The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1866-03-16
DEFEAT OF THE BLAINE
AMENDMENT.

In TIE CALEDoNIAN of January 10th,
we cave to our readers an article presented
to the House called the ''Blaine amend
ment." providing for apportioning MEM
bers of Congress among the several states
according to population, deductlng such
portion as shall be excluded from the right
Of suffrage by any state on account OF race
or Color This amendment, as we then
printed it, was itself amended, until it fin
ally passed the House by the very large
vote of 12O to 4G, in the following shape:
"Resohe1, blythe Senate and House Of Rep
r'esentItres # the United States Of america
in Congress assembled, tuo-thlds Of both
Houses concm74ng, That the following ar
ticle be proposed to the Legislatures OF the
several states as an amendment to the Con-
stitution of the United States. which.
when ratified by three-tourths of said Leg
islatures, shall be valid as part of the
Constitution Representation shall be
apportioned among the several states which
may be included within this Union, ac-
cording to their respective numbers, count
inc the whole number of persons IN each
state. excluding Indians not taxed, provld-
cd that whenever the elective franchise
shall be denied or abridged in any state on
account of race or color all persons OF
such race or color shall be excluded from
the basis of representation.
Last Friday this amendment was acted
upon by the Senate, after Senator Sumner
had made powerful speech against its
adoption. 1t was defeated, as was expect
ed after it was known that both the eX-
IRENE radicals and extreme conservatives
would vote against it. Below we give the
ayes and nays on the question. The ayes
are all Republican except McDougaIl, who
was drunk, and voted right by mistake.
1t will be seen that had every radical
voted yea. the amendment would have
been defeated by the votes Of Dixon, Doc
little Il Co.. (conscrvativcS) In the nays
the Republicans are put in iaGr.
YEAs-Messr>. Anthony, Chandler,
Clark, CONFESS. Graz gin, Crc>wclI. Fe>scn-
den. Foster, Grimes, Harris, Howe. Kirk
wood. Lane of Indiana, McDoucall, Nor
CAN Morrill,. Nyc. Poland, Ramsey, Shcr-
man, Spra9ue, I'rumbull, Wade, Williams
and Wil>on-25.
Massachusetts,, Broun, Buckalaw, Corr
an. Davis, Dixon, Doc little, Guthrie, Hen
deryon, Hendricks, Johnson, Lane Of Km-
SIS, Nesmilh, Norton, Pmoey, Rid lie,
Salisbury, .Stewut. Stockton. Sumner,
Van WWkh, Wiley and Iotes-22.
1t is rather a novel Siyht to see Senator
Sumner cheek by .jowl with the copper
heads-allied with Salisbury & Co. to de-
feat this amendment-pittcd against his
colleague CIR. Wiis,n) and other liberty
o,iny men not less stauncI than himself
1t is however in accordance of natural
laws, that extremes meet. Principles lie
in circles. The point Of departure is al
ways reached by pushing on. 1t is posi-
bic to be so very ino that you ara con-.
MIR. Sumner practically insists that since
the entire work cannot be done and done
Immediately, nolhin: shall be done at all
precisely what the rebel sympathisers
want.
lie forgets that every inch of ground
gained to liberty and right is an advanced
position for new triumphs The duty of
the hour is to secure what is possible to be
secured. And in striking for the now at
tainabc truth men sometimes strike for
all the ages. Fighting for principles is a
sort of gymnastic exercise in which men
swing from point to point Of advantage.
There Is no attaining any great good at a
leap: but all the iorcgonc blows for liber-
ty work their strength into those which
follow