Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1866-11-21

lesgue has spoken with so much ability, is to
regulate the apportionment of Representatives
according to the actual numbers OF enfranchs.
ed men. Emancipation is not to increase the
political power of the ious States where
political privileges are denied. Those counted
as men in the apportionment cannot be count
ed as cattle at the ballot-box. The voters of
the South will have just as much power as any
equal number in the North. Oagbt they to
have any more ? Vermont, with population
of $4,000 has three representatives-one h1v-
ing been granted on large fraction. South
Carolina under the same apportionment had
six, but she only had a white populstion OF
29l 900, with al addition of 400 900 negroes.
Is this what they call g a white mans govern
nent ?" Why should state with less voters
by the thousands and with %. 900 less of white
in bitants have twice or thrice the polltica
power of Vermont, in Congress or In the cleo
ton of President | believe boy in
blue is fully the equal of rebel in butternut,
let those who don t, try it again if they dare
and with my vote he shall not be less, with
my consent shall any Vermonter be counted as
equal only to half man in Louisiana or Miss
ssppL Let us give the masses of Southern
men all the rights Of iremeen, but not in sddi-
ton all the rights of the cooreG race. When
the door of impartial suffrage is opened they
can have more power and We will take the risk
without further guarantees.
Another amendment | forget their
precise order-excludes from certain offices,
until two-thirds of Congress decides otherwise,
persons who. having held office and sworn to
support the Government of he United States,
have falsfed their oaths and held important
posts, civil or military, under the Rebel Gov
ernmeDt. The bare statement of this propo-
.iton carries its own sufficient argument. For
very shame these guilty men ought not to a.k
to come back. If they have shame let Us
make them put ou its counterfeit-the midest
punishment ever awarded 10 the leaders of
unsuccessful and vanquished rebellion. Alter
the Revolution of l776, every state among the
old thirteen banished tire tories from the land
| South Carolina excepted, and in that state
| they wholly excluded from office for five
years. | tear, however, they have been, 10 the
exclusion of every body else, IN office ever
since Compared with such action-.he action
of all victorious nations-we are the most mag
naDlmous and the most moderate of any rec
ord
| The other, and last amendment, relates to
| The vad Y of national debt and also pro-
vldes against the assumption of the rebel debt
or The payment for the loss or the emancpa-
ton of any slave. We may be sure until hu-
man nature changes, that question will not be
allowed to sleep. Without the amendment It
will be in the power of ary accidental maj ority
|
single day and repudia,e it in the next. \
corruption commission on two billions ana a
| half should no, be left in the hands OF even
| honest men-far less should such a lever re-
main in the hands OF selfish and desperate
men. Let put the subject ct rest forever
| Without adopting these smendmenls-and
what fair minded man will say, they uu-
/ reasonable ?-no rebsllious states will oe per-
mitted to share 10 the government Ot tha- na-
ion they pisiuly, even now, show their isa
to destroy, and with the adoption even then,
| Congress will exercise wise discretion. Even
| loyal representatives. mus. be backed by loyal
constituencies.
But, gentlemen, perceive that | may have
already tresspassed beyond my allotted tune,
and shall detain you out moment or Two
Hangar Er-rv one understands that all rea-
| sonab.e guarantees for our future security could
easily be obtained if the Presiden, had only
been persuaded to cooperate. and then We
should have had repose only disturbed by the
stir Of universal prosperity. II ls sometimes
asked, why cannot We have that repose much
needed by the whole county, and so longed for
by all men /? We do not understand that Ju-
| das managing well the business affairs Of the
! disciples be did-was acquainted with the
! High Priests until he came TO transact business
with them. Deserving Of much credit IN the
conduct of our foreign relations in the main
yet the Secretary of State, the eoiner of the
:. ir.epressible conflict has been transactng
business with the High Priests of the Albany
Regency. Oar repose has been handed over
to be crucihed.
Tne questions tina, are now before not
! mere bubbles that rise upon the surface and
then pass aysy TO be seen no more forever.
{ They are far lofter-far more enduring-aad
D upon our decision the course of the country
takes a new departure, either downward with
hot civ has 40
South, or upward with that founded on Ply
a mouth Rock, and which marches in the van
! guard of liberty and human progress 1t l.
either the supremacy of the system OF master
= and serf, or the supremacy of the gospel o.
free institutions. Shall the worn out schoo
of fox-hunters in Virginia, or the representa-
tives of free schools, educate and rule tn,
country For four years the world has sad }
: seen the Republic, as a fixed star on fire, ii
the agonies OF civil war, and shall it becom.
q the smoulderipg and backened relics of slav
ery or shall it shine, flaming with justice ant
universal liberty in greater splendor for havini
e been tried as by fire |? Whatever the task o
, craftsmanship, whatever length of time it ma.
= require, the last root of slavery must be ex
/ tirpated. Let US 50 rebuild the constitution
Is that there shall not be a niche in the whol
e structure where slavery can ''contrive to re
build its nest" Then there will bs no anita Z
,, onisms to prevent the assimilation of p=o
: pie There will be- politics nor counter
$ politics for the agrandizsment of one portion G
: The Union at the expense of any other portion
r Then the nober civilization, the rich harves
:, of the great American principle of the eterna
q rights OF man promulgated ninety years ag
e by our fathers, will spread and guide the ~
= ture and grander destines of the Republic
Sueech Of Hon. Geo. +. EdInuuds
O deI;r<red hefare The General .4SSeublu. OcI