The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1866-01-24

} aholishing slavery in their State Consti
J tutions, but BY the ratification by thei
Legislatures OF the amendment to III
Constitution Of the United States, sub
! mitted by Congress and now pending
J which forever abolishes slavery il
every State, and empowers Congress 4
pass all laws necessary 70 secure liberty
10 al the people, black and white By
its adoption the cause of the rebellion
viii be removed, slavery destroyed, and
liberty established upon 8 foundation
which neither State, nor President, MOI
Congress, nor Court, nor change of par
ties, can shakes enduring as tie
globe itself By its adoption by the
people Of those States, all the world
viii know that they accept freedom as
their situatiOa, and give up slavery and
all hope Of restoring slavery forever.
That through the influence Of certain
newspapers and speeches of certain
men, there would be some division OF
sentiment among them now is possible.
But when my colleague goes before the
] people Of Wisconsin with the proposi-
1 tion to reduce eleyen States to the ter
ritorisl condition; to tax and govern
eleven States and ten millions OF peo-
pie without representation when he
proposes in effect to do what the rebel
lion could not do-tear the national
flag in twain; TO take eleven stars from
the naR and reduce the number 10
twenty he viii lind, in my humble
opinion, that he has utterly mistaken
the people of Wisconsin
II he had said that they look upon
treason as a crime, and that some of
the guilty leaders should be tried and
convicted; il he had said that they in
sist that Under the Constitutional
Amendment Congress should see that
the freedman is protected in his civil
rights Of life, liberty and property if
he had said that since the abolition of
slavery in the Southern States has dis
turbed the basis of spportionment in
the House OF Representatives, a more
just appOrtionment might be made,
having reference TO the voting popula-
ton OF the several States, would agree
with him But upon this proposition
Of his he would find himself in a minor
ity of less than one-third of the voters
of Wisconsin. The loyal people of WIS
eonsin, and of sll the States, have been
lighting for the integrity of the Union
and the entirety of the flag; for paci-
ticstion upon the basis of the uai6n Of
he States under the C6a1ttatidA If this
Congress will not act upon that basis,
the next Congress will. That IS the
cornerstone. Whoever shall fall upon
that stone will be broken in pieces. but
upon whomsOeveP it shall fall it will
grind him to powder. Men aud cliques
and parties may oppose and for time
postpone, But as sure as to morrow's |
sua shall rise, it will come Whatso-
ever stands in its way will be trampled !
in pieces
In conclusion, from the beginning, |
and from before the beginning, any |
separation or destruction of the States |
was made impossible Under the old |
Confederation, the union of the States |
Was made perpetual And the Con
shtutiOn was formed to make "a more |
perfect Union 70 admit, therefore, |
either the right Of States to seeede OF |
the power OF Congress 10 expel them, |
would be to admit into our system a |
principle OF sell-destructiOn holly at |
war with perpetual or perfect union |
lhe Constitution, every part of lt, and |
tie spirit which gives it life, are sgainss
paceable secession and that Constitu- |
lion clothes the Government which il |
creates with every human power 10 pre-
yeAt separation by the force Of arms |
Those gigantic powers which had slum- |
beled 80 long that they were wholly |
unknown to the world, and hardly |
dreamed OF by ourselves, have been |
lately brought INTO full play
Whatever may be said Of the crime /
of the rebellion, history will .ecord it
rs enc OF the most persistent, self-sacri- |
6eiag and tremendous struggles the |
world ever saw, both on the part OF the |
rebels and on the part of the loyal peo- |
pie of the United States. No other |
people upon the earth could have so |
resisted, and no other people and no
other Government could have overcome |
such resistance.
But we did overcome it. We did |
prevent the separation OF these States
from the Union by force Every law
VI AJhEAN13f 0fGl hlt Va VIC AGSAAChti
every blow we struck, every shot we |
fired, every drop of blood we shed, was
not TO thrust these States out, nor to |
open a way for them TO 90 out, nor to
reduce them TO Territories, but to keep |
them as States in the Union, and COM |
pei them to remain in the Union under |
the Constitution The flag of our coun-
try bears thirty-six stars, as the en-
blems Of q Union of thirty-six States.
Whsreverit floats, over this Capitol, at
the head Of our armies, in the storm of |
battle, and in the hour OF victory, over |
the Yea as well as over the land, that
sacred ensign, which, next to the God |
of heaven, we love and reverence, as
representing the good, the great and |
the true, everywhere bears thirty-six |
stars, snd thereby proclaims to the |
world tAe great, fundamental, national |
truth, there are thirty-six States in the !
Union, under the Constitution. Thir-
tY six States constitute that great Re |
public which the world calls the United |
States o. America. Upon shat line
and under that flag we began the great |
campaig1; upon that line and under |
that flag half a million OF our sons and |
fathers and brothers have laid down
their liVe; upon that line and under |
that flag We fought it out to victory, and |
now. God help me, | will continue to
fight it ou on thai line and under that |
hag to tie end, whoever else may |