, 1866-07-31
RECONSTRUCTION.
Speech Of Hon. ]. F. FarnsH0rth,
Of Illinois. =
In the House or Representatives.

Joint rct0lutloh Ia. H. NO. tSd} pToPos!nE an
States, repezted from the Joint Commlttoe
on Reconstruction.
Mr, FARSBWQHI said.
MH. SPEAKER: In my half hour shall con-
fine myself to the amendments Of The Consti.
bill reported by the committee Of fifteen
comes up fos acllou by thlz House mar de-
sire TO say something In regarl 10 it.
int nd to vote for this amendment In the
form reported, with the exception Of the third
section. It Is not all coul1 Wish; II i not
for am not without hope That Congress and
the people Of the several States may yet riss
shove mean prejudice and do equal and ex-
act juhticc 10 al men, by putting In practice
thAt a. seE.evideut truth " Of the Declaration
of Independence. that Governments derive
black. who has mol forfeited the light By hls
crimes, the ballot. But do not think II IL
becoming In legislator 10 oppose some good
because tho measure ID not ali he wants. ;
The tirst section Of the amendment pro-
sTe.i. No SITS shah nahs or enforce my law
ch sas Il e sS ges
withuul dus process of1aw; nor deny 70 any pr:
son within its Jurisdiction sac tqual protection Of
30 far a. this section Is concerned, there Is
but onc clauso ln It which ls not already Ia
opinion read, !" No State shnil deny 10 any
person Within !ts Jurisdiction tho equal pro-
tcrtfun pf Tho lava" hut rcRfI1rmntiun Of
4 good principle will do no hartn, and shall
NOT therefore Oppose II on account of what
msy regard - su1plus.Eo;
lc any well. .i0undcd objection ID thisf IL
not ihss Tho very Foundation of Republican
u0vttnnohtf II Il not the unacu!allo s1uAt
of o*cry subject of lhr Gurrrn.nont 10 rccclro
"cqual protection of tho laws" with avcry
Ss, Ss5 ,nssst , %~ ,1,s fS h. ars sn snd ,.. SS
of hajilness" wl.!,at "elust rsuiccSiVn VI
tho lkwsY'' This IL Al, acltosldsnt and Juss
that nu INN wliOsn soul u nut l0t, ctn,rltlcd
aud dwnrtt4i IL iold tho sinsiltut germ of
jaatico rnn fmi, 10 seu mud npprro,ntc i.
Tho second erctlrn ol tho amendments pro.
' nre.s. Rsr,o,ss,s s III vs. .h., be sppo..tonoa
an,oix tls ha,rra, "t:l.s With my IL iHciHdod
wllh!a lhls rn'un sceo,dius u lbe.r ssspcetlyo
IL ese Fse. ax n1 i.ns st .os i4ssd. E'n"t III
Whenever ln sny s,ac to sieeslys Franchise shali
70 de"ted 70 my portion Of II. n,als olflsens not
abridged. except !ut participation Ii rehoilton Gt
S.hst crime, shs lc.is ot srrresa,,ta!ea ia .gr,
:s y: ss1 IT.; r. .as so z liz :ss ss, @ q 1t
Nholo AEn1tcF Of Irnlo Caakcna not 1css than
twenty }-one ybarn Of nTu.
i'ks q NJ. better g.: ihan tho ono ~. I1oa.a
leatsi in lho Benatc. Tint a1ner.incnt ] do.
clnrctl then, ~ An How, that ! did not like;
IL received my soto In common with many
other members Of this House, but with tesl.
tasloM. doubt and proscst. win not relic:
ratc tho rcasons now, but. s!r, ! havo no
clatlona which The, gentleman rom rcnnsyl-
vania lMs. s&eycns] has secn Gt TO hurl at
thoso Senators who differed with hin, and de-
tcated the adoption Of TINT amendment.
ruthsr admlrc ahclr patriotism, their courage
and their scnkc.
eidcrat!nn is free from what ! considered tho
most Objectionable features Of the other.
The Constitution now provides for tho Np-
portionment OF Representatives according to
tho "wholc number Of free persons nnd
"thrce.fit1hs OF all other pcrsons" consc:
the slarcs were enumerated, which gave
to the slarc States. nineteen Represent.
atlves In Congress-, and as many cleo.
tors Of President, based uron con:
stltuency Of slayes alone. But now there ara
no "othtr persons !" all arc free; and when
alton they viii give the late slavc States thlr:
teen more Representatives and electoral
votes than before, making thf1ty-two Repre-
sentatives and electors for the four million
emancipated slaFes. Now, this amendment
says to those States this: "1f the freedmen
worthy Of enffauchlscn1cnt II they arc not
capable Of governing themselves. but must
be held In subsection to and governed by
their late masters, then they arc not fit to
govern the country through the votes OF
others" They shall not by any such presti:
alive here, dumb, without q voice for thelr
own government, a4d with thlrty-two voices
on this floor, md tMrty-tNo votcs for Presi.
dent md Vice President. They shall not be
used to swell thelr rebel masters into giants
and dwarf the. loyal and patriotic men
e as e aeey ss,e' e am Into pdon a2% 4eaa ~ s
loyal citizens Of your State Tie right to to
vote for Representatives. you shall not
atsume 10 represent them, and, as you have
done for 80 long q time, misrcpresent and
opprcss them. This Is a step in the right dl.
