, 1866-07-06
The ConstIiu,lonnl Amendmnni.


Senator Hendricks, Of Indiana, thus closes an
able speech in opposition to the Constitutional
amendments which have passed both Houses of
Congress, and are now before the people of the
States for adoption
Mr.. President, have now briefly examined
the provisions of this article aud cannot resist
the conviction that some Of them are useless,
while others are vicious aud dangerous Nor
can resist the conviction that this measure is
| pressed, not because of an e1igencv in our af
iairs, but to carry out party programme The
President has his policy. You oppose him. You
charge him with usurpaton, while at the same
! time you are straining every brace and timber
/ IN the Constitution to secure to yourselves abso.
lutte control; indeed, yOG-Fsach out beyond the
| Constitution, and by amendment-a proceeding
to be resoried to only upon rare and solemn oc-
casions-you grasp after, and with the avdity of
hunger, clutch power. Why this reaching after
| power on your part? Is it not enough that for
live years you have held all the Offices of the
country, and through the fivoritism Of the De-
! partmcnis your partisIns and followers have
grown rich and pOwcrlGl2 or is it SO sweet to
govern men that the possession OF power is in
GispensaOle to your happiness? Upon what fact
may you charge the President with usurpation
When he came Into Office he found eleven great
states and eight million people under his abso-
lutte sway aad government. His authority was
as absolute and supreme as is that Of the Gar
Of Russia over his extended do1iuions The
persons and property Of the people were under
ms control. In his hands there seemed TO be
the issues Of life and death Did he like Won
clutch this power an! seek 0 extend il? DID he
say II Is sweet to govern No, Senators; LAYING
down absolute power, be said to the people,
Pace your States again in practical relations
~i'h TIE United States, and govern yourselves;
VIII be the President, exercising only those
powers with which the Constitution has clothed
me- ] submit to the candid Judgment of men
II this was not an exhibition Of sublime and he
rolc devotion to principle aud renuncation of
power? And when you handed him the Freed
mems Bureau bill. and authorized him to ap-
point an army Of oace-hollcrs t. ill the whole
country with his partisans, when you offered to
give him a patronage such as no man had ever
before held, he refused it all; but in accordaHce
with his convictions Of duty vetoed the bill.
Twice he refused the crown of power, not like
Caesar, pushing it gently from him with the back
OF his hand, but firmly and in the face Of most
formidable opposition. The position Of the
president and those who support his Admins
ration upon the great question now agitdting
the country is so well and accurately expressed
by an eloquent friend, that | will borrow his
words:
a. That no State has the legal right to sever
its connection with the Federal Government.
,. Failing in such an attempt they remain in
their encicnt places, fixed, immovable, and
shOrn Of none Of their attributes as States.
3. The right to immediate representation in
Congress as living, lawful, and legitimate mem
hers of tie Government.
4. That the American Union is restored, and
stands unbroken without flaw or bemish, and
with domestic tranquility in all her borders in
the presence cc Tie narioas ofihc earth"
Mr.. Prcai..a'. ur'n t'is f.c.t question Of
l =FFrH.. o.