Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1866-08-17
SPEECH OF GEN. DIX.

SPEECH OF GEN DIX.
Gentlemen Of he Conrention anil Fell9,r-
Citizens Of tie Uhole TniOn:-I return to
you my sincere thanks for the honor You
have done me in choosing me to preside tenn
porarily over your deliberations. | regard
1t as distinction of no ordinary character.
not only ON account of the high social and
political standing of the gentlemen who COM
pose this Convention, but because il is a con-
vention of the people of all the States of the
mon, and because we cannot doubt if its
proceedings are conducted with becoming
and good Judgment that it will lead to the
most important results. 1t may be truly
said that no body of men have met on this
continent to consider events so momentous
and so important since the year III. the
year when our ancestors assembled in this
city TO form better government for the
States which composed the old confederation.
government which has been confirmed and
made more enduring rs we trust by the fear
lu trials and perls which il has incurred
and overcome. The Constitution which they
came here to frame we are here to yindicate
and restore. We are here TO assert the SUI
prcmacy of representative 9OVernment-we
all who are within the confines of the Union
ii government which cannot. without n vi
olation of its fundamental principles. be cx-
tended over any but those who are repre-
senled IN it-oyer those who. by virtue of
that representation, are entitled to Il voice in
the administration of public affairs. 1t was
such government that our fathers framed
and put in operation 1t is such govern
ment we are bound by every principle of f.
deity and justice and good faith TO defend
and maintain. Gentlemen. we are not now
living under such government. Thirty
slX States have for months been governed
by twenty-five States. Eleven States have
Dcen wholly without representation in the
Legislative bodies of the nation The NUM-
erlcal proportion of the represented and I'M
represented States has Just been changed by
the admission of the delegates from Tennes
see. y unit taken from the smaller has been
put to the larger number. But ten States
are still denied representation in Congress
to which they are entitled under the Consti-
tuition. The President, not in pursuance of
any constitutional power, had called on the
Confederate States to accept conditions for
their admission to the exercise of their lepit-
innate functions as members of the Union.
The ratification of the amendment TO the
Constitution abolishing slavery and the re-
pudlatlon of the debts contracted to over
throw the government were these conditions.
They were met and accepted. The eXacton
of new conditions is unjust and in violation
OF the faith of the government, subyersive
OF the purposes of our political system, and
dangerous to the public prosperity and peace.
Each House of the Congress may. as the
Judge of the qualifications of its own mem
Dlers, reject individuals for Just cause, but
ehe TWO bodies acting conformity cannot ex-
Nluuc an entire delegation without an un-
I %"it" ai assumption of power Congress
~ not only done this-it has gone further
~ noS Incorporated new conditions with
u'i i"9 I 10 the Constitution, and sub
5nitteu lhem Tor the ratification of the States.
lhere Is no probability that these amend
Iments Will berattied by thrce-fourths of the
States of this Union. To insist ON Tho
conditions they contain, is to prolono in
definitely the exclusion of more than a
fourth OF the States from their ripbt to Iva
represented in Legislative bodies They have
right under the Constitution, ms they had
Il rlght under the resolutions passed i'm botb
Houses of Congress in 1861. Those resoh,-
tlons were not concurrent but tbev were
substantially identical Moreover they
were entitled to be represented ON other
grounds of fairness and good faith II il
TINS wrong which we have come here 70
protest against, and as far as in us lies red
ress. When the President of the limited
States declared that armed Resistance to tbe
authority of the Union was over. all the
states had right TO representation in Con
gress. is this the Government that orr
fathers fought to establish. Is this the
Government we have been fighting to pre-
serve The President has done all in his
power TO correct this wrong. He has done