Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1866-02-10

z that this principle might be evaded by sayin
r that no man who had ever been a save ~ W
rnenf on account OF race or color. Allow me {
say that thai suggestion must nave oest "a -
, hastily, and not with that wen censiutie
I Judgment which characterizes those gentlemen
: Sir, man In America ever "as or ever 3i. e2I.
be slave II he was white man M hl.N VI W. !,
4, men have been held in bondage contrary Y
law But there never was "A court IN lis 1itte'
States In a slave state or free state, thal "a
not admitted that ii one held as a slave couN
r1ra,-e himself 10 be white he was that lnsta n
! free. Aud therefore such an e4eInsloh, ~ on @ ee
count Of previous condlilon o. sl.VeIs, ''lis, 5i =
> fore that objection falls 20 the ground.
NOW. the question Is narrowed down 70 tn
sole question Of a choice between the PROPOSE
, tfon of the Committee and the proposition q
( me gentleman from Ohio, (Air. Schenck,l Their
/ Is 10 necessity, then, unless desire TO eNhlbI
myself for my I,roceedlng any iarthef IN silE
/, matter. Nor DO ] propose 10 go INTO an eNsini
/. / nation OF what was perhaps toe not quite peril
. 4 uent argument ofthe gentleman nom New 1orE
1Mr. Raymond.) All want IS thar two-thtrcs O
I each branch OF this Congress shallvote afirma-
lively on this question. And while i should
take pleasure in having the President approve
OF our conduct. vet he has nothing to say about
it ON this question We do moi send IL 10 him
and ask his opinion about H. and therefore Il
was all the more kind in him 70 send Us his
opinion without being asked Tor IL.
Mr.. smith. OF KY. Union ! would ask the
] gentleman nom Pennsylvania lAlr. sleNensl 20
/ permit 70 be read the paper Wllch mas called
] forth his remarks, so that we may understand
/ 10 what he alludes when he speaks OF the Presi-
I dent undertaking 10 dictate 10 Congress?
/ Mr.. stevens. have no objection 10 having
I Il read, except that il viii take more timethan
It's Importance warrants
several Mem bers Let 10 be read.
I The Clerk read as follows:
I The following Is the substance OF a conver-
+. President and a distinguished Senator, a. tele-
J graphed North by the agent OF the Associated
I Press:
[ priety al this time OF making further amend
I ments to the Constitution. one gr- AT amend
I ment had already been made, by which slavery
/ had forever been abolished within the limits Of
the United States, ana IA national guaranty
Z thus given that the institution should never
exist in the land. Propositions % amend the
Constitution were becoming as numerous as
| prcambles and resolutions al town meetings
! called 10 consider The most ordinary questions
conneated with the ADMINISTRATION OF local
Affairs All this, I'm his opinion, had tendency
10 diminish the dignity and prestige attached
! 10 the Constitution et the country, 6nd 70 les
sen the respect and confidence Of the people in
their great charter OF freedom. II, however,
amendments are TO be made 70 the Constitu-
tion. changing the basis OF representation
and taxation and ne did not deem them al all
necessary nj tie present time, be knew OF none
better than a simple proposition, embraced in
a lew lines making Ia eaeh state the mum Der
Of qualified voters the basis of representation.
and the value Of property the basis OF direct
taxation. such proposition could be eIn-
braccd in the following terms:
Representatives shall be apportiOned among
the several states which mas he included within
this Union according 70 the number Of qualified
.Direct taxes shall be apportioned among the
several states which may be included within
TINS Union according 10 the value Of al taxable
property in each State.
AN amendment OF this kind would IN his
opinion, place the basis Of representation and
direct taxation upon correct principles. The
qualified voters were, for the most part men
who were subject 10 draft and nllstment when
Il was necessary 10 repel invasion, suppress re-
belliOn, and Quell domestic violence and insur-
rectiOu. They risk their lives, shed their blood,
and peril their all TO uphold the government
aud give protection security ana value 70 prop
erty. It seemed but Just that property should
compensate for the benefits thus conferred, by
defraying the expenses incident 70 It's prOtec-
ton and enjoyment
"Such an amendment, the President also sug-
gested would remove from Congress all issues in
reference 10 the political equanty OF the rsces.
II would leave the States 70 determine aDso-
lutely the qualifications Of their own voters
with regard 10 color: and thus the number OF
Representatives TO which they would be entl-
lied In Congress would depend upon the num-
f'er upon whom they conferred the right OF SUI
frage.
'-rne President in this connection, expressed
the opinion that the agitation OF the negro fran
chise question In the District OF Columbia at
tuis time was the mere entering wedge 10 the
agitation OF the question throughout the
. ates and was iIImed, uncaned Tor, |
and calculated 10 dc great harm. be
believed that a would engeuder enInity, cOnteu-
=
20 a war between them which would result IN 4 |
great injury 20 both, and the certain eHternina-
uOu OF the negro population. Precedence, he |
thought, should be gwen 10 more important and (
urgent matters, legislation upon which was e. /
-sntial Tor the restoration Of the Union, the |
peace Of the country, and the prosperity oI the /
people.
Nj. stevens. ! am rather glad The gentleman /
from Kentucky Mr.. smith called for the read /
ing OF that paper, because il shows that the /
President and ! agree exactly on one point, at 4
least; for he leaves out the word male, in 1
# Ff1safT fIaFr1n from .
o-henckl. am very glad he called for the 4
reading Of the paper.
Mr.. 1ngersoL, OF Illinois, Union, I would /
iKe 10 ask question Of the gentleman from /
Pennsy lvanis, Mr.. stevsns,
SIR. stevens. Very we'll
Mir. Ingersoll would like TO ask the gentle
man by what authority does heclaim that tie
paper just read expresses the views OF the Pres
ident?
