The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1866-02-28

Who will say that / have ever. acted 9th.
erwise than in fidelity to the great mass
of the people. They may talk about be.
heading and usurpation, but when ! nm
beheadcd, l want American people TO
witness. / don't want by inucndoes, by
indirect remarks in high places to see a
man who has assassination brooding In
his bosom, exclaim "this Preside ntial OBJ
stacle must be gotten out Of the way
make use of q very strong expression
when / say | have no doubt tho intention
was to incite assassination and to get out
of the way the obstacle from place and
power. Whether by assassination or not,
there are individuals in government, l
doubt not, who want to destroy our insti'
tutions and change the character Of the
government, Are they not satisfied with
the blood which has been shedY Does
not the murder Of Lincoln appease the
vengeance and wrath Of the opponents Of
this Governmenti Are they still un.
slaked? Do they still want more blood 7
Have they not gst honor and courage
enough to obtain their objects otherwise
than by the hands of the assassin 7 No,
no, l am not afraid. Of assassins where q
brave and courageous man would attack
another. l only dread him when he
would go in disguise, his footsteps noise
less. If itIs blood they want, let them
have courage enough to strike like men.
| know they are afraid to strike. Zap
plause If my blood is to be shed be-
cause | vindicate the Union and preser-
walton Of this Government in its original
purity and charity, let it be shed, let an
alter to the Union be erected and then
if it is necessary take me and lay me
upon It, and the blood that now warns
aud animatcs my existence shall be pour
ed out as q fit libation to the Union Of
these States. [Great a~pplause.1 But
let the opponents of this Government re-
member that when it is poured out, the
blood Of the martyrs will be the seed Of
the church. [Cheers.1 Gentlemen, this
Union will grow. 1t will continue to in
crease in strength and power, though it
may be cemented and Cleansed with
blood | have talked longer now than l
intended. Let me thank you for this
honpr. Let me say one other word in
reference to the amendments to the Con
%stitution Of the United States. When l
reached Washington for the purpose Of
being inaugurated as Vice President Of
the United States, | had q conversation
with Mr.. Lincoln. We were talking
about the condition Of %offairs, and in ref.
erence to matters in my own State. I
said We had called a Convention, had
amended our Constitution by abolisbing
slavery in the State-a State not en-
braced 10 his proclamation. All this met
his appreciation, and gave him encourage.
ment and in talking upon the amend.
ment to the Constitution, he said "When
the amendment to the Constitution is
adopted by three fouIths of the States,
we shall have all, or pretty nearly all, |
am in favor Of, if there was one 9th T
amendment adopted" Said I, "What is
that Mr.. PRESIDENT Said he, al have
labored to preserve this Union; I have
toiled four years | have been subjected
to %calumny and Misrepresentation. Yet
my great desire has been to preserve the
Union of these States intact, uader the
Constitution, as they were before" "But,"
said |, "Mr. Presinent, what amendment
do you refer to ?" He said he thought
there should be an amendment added to
the Constitution which would compel all
the States to send their Senators and
Representatives 10 the Congress of the
United States. Yes, compel them. The
idea was in his mind that it was a part Of
the doctrine of secession to break up the
government by States Withdrawing their
Senators and Representatives from Con.
press, and therefore be desired a consti.
t%utional amendment to compel them to bs
sent. How now does the matter stand ?
In the Constitution of tho country, even
that portion of it which provides for the
amendment Of the organic law, it says
that nc State without its consent, shall be
deprived Of its representation in the Sen
ate, and now what do we fnd2 We find
the position taken that States shall not
be represented, that we may impose tax.
es, that we may send our tax gatherers to
every region and portion Of a State, that
the people are to DO oppressed with taxes,
but whom they come here to participate in
the Legislation of the country they are
met at tho door and told, "No, you mus.
pay your taxes, you must bear the bur.
dens of the Government, but you must
not participate in the legislation Of the
country which is to affect you for all
time Is this just mo, NOT Then
| say, lot us admit into the councils Of
the nation those who arc Enthusiastically,
unequivocally loyal those men who &C.
knowledge their allegiance to the gov,
ernmeut, aud swear 70 support the Con
stitution. 1t is all embraced in that
The complications Of an oath makes nj
difference if a mar is not loyal but you
may adopt whatever test oath you please
to prove loyalty. If, while rebellion wa,
going on, the Constitution was rolled u
as a piece of parchment-if it was vic
lated in some particulars to save the Gov
ernmsnt-there may have been some ex
cuse to justify 1t, but now that peace ha
come, now that war is over, We wart
written Constitution, and l say the tim,
has come to take the Constitution down
unroll it, read it and understand its pro
visions. l came here 10 vindicate tn,
Constitution and save it, for it does seen