Urbana union. [volume] (Urbana, Ohio) 1862-1872, 1866-08-22

ratification of the amendmentto the Con
stitution abolishing slavery and the repu
diation of debts contracted to overthrow
the Government, were these conditions
They were met and accepted. The ex
action of the new conditions is unjust
and a violation of the faith of Govern
ment, subversive of the purposes of ou
political system and dangerous to thu
public prosperity and peace. Applause.
Each House of Congress may, as the
judge of the qualification of its owl
members, reject individuals for just cause
but the two bodies acting conformity can,
not exclude an entire delegation without
an unwarrantable assumption of power
| Applause. I Congress has not only done
this; it has gone further. It has incor-
porated 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 conitions they contain is to
prolong indefinitely the exclusion of
more than one-fourth of the States from
the right to be represented in the Legis-
lative bodies. They had a right under
the Constitution they had a right under
the resolutions passed in both House of
Congress in 1861. Applause. These
resolutions we're not concurrent but they
were substantially identical. Moreover,
they were entitled to be represented on
other grounds-of fairness and good
faith.
1t is this wrong which we have come
here to protest against, and as far as in
us lies to redressit. Applause When
the President of the United States de-
clared that armed resistance to the au-
thority Of the Union was over, all the
States had a right to representation in
Congress. Applause. ! Is this the Gov
ernment our fathers fought to establish?
Loud cries OF ' No. Is this the Gov
ernment we have been fighting to preserve?
| r. No" No The President has
done all in his power to correct this
wrong. (Applause.) He has done all
in his power to restore the rights of the
States in the Legislature of the country,
by giving to each section its full status.
Legislation without representation is an
anomaly in our political system. Under
any other form of Government it would
be but another name for usurpation and
misrule
Gentlemen, I trust that in our deiiber-
Gtions here we shall confne ourselves to
one main purpose, that of redressing the
wrong TO which I have referred. There
IS much in the administration of the Gov
ernment which needs amendment-som
things need to be done and others need
to he undone. There nre commercial
and financial reforms which are indispens-
able to the public welfare but we shall
not have the power to carry out these
until we change the political complexion
Of Congress. (Applause.) This should
be our first and our immediate aim. ZAP
plause) It is in the Congressional dis
tricts that the vital contest is to take
place. The control of one body will
enable US to prevent political, unjust and
Dernicious legislation The control of
both Houses, with the power to introduce
and carry out salutary reform, to bring
the Government back, in the language
of johnson, TO the Republican track,
will come later. (Applause.) By wise,
harmonious and judicious action on our
part and the part Of those we represent,
that period need not be long delayed.
believe that public opinion is rife, and
that it is only necessary to present to the
people clearly the issues betwega,Vs and
the other party which controls the action
of Congress. And, gentlemen, is not
the object for which we are contending
consummation worthy of our highest and
our most devoted efforts 2-(applause, ~
to bring back the Republic, paciied and
strengthened by the fiery ordeal through
which it has passed to its ancient pros
perity and power; to present to the world
an example worthy of imitation-no
Utopian vision of good government, but
the grand old real idea of the better
times bringing up the memory of cur
fathers and the recollection Of the past,
and with the past and the future iuseper-
ably intertwined, one country, one flag,
one Union of equal States. (Long and
continued applause.)
General Dix then announced that the
proceedings would be opened with prayer,
and the Rev J. N. Mcdonald made the
prayer, in which thanks we're rendered |
to God for the blessings which the nation |
enjoyed more particularly in having been
preserved in the late troubles, and also |
for the assemblage of this Convention to
consult for the public good. He prayed |
that the members might take action as
brothers and as friends, might lay aside
all selfish motives and all unworthy per-
sonal and sectional considerations, so
that the Union of these States may be
fully restored and be perpetual. "a
loud amen from a delegate.) He prayed
that God might manifest his special favor
on the President of the United States,
and make him great and lasting bless
ing to the country. (Another loud
amen) And he prayed for the main
tenance of the Union inviolate under the
Constitution adopted by our fathers.
On motion of Mr. Randall, Postmaster
General, the following were appointed
of the Convention: o. B.
Perrin, of New York John F. Coyle,
District of Columbia A. R. Potts, of
Pennsylvania, and James R. O'Byrne, of
the District of Columbia.
-@Sss--A
A JOHNSON State Convention was held
in Sacramento, California, on the Sd