The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1866-08-22
Speech OF Gen. Dix.

Gen. DIX came forward and said
GENTLEMEN OF THE CONVENTION AND FEI.-
Low CITIZENS OF THE WHOLE UNION Ap-
phase | return to You my sincere thanks
Tor the honor you have done me IN choosing
me to preside temporarily ever your deliber-
atoms. | regard it as distinction OF 10 or
binary character, nos only GU account of the
high social and political standing of tee gen
tlemen who compose this convention, but be-
cause 1t 10 q convention Of all tho states of
this Union, applause and because we can.
not doubt ii it's proceedings are conducted
with harmony and good judgement that it
will lead to the most important results. APP
plause Ii may be truly said that no BOD Y
of men have met on this continent to consid-
events momsntous and so important
since the year 1877 applause / the year
when our ancestors assembled in this city to
form q bstter government for the states which
composed the old confederation, d govern
mene which has been confirmed and made
more enduring as We trust by the fearful tri-
ais and perils which it has incurred and over
come. Applause. Thecons titusion W hich they
came here to frame we are here to vindicate
and restore. Applause, We are here to as.
sert the supremacy OF representative govern
ment-we, all who are within the confines OF
the Union Applause "A government which
caunot, without violation of it's fundamen
tai principles, be extended over any but those
who are represented in it applause over
those who, by virtue of that representation,
are entitled to voice IN the administration
of public affairs. Applause. 1t was such
a government that our fathers framed and
put IN operation. 1t is such government we
are bound by every principle of fidelity and
justice and good faith to defend and maintain.
(Applause) Gentlemen we are not now liv-
ing under such a government. (Applause. J
Thirty.six states have for months been gov
erned by twenty-five states. Applause y
Eleven states have been wholly without rep
resensation in the legislative bodies of the
nation. The numerical proportion of the r.p
resented and unrepresented states has lust
been changed by the admission of the dele
gates from Tennessee. A unit taken from
the smaller has been put to the larger mum.
Der. But ten states are still denied rspresen-
tatlon IN congress to which they are entitled
under the constitution. The president, not
In pursuance TO any constitutional power had
called ON the confederate states to accent. con.
ditions for their admission to the exercise of
their legitimate functions as members of the
Union. The ratification of the amendment
to the constitution abolishing slavery and the
reputation OF the debts contracted to over.
throw the government were these conditions
They were met and accepted. The exaction
of new conditions is unjust and in violation
of the faith of the government, subversive of
the purposes of our political system, and
dangerous to the public prosperity and peace.
(Appiause) Each house of the congress
may, as the Judge of the qualification Of It's
own members, jsct individuals for just cause,
but the two bodies acting conformity cannot
exclude an entire delegation without an un-
warrantable assumption of power. Applause
Congress has not only done this-it has gone
further. 1t has incorporated new Conditions
with amendments to the constitution. and
submitted them for the ratification Of the
states. There is no probability that these
amendments will be ratified by three.fourths
of the states Of this Union. (Applause. -
To insist on the conditions they maintain, is
to prolong indefinitely the exclusion of more
than fourth of the state from their right to
be represented in Legislative bodies. They
have right under the constitution, as they
had right under the resolutions passed in
both houses of congress in 1861. Applause
Those resolutions were not concurrent, but
they ware substantially identical. Moreover,
they were entitled to be represented on other
grounds of fairness and good faith. Ii is this |