Mr.. stevens think have good reasons for
saying that they eInenated from the President.
SIR. IngersOu. Has the gentleman any ohjec-
ton 10 stating what those reasons are@
Mr.. stevens have no right 10 t5 the secrets
of the Executive. tLaughter.l
But we know perfectly well that the PresI-
dent has nothing 70 do with this matter. The
vote OF both Houses Of Congress will carry IL /
before the State Legislatures for ratification
without regard 10 the approval or dtsapproval
~ the President IL e true that the tOustltu- !
uouaI Amendment, fOr the abolition Of slavery, ]
was, aiterIts passage by both Houses OF Con-
EreSs, sent inadvertently 10 President Lincoln !
Ion his signature. But although he sizued il
because ne approved II, yet, acting with the
,agacity and Une InodesJy which were So char
stcteIisIIc OF him, he sent TO Congress message
stating that that body, in senuILg him that
.oint resolution Tor approval, had done what
tie Constitution did not require. W. shall not !
trouble President Johnson 10y sending min TINS
amendment, II IL should be passed by Congress,
necause 1t is not necessary 10 submit it 10 him |
IOr his approval.
ASI said before, do not intend to refer par
ucularly to the able, elaborate and eloquent I
speech Of my friend nom NeW Aork, Mr.. Ray
uiond) because That speech had, 70 grea5ez-
tent, no cOunecllon WnsleNef with TINS Gue>-
lion except possibly, so fzr the status OF the
states may be affected by this amendment. lie
still persists IN saying that the seeded states
are and always have been, in the Union;
that the Constitution would not allow them /
10 90 out. He took the same ground before. |
I had undertaken 10 prove that they were I
out OF the Union, mol by our consent, but
Uy operation OF law. ! had stated that
eminent rs states that they had raised
larEe armies; that they had done what no /
state could cOustituuonally do, issued letters OF
marIue which were recognized by as and the
civilized world. There is no doubt. sir. that Tor
three years we acknowledged that rehel Gov
erument as a belligerent. as did the whole civ
. he rebels or not, the law OF nations declares
that when they had established a government \
and naiutaiued themselves for sufficient i
length OF time TO rise above the position Of mere
1lurdrrrrS and iusurreCtlOnists, they became l
1eligerents; and IL does not maze particle Of /
difference whether the parent government re-
-ugnizes them ~ telugerents- In this case,
however, the ackDpWl ledgement Of our own /
Government, and the wei settled doctrine OF 1
rbt laws OF nations combined IN cOucedlng 10 L
he states in rebellion this position
Tie gentleman cannot deny this state Of /
facts and yet he reiteEaies this doctrine, 'once
state, always q state. AlaF be pArdoled 1
lor reauiug a paragraph from NattelT
When D nation becomes DIVIDED into two 4
parties absolutely independent. and no longer /
dissolved, ana the war between The Two par /
les stands on the same ground IN every /
Nasfr1
Again. read
.Ihc conventions, the treaties, made with 4
nation, are broken OF auuuIIed by war arising /
between the contracting parties
This is the doctrine OF Nattel, as Wen Of |
Grotius aud Rutherford ana Puuendorf. The |
Gentleman from New York denies IL 1 admit /
the weight OF the gentiemens authority; but |
am not willing that all those sages OF the law,
opinion OF The civilized world, should be broken
down and anuihilsted by the single arm of my !
friend nom New York. however powerful he |
may be IN assault and cunning in defense.
One word as 10 another port ion OF the gentle /
mans speech. could not but adInire ,an sd
miTatiOu mingled with wonder the aIniahllly
rosity of feeling Which must have prompted
some Of the closing sentences Of the excellent
and able speech delivered bv the gentleman on
last Monday. His words were these;
"The gigantic contest is ar an end. The cour-
age and devotion on either side which made II
50 terrible and so lgng no longer owe divided
Qul1 DllL ave htellIlr tue NttAillt4u HIAptEAN
Of the American name, the priceless possession
Of the American Republic, through al time 20
come. The dead OF the contending hosts sleep
beneath the sGii lf common country, under
their common flag. Their hOslilities are hushed,
and they are the dead OF The natisn forever
more"
SIR much more than alniable, much more
than religious, must be the sentiment that
would Prompt any man 20 say that "thB courage
and devotion" which so long withstOOd our
arms, prolOnging the terrible conflict Of war,
and sacrificing the lives or thousands Of loyal
men, are hereafter 70 be the common boast OF
the nation, "the priceless possess on OF the
American hepualic through ell time 20 come -
that II ts The pride of or country 20 many in
famous rebels were so feroclos in their murders
Sir We are 20 consider these dead on beth
sides a. tils dead 1f tue nation-tAe common
dead. And 80 ] suppose we are 10 raise mOnu-
Inents beside the monuments 10 Reynolds and
Others, 70 be erected IN the cemetery on the bat
! tleneld Of Gettysburg; we must there build high
the monumental marble for men uAe Barks-
dale. whom / have seen in this hsll drew their
bowie knlse es on snE eAr5sllrQti7-e o. the peo-
pie; men who died IpUp the battlefield Of GEL
where they now lie buried in bitches, "unwept,
unbonOred and unsungi" IL " are, suppose,
/ 70 be raised and put in the 10 efrOnt ranks OF
] Tie nation, and 10 csu them through
all time as the dead Of the nation. SIT
was there ever blasphemy before IKE
this Eh2 ss W., s5s"' ,,,,s,.s I,Hs TEN. IN.
thunder ID Jove9 All this was poor com pared
with this blasphemy. say If the loyal dead
] uho arc thus associated With - traffors who
murdered tnen, put by the gentleman on the
same footing with them, and are % be treated
as the common dead Of the nation ~ say, sir,
Z n they could have heard the gentleman they