The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1866-11-16

" "lilic man l. DOunu 10 reSpect-eStaD-
fishes the fact. in some manner. we should
have Il uniform and well defined rule of
citizenship. But there is a great deal
more than this in reference TO this amend
ment.
! The civil rights bill, vetoed by Presi-
dent Johnson. and passed over his veto by
two-thlrdS vote, embodies the same
/ principles as are embraced in this article
OF the amendment, and have heard it
asked: .'What is the necessity. while we
have the civil rights bill, of adopting such
an amendment aS this! You assume
'ii"t c"'lgrcSS already possesses the power
10 pass INV like this, now what do you
want to emb~ly this same law in conSti-
ln'lonai amenh,nent, for!'' All but
don't You know that President Johnson,
when he vetoed that bill--the civil rights
blli-went into a very long and ingenious
argument TO prove that the bill was IN
constitutional? And has not the Chief
Justice OF Mississippi decided that it is un-
constitutional and void! Have we not :.
Supreme Court Ana is there not some
little danger that if this were ONLY Il law
1t would come before them some of these
days We have now on the Supreme
/ Bench, nine judges, which by law are TO
he reduced permanently to seven by any
future vacancies. -Four of these concurrcd
in that terrible Dred Scott decision. We
have trusted somewhat to Providence that
thoSr four would he taken away first
but God III hls m>crutablc providence may
otherwise decree. When we remember
that these four men hold the high positions
which they do we should cmdcavor to
place such laws IL these above all courts.
Supreme or otherwise. and embodv them
IN the charter of our land-the comStitu-
tion Itself. Ii l. sud that the veto of
President Johnson upon the civil rights
bill wa> written by hi~ present legal nd
wiser. hI- new attorney general. | doubt
very much. myself, If the President ever
wrote that document himself. There l.
Il treat deal of Importance attached 10
this matter gentleman, We claim To
have the power i'll c"ngrc>~ To pass such Il
bill ~ this civil rights bill. but. suppose
congrrS- passes such bill and it is pro-
nounccd unconstitutional hv the Supreme
CnHrt-it cannot well he claimed thu; we
have the right 10 protect Il southern. loval.
white man even. under any clause in the
present constitution, Suppose the men
of the south are elected To office. and have
their judges AMI other offices filled bv such
men u they choose To rlcct-whcrc would
h. the protection OF the loval mcn-whitc
men II You chuoSc-ot the south | rc-
collect. not long since. Of talking with 4
-u:.rm.n from Nirgiuia He lived IN
tire n..-aborl.od of Culp"m.,r Court
iIou-, and had been employed upon VAR
,1~ public works in Virginia and knew
the Iaui perfectly. H. went with Nhrri-
dan upon hi r;tid through the valley ana
aided our troop, in various WAYS during
the war, and he said 10 me: Let Vir-
@imla b permitted To place such men in
office aS She should choose To elect. and
himself. and every MIN like himself
throughout Virginia in one week would he
hanging on Il tree And precisely 50
with the Freedmen. Unless we adopt this
amendment. the men who aided uS in the
south and are true To our cause there. now
will cease to live They cannot exist um-
less We give them protection, for the south.
ii lett to themselves III the matter of elrc-
tion~ will not place such men in office Is
will protect them. In every election for
stale or county officers has any one of my
hearers ever read of Il Union man being
elected Has a single instance come To
he knowledge of any one OF Won where 4
man who has remained Il IiUnH man
throughout the war; ,lo not mean such
men n9 Alex. II. Stevens, VINO protc->tl
Union >enti"ert>. but who went with the
traitors notwith,tanding-I mean real
Union man. has ever been placed in
Office? Iy you have heard of ~ucl. an i'll
stance YOU have heard something that
have not heard, yet. Very little has
been said about this phase of this amend
mrm in the discussions in the newspapers.
but. If we would save the Union men in
> the south, white or black. it bchooveS u~
l to sec that this amendment becomes part
of the constitution ot the United States.
and a> to It's Justice and universal propric-
. " take it no one will undertake. 10 con-
, traclict it.
/ Next comes. gentlemen. the amend
mrmt in reference to representation. Ii
. reads:
Representatives shall I've apportionc(
2 among the several states according to then
: respective numbers. counting the Who'll,
/ number of persons in each state, excluding
, Indian, not taxed. But when the rinht
. to vote at any election for the choice OF
electors for president and vice president o
1 the United States. representatives i'll con
t grc>>. the executive or Judicial officers o
state. or the members OF the legi>latur,
? thereof. Is denied To any OF the male In
: LlhitantS of such state being twcnty-on,
/ wears of ace and citizens OF the Unitcl
=. States. or in any way abrihgcd exccp
V for participation i'll rebellion or othe
: crime. the basis of representation therein
: shall be reduced in the proportion whicI
+ the number of such male citizens shal
= bear TO the whole number of male citizen
n twentv-one wears OF age in such state
e We ~ay in this amendment to the peo
pie of the south-if you will let the negr,
: vote vou may be represented for the who'll
e of them. Just a we represent our people
4 If ,-,,, -,,- tha npGro shall nat yota an