Incorporated into the Constitution guaran.
tee Of universal euf1tnge, as We cannot g1t
the required two-thirla for TINT, cordially
support this proposition Is the next best. :
This amendment, too, l fully believe, will
In reasonably short period bring universal
suffrage.
The fourth section Of this amendment. re-
pudIAting the rebel debt and clnlms for
slaves, will be most heartily adopted and ap-
proved by every loyal man In the nhtton.
Every man or woman who holds 3 Govern
ment bond, or who pays tax, every crippled
q pension certificate. and everybody who
hatcs TREASON aud rebellion, and prnys for the
.Its I'aSlia adoption. >. @A' s1''' VIII ''ps' :
The third section cxcludea Ill persons who
voluntarily adhered to tho rebellion, giving
mcmtcrs Of Congress. and for electors for
Prcsidcnt and Vice President, until the 9Th oi
July, 1870. cannot regard this section as n
amy practical yalue. Ibelleye It to be dit1:
cult, IL not impotsible, OF flilfilJmeut and ]
have fears that II may greatly cmbarrass,
not defeat, the adoption Of ihe other other aecdont
II The rebels arc 10 be dlafe1nchlscd et all
they should be for longer period. Again,
some rctscls arc deserving Of 4 total sud Last
Ing Acknowledgement, rlIlei! others who ar
embraced II This provislors ere not near s.
sshe sssl 1. n1 15t ,qsa ;a, pSiien Toa,d s :;
to vote after July, 1870. Iiosldcs, therc + i
large class af mcn, both In the North and
South. equally, yea, and more, guilty that
thousands Of The misguided men who will b
dltffnnchfsed ~ this provision, who will no.
be ai)ectcd by II. slluan to those pollticlani
and othcrs 1t the eouth who, keeping them
! .ciycs cut Of danger, ect Oh thc Iguorant aud
hmvc to fight Tor what they were told By
theac rtscats were "their rights - aud Il
other politicians, editors, "corpcrheads," ii
| the N0rtf, some OF whom were and arc mem
bers Of Congress, WIG encouraged thcm and
discouraged our aoldIru.
| 1low ii It 10 be nsc.riatucd who "Ravo ale
and cpmfort F." TO the !nsurrccuon! Ii It ~
! challenge and ohth IT the polls. Or fhnll NJ
fnrc a rcgantrntlep throughout tho tlnltct
| 4lntcs with onlccfn 10 scltlo md Ad]udgs
that 9uc.slon y. to syc.y yo!er, Il seems Z
than utclrsa, .nd rlli very n,uci, thar Tho l'o
| ntflccnt effect of The tddcr ,nnat excellent
| rruylslnnn al thlo amendment. Why, hlr. til,
almost universal Testimony ffoiM The rcDa
| Htate~ Ia thai lht tald!era whu fbuHht Us il
md ysnquiallcd u With much i,cttcr Kraca
tllan tho politicians aud notl.cofnbAtants
Thry in mt wnnt to Fight ngatn. Thcy At,
inrrlrcd with n whntcsn1nc rcspcct fur Nnrth
rrn character hnd fur The Government. Tho,
hare ecase1 tl.r'r htngElnE, md nre wiitint
thc war In. placcd thotn In. !,
Thcn. with the exception OF The third sce
tion, l sir heartily for tho amendment, a11,
1ftnstcad Of thzt scction wc could lncorput
| Rtc provision Into tho Constitution w[licl
,ncsla ! ''n 5'yss Ssq a.qns sI H., n 'ls os1 c9d
United HtAtct, thus making "treason obi
Gus" anl tikllors Infamous, tho counts.
would hail II With Joy. !.
but, Dir. Speaker, there aro mon In thi
fihuRo who arc oriNArd 10 hisk!ng an
appointments 10 the Constitution, ~ tioy saJ
"mntil The ,evn'.sd R..,es 1re Representa-,
here" They tay that thoso Hato. arr cil
.Islcd "of right 10 lssc t1,olr Hcnators au'
Representatives In this Capitol. Thuy ~,
That ,:fs wrong tn enact Any iegislssfon d
lsctinS tlesr States Without tlrat "rof,suit
!nE them." TA!a l. tho psrtcnce. Tho rua
t},osc Btates had IL Two bcnstors Ia IL
otArt cnd Of tho Capitol, md tho member
WhEh The prrseut laala Of yupEcsontAtlo
K.vfa thctn Ia this end, amendments won}
be imroeatlle, for thelr roles, added 10 tho
already here, who hare been urun thcif aid
/ thuuGhout tho war, will always prevcs'
u!c!r adoption.
What would be the rrsu}t In such rAse
Mt, speaker, trcInblc n.1 my county whe
contemplate tho possibility Of such 4 COT