Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1866-08-31
Hear Senator Lane.

from which we make the following eX-
tract:--
l will tell you, my fellow-citizens, when
we passed the Constitutional Amendment,
we passed measure iranscendirg in i'm
portance all other political questions, and
it is the one upon which alone peace, last
ing and honorable peace, can be brought
TO our country. The first class in that
Constitutional Amendment is simply re-
affirment of the first clause in the Civil
Rights bill, declaring the citizenship OF all
men born in the United States, without
regard to race or color. Then there is
another provision, and most important
one, namely, basing representation upon
population, excluding such as are excluded
by The local law from the suffrage on ac-
count of race or color. should have
preferred Constitutional amendment
based upon the voting population alone
1t was simple proposition, easily under
stood it could not, however, be carried
through Congress; but the present propo-
sitlon is substantially just, and will accom-
plish the same purpose. If ever your
Copperhead orators attack US upon this
equal Representations, we will ask them 10
tell us if one Rebel vote in South Carroll
pa ought TO be equal to three loyal votes
in Indiana. But they will not thus fairly
state the question no, they will tell you
that the present is time of great excite
ment that the present is not the best
time to amend the Constitution, when IL
States are out of the Union. You should
not, they say, legisate and pass the Civil
Rights bill and the Freedmens Bureau
bill and the Constitutional Amendment
when II States are out of the Union
But why, in Gods name, are they not rep
resented? Whose fault is it? / saw
them leave the Senate with denunciations
and bitterness and cursing upon their
tongues. They went out voluntarily, and
they will come BACK when the loyal people,
represented by the loyal Congress, think
they can safely come, and they aciU not
come back sooner. [Cheers.l But why
should we not legislate upon these sub
jecis If we can legislate upon one sub
jeet we can upon another, and if we can
not constitutionally legislate upon Con-
stitutional amendment and upon Civil
Rights bill, then we cannot upon another !;
then your whole war debt may be repudi-
ated. You have lost 100000 of your gal
liant sons, brothers, or husbands, whose
graves now furrow the battle field; they
have died murderers, unless the Presi-
dents proclamation protects them. But
you cannot cast these eleven States out OF
the Unioni Andrew johnson was elected
when these eleven States had no voice in
the councils of the nation; but we thought
his election valid election. If you can
not leeislate when eleven States were out
Of the Union, then his election was not
valid, and Andrew johnson is not to-day
the President of The United States. And
it is into this absurdty that these men are
driven, without thought of their acciden-
tai Presidency. We have legislated for
FIVE years; we have suppressed the Re-
bellion; we have passed revenue laws we
have passed tariff laws, and laws TO pro-
tect the MANNED veteran Of the war, his
wife, and orphan children and are these
legislative acts to be invalid because elev-
en- States have CHOSEN not TO be represent
ed in Congress?
The Constitutional Amendment, then,
is now submitted to the people, in the on
ly constitutional mode in which that in
strument may be amended. Amendments
may be proposed by two-thirds vote in
Congress, and ratified by three fourths of
the States. That is wise provision, and
it is the only provision of the kind exist
ing in the Constitution of any human gov
eminent. In Europe, when they desire
an amendment of the Constitution, they
appeal to revolution and the arbitrament
oil arms; but that is the peaceful mode
pointed out for amending our Constitution.
And Rave we not reached crisis when
the Constitution should be amended p
When We have had so terrible a war. and
such important issues are dependent upon
it, ought not the Constitution to be adapt
ed TO the changed state Of affairs?
Under the old Constitution these slaves
were counted three out of every FIVE; by
emancipation they became citizens by
the very force of emancipation, without
any law, without any constitutional pro-
vision, they became citizens of the United
States. IT citizens, they are to be count
ed. Your rebel brethren in the South.
five or six millions of white people, would
not only vote to represent themselves. bat
they calm the right to represent four mil.
lIonsot negroes, when they will not give
them any right to participate in the Gov
eminent OF the country. The thing is so
ABSURD that it seems to me, it needs no ar
uuuaari.