge of the
qualifications of its own members
reject individuals for just cause; but
the two bodies acting conformity can
not exclude an entire delegation with
out an unwarrantable assumption Of
power. (Applause.) Congress has not
only done this--it has gone farther.
1t has incorporated new conditions
with amendments TO the Constitution
and submitted them for the ratilica-
ton of the States. There is no pro-
bability that these amendments will
be ratified by three-fourths of the
States of the Union To insist on the
conditions they contain is TO prolong
indefinitely the exclusion of moro than
one-fourth of the States from their
right to be represented in the legisla-
tive bodies. They had right under
the Constitution, they had n right un-
der the resolutions passed in both
Houses of Congress in 1861. Those
resolutions were not concurrent bnt
they were substantially IDENTICAL
Moreover, they were entitled to be
represented on other grounds, OF fair
ness and good faith. 1t is this wrong
which we have come here TO protest
against, and, as far as in us lies, TO re-
dress (Applauso.) When the Presi-
dent of the United States declared
that armed resistance to the authority
of the Union was over, all the States
had a right to representation in Con-
gress. Is this the government our
fathers fought to establish cloud
cries of no) Is this the government
we have been fighting to preserve p
(No, no.) The President has done all
in his power to correct this wrong
(Apnlause.) He has done all in his
power to restore the rights Of the
States in the Legislature of the coun-
try, by giving to each section its full
status. Legislation without represen-
tation is an anomaly in our political
system. Undef any, other tfisfuTS. -
Gentlemen, l trust that in our de-
liberations here we shall confine our
selves to one main purpose, that of re-
dressing the wrong to which L have
referred. There is much in-the adj
ministration of the Government that
needs amendment. Some things need
to be done and others to be undone
There are commercial and financial
reforms which are indispensable to the
public welfare, but we shall not have
the power to carry out these until we
change the political complexion of
Congress. (Applause.) This should
be our first and immediate aim. 1t is
in the Congressional districts that the
vital contest is to take place. The con-
troll of one body will enable us to pre-
vent partial, unjust and pernicious le-
gislation.
The control of both Houses, with
tho power to introduce and carry out
salutary reform, to bring the govern
ment back, in the language of JefTer-
son, to the Republican track, will
come later. Applause BY wise,
judicious and harmonious action on
our part, and the part OF those wo
represent, that period need not be
long delayed. / believe that public
opinion is ripe and that it is only
necessary to present to the people
clearly the issue between us and the
other party, which controls the action
of Congress. And, gentlemen, is not
the object for which we are contending
consummation worthy Of our highest
and our most devoted efforts. To
bring back the republic purified and
strengthened by the fiery ordeal
through which it has passed to its an
cient prosperity and power, to present
to the world an example worthy of
imitation. No Utopian vision Of
good government, but this grand old
reality of the better times, bringing
up the memory of our fathers and the
recollections of the past, and with the
past and the future in inseparably in
terlined one country, one flag, one
Union of equal States. Long con-
tinued applause
Gen. Dix then announced that the
proc ceilings would be opened with
prayer, Rev. Mr.. Mcdonald made the
prayer, in which thanks were render
ed to God for the blessings which the
nation enjoyed, more particularly i'll
having been preserved in the late
troubles, and also for the assemblage
of this Convention To consult for tho