The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1866-03-03


lhall be poured out as o fit ibati0n for the /
Union Of these States. Great applause. j +
But let the opponents of this Government I
remember that men poured out the blood Of +
.he martyrs Of the seed of the Church. !
Cheers Gentlemen, this Union will I
grow; it viii continue to increase in /
strength and power, though it may be /
and cleansed with blood. l have !
talked longer now than intended Let !
ne thank you for the honor you have done /
me- so far as the Government Is concerned. +
Let me say one other word in reference to
the amendment to the Constitution Of the /
United States
When ] reached Washington for the pur- /
pose of being inaugurated as Vice President I
Of the United States / had u conversation |
with Mr. Lincoln. We were talking about
the condition Of affairs, and in reference to
matters in my own State I said they had
called a convention, and had amended our
Constitution by abOlishing slavery in our
State-a State not embraced in his procla
this met his appreciation I
gave him encouragement, and in talking
upon the amendment to the Constitution, he
said, When the amendment to the Consti-
tuition Is adopted by three-fourths Of the
States, we shall have all. or pretty near all.
am IN favor of amending the Constitution,
if there was one other adopted" Said I,
" what is that, Mr.. President2' Said he.
'' have labOred to preserve this Union;
have toiled four years | have been subject
cd to calumny and misrepresentation, vet
my desire has been to preserve the union of
these States intact, under the Constitution
rs they were before" But, " said I, Mr.
President, to what amendment do you
refer ?" He said he thought there should
be an amendment added to the constitution
which would. compel all the States to send
their Senators and Representatives to the
Congress of the United States The idea
was in his mind that 1t was part of the
doctrine Of secession to break up the Gov
eminent, by States Withdrawing their Sena-
tors and Repesen natives from Congress, and
therefore he desired constitutional amend
ment to compel them to be sent How now
does the matter stand in the Constitution Of
the country Even that portion of it
when provides for the amendment of the
Organic Law says that no State without its
consent, shall be deprived of its representa-
ton IN Congress. Now, what do we find
We find the position taken that the State
should not be represented that we may i'm
pose taxes that we may send our tax gath
crers to every region and portion of a State
that the people are to be oppressed with
taxes. But when they come here to partic-
ipate in the legislation of the country they
your taxes you must bear the burden Of
the Government, but you must not partici-
pate in the legislation of the country, which
is to effect you for all time. Is this just
NO no y Then, ! say, let me admit into
the councils Of the nation those who are I'M
mistakably and unequivocally loyal-those
men who acknowledge their allegiance to
the Government or swear to support the
Constitution. 1t is all embraced in that
adjudication Of an oath makes no difference
if a man IS not loyal. But you may adopt
whatever test oath you please to prove their
loyalty When the rebellion was going On
the Constitution was rolled up II q piece
of parchment If it was violated IN some
particulars to save the Government There
may have been some excuse to justify it.
But now that peace has come, war Is over,
we want W. itten Constitution. And | say
the time has come to take the Constitution
down, unroll it and read it. and understand
its provisions. / came here to vindicate
the Constitution and to save it, for it does
seem to me that encroachment after en-
croachment Is proposed. stand to-day
prepared, so far as | can, to resist these en-
croachments upon the Constitution and Gov
eminent l tell these opponents of this
Government, | care not from what quarter
they come, you who are engaged In the
work of breaking up the Government, by
amendments to the Constitution, that the
principals Of free Government arc deeply
rooted in the American heart All the pow
ers combined-I care not Of what character
cannot destroy that great instrument, the
great charter of freedom. They may seem
to succeed for time, but their attempts
viii be futile : they may think now that it
can be done by a concurrent resolution
but when it is submitted to the popular
judgement and the popular will, they will
find that they might as well have undertak-
en- to introduce a resolution to repeal the
laws Of gravity as to keep this Union from
being restored 1t is Just about as feasible to
resist the great law of gravitation, which
binds all to a common center, as that great
law which Will bring back the5e States to
their regular relation with the Union
have detained you longer than / intended
/ "a yoice-Go on We are in n great
struggle | am your instrument. Who is
there that l have not toiled and labored for ;
where Is the man and woman, either in
/ public or private life, who has not always re-
ceived my attention, or my time in proper
ton to egotisn. They say that man johnson
4 is q lucky man that no man can defeat me
l will tell you what constitutes good luck
/ 1t is doing right and being for the people
/ Some hour or other the people will find out
and understand who Is for and who is
against them. l have been placed in as
many trying positions as any mortal was
/ ever placed in, but so far, l have not DESERT
( cd the people, and 1 believe they viii not
! desert me. What principle have violated
/ What principle have I swerved from Can
/ they put their finger on it? Have you
/ heard them point out any discrepancy ?
have you heard them quote my predecessor,
who fell martyr, and to his country s
cause as giving in opposition, or in contra
diction to anything that have done The
very policy which lam pursuing now was
pursued under his administration was be-
/ ing pursued by him when that inscrutable
! Providence saw fit to summon him. / trust
/ to a better world thant this. Where is there
one principle adopted by him in reference
/ to this reputation, that have departed from
/ {" None, none T. The war IS not simple
upon me, but it IS upon my predecessor,
also / have tried to do my duty. l know
I that som: are enyious and jealous, ana
/ speak of the White House as having attrac-
/ tions for the President. Let me say to
/ you the charm Of the White II ouse has rs
/ little influence upon me as any individual in