The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1866-03-01

ded the Constitution, that we had abol
ished slavery iii that State, which was
not included 10 his emancipation proc.
lamation. All these things met his ap.
probation, and he gave me words OF
encouragement. Wetalked then about
the affairs generally, and upon the Sub!
ject of amendments to the Constitution
of the United States, He said wv hen
the amendment Of the Constitution now
proposed is adopted by three fIurths OF
the States, / am pretty near done or in.
deed quite done in favor of amending
the Constitution, if here was one other
adopted" l asked him, What is that,
Mr.. President 7" He said, 81 have
labored to preserve this Union. have
tried during the four years / have been
subjected to caIumny and misrepre.
sental;,n anil my great desire has
been to preserve these States, intact
under the Constitution as they were
before" l asked him again, Mr.. Presi-
dent, what amendment is that which
you would propose ?" "IVhy," said
he, sit Is that there should be an amend
ment added to the Constitution which
would compel the States to send their
Senators and Representatives to the
Congress Of the United States" Great
applause The idea was in his mind
that, as part of the doctrine of the
means to break up this Government was
that the States if they saw proper might
withdraw their senators and Represen-
taiives, or refuse to elect them, he want
ed even to remove that difficulty by a
constitutional amendment compelling
the States to send Senators and Repre-
sentatives to Congress. But what do
we now tin1? The Constitution of the
country, even that portion of it which
allows amendments to the organic law,
expressly provides that no State with
out its consent shall be deprived of it's
equal Suffrage in the Senate, and it also
provides that each State shaN have at
least one representative in the House of
Representatives 4; but yet the position is
taken that certain States have not been
represented. We impose taxes upon
them, We send our tax-gatherers into
every region AMI portion of the States.
Their people are fit subjects of govern
ment for the collection of faxes but
when they ask to participate. in the
legislation of the country they are met
at the door and told, mo, you must pay
taxes, you must bear the burdens of
government, bnt you canno participate
ss + s. legislation which is to affect you
through all time to come" Is this
justice? Is it fair? mo, no. l. re
peat, | am for the Union. l am for
preserving all the States. am for
admitting into the cnsnsils Of the nation
ali their repre- sentatives who are unmis-
takably and unqucstionabFy loyal. A
man who acknowledges allegiance to
the Govern aaeut, and who swears to
support rAe Constitution, must neccS
sarily Ire L,yal. a man can. OF take
that in good talsh unless he is loyal. A
mere infection of the oath bCs makes
no difference, as the lyle, whatever
test is thought proper evidcrce and as
proof of loyalty, is a mere matter of
detail about which care nothing. bat
let man be Enthusiastically and uuques-
,ionahly loyal, let HIM acknowledge
allegiance to the Constitution OF the
United States, and be wiling to support
the Government 10 its hour of peril and
its hour Of need, and am wiling to
trust him. Applause,
l know that some do not attach as much
Importance to the point as do, but re-
gard it as fundamental. One principle
that carried us through the revolution was
that shere should be no taxation without
representation. / hold that principle
which was laid down as fundamental by
our fathers; if it was good then; if it was
worth standing by then it is worth stand
ing by now. II is fundamental and should
be observed us long as free government
lasts. am aware that i'm the midst of re-
Eeilion, it was said by some that the Con-
stitution had been rolled up a. u pieee O
parchment and laid away; that in time OF
war and rebellion there was mo COnstitu-
ton. We know that sometimes in great
necessities, under great emergencies, I'M
constitutional things must sometimes nee
essarily be done i'm order to preserve the
Constitution itself; but if, while the rebell-
ion was going OH the Constitution was roll
ed up and laid away; fit was violated in
some particulars, in order to save theGO
eminent YOU really saved the Constitution;
now that peace has come, now that the WA
is over, We want again the benefit of II
written Constitution. and say the time
has come to take the Constitution down, 10
unroll, to seread, 10 understand its provis-
ions thoroughly and now, III order to save
the Government we must preserve the
Constitution. Our Only safety is i'm strict
adherance and preservation Of the Consti-
tuition of our fathers. 1t is now unfolded;
it must now be read, is must be digested
and understood by the .Ainerican people.
/ am here to-day, then, in making these
remarks to vindicate the Constitution, and
to save it, as believe. 1t does seem as if
encrOachment after encroachment is pro-
posed upon it. AS far as l can, haveever
resisted entertainments upon the Constitu-
ton, and i stand prepared to resist them
to-day, and thereby to preserve the Con-
stitution and government Of the United
States. [Great appiause.] 1t is now IL
time Of peace, and let us have peace; let us
enforce the Constitution, let us live under
and according to it's provision, let it be
published and printed in hrazen charac-
tiers as though it We're i'm the heavens and
punctuated by the stars, so that all can
read and all can understand. Lot us con-
suit that instrument and be guided Ivy its
provisions ;let us understand them. tell
opposers of this government, l care not
from, What ms, RI thay come East West