Brownlow's Knoxville Whig. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1866-1869, 1866-08-01
Speaker Colfax Oh the Amendment.

Mr.. Colfax, in S letter to his constituents. dated
July ID, says:
| When the rebel armies surrendered the Rres.
dent decided and rightly that civil government mad
been destroyed in each Of the rebel States and he
officially proclaimed that fact in his commissions tC
| Provisional Governors thereof. The Congressional
policy starts from the same initial point. The Pres
ident declared that essential conditions, involving
great changes must be complied with by those States
| before they could resume their forfeited rights
| And 50 does Congress. The President required the
ratification Of an important constitutional amend
ment, which had been submitted by Congress rep
resenting the loyal States and in which the rebel
| States had no voice. And Congress makes SINH
lar demand to-day. If the President could rightly
require their ratification of one amendment chang
| ing their whole system Of labor, and destroying
what they regarded as vested rights Of property,
| proposed by Congress in which they were unrep-
resented, and in conflict, it was, with their life
long prejudices why cannot the Congress elected as
| the law-making power Of the country by the same
voters himself require the ratification Of another
amendment, preventing the rebel States from WELD
ing increased power in Congress hereafter, because
of the war, which against their desires, had lifted
| their slaves into the full stature Of freemen?
That this amendment Is in accordance with the
wishes of the loyal millions who the brilliant
political victory Of 1864 is proven by the unanimty
| with which it was supported by the House Of Rep
resentativeg. Every man, elected as a Mon mem
Der, whether from the North The South, from the
East or the West gave it his vote; not barely the
twothirds required by the Constitution but nearly
four-hfths. On this amendment, as q security for
| the future, the Union party Of the nation have
planted themselves; and l shall stand with them
most cordially vindcating its Justice wisdom and
and necessity, and willing on it to stand fall.
For one do not doubt the result. Shall rebels
settle their own terms of coming back 10 govern us
Shall they reaseend to enlarged and increased pow
er, using as steps the graves Of the Union dead p
Should not Congress- whose solemn duty 1t is 10 see
that the Republic suffers evil pause before the
bitter foes of yesterday admitted to the inner
sanctuary of the nations life ? Ought they not to
guard the halls OF national legislation from being
trodden by the feet of those who have been murder
dering the defenders of the Union for fidelity 20 Gn
allegiance they themselves SO wiekedly repHdisted
Every newspaper in tho land, North South,
which eulogized Jefferson Davis and villifed Abra-
ham Lincoln, now denounces Congress in the sever
est terms Every unrepented rebel and unsCrupu-
lous sympathZer joins them in their reVilings. But
rejoice that it has been faithful, inaexible in
what it has regarded as the pathway Of duty and Of
right.
Our Democratic opponents have aErayeI them
selves against it, and the people are to decide the
issue. If you would take on board as crew 20
work your ship those who had just been striving TO
scuttle and destroy it. then ii might be believed that
the American people would throw open the doors Of
their Congress and intrust appropriations for pen
sOns and the puoHc DEBT, and legislation Tor all
matters of national concern to those who sought TO
involve the nation in a common ruin and who, if
they had it in their power to-day, would shater the
Republic and rebuild their Confederacy.
In 1864, when the Democratic National C0Hyen-
tional at Chicago resolved that the war was fail
ure and demanded en- immediate cessation OF hos
tilities by armies, thus waving the white flag Of
surrender. jefferson Davis the President Of the
rebel Confederacy, waited and watched for th8 re-
suit with the deepest anxiety. The magnificent up
rising of the people destroyed his hopes, and with
the resistless blows Of our gallant soldiers his wick
ed cause went down Now, in 1866, 4. H. Stephens,
the Vice President Of that reasonable organization,
proclaims that their hope in the elections of this
fall Again these false hopes must be destroyed.
The rebel States will realize in the response of
the loyal millions to the issue that the determina
ton of those who saved the Union from their fierce
attacks TO have guarantees against another rebellion
is infezibe. Yielding, as they must to these de-
msnds, which, considering their course, are even
more generous than just, the Fortieth Congress will
witness loyal Senators and Representatives in their
seats from every State and the Union thus auspi-
CiOusly reconstructed the enduring corner stones
of Liberty, universal Liberty the elevation Of the
oppressed and the right of all men born under our
flag naturaliEed in courts to the equal protee
tion Of the law will commence q new career Of
progress, prosperity and power
Truly yours,
SCHUYLER CoLFAN.