North Branch democrat. [volume] (Tunkhannock, Pa.) 1854-1867, 1866-08-22

resolutions passed by both houses of Con-
gress in 1861. Those resolutions were not
concurrent, but they were substantially
identical .e as....... .. .eE-t.-
Moreover, the States were entitled to be
so represented on other grounds of fairness
and good faith The President, not in pur-
suance of any constitutional power, had
called on the confederated States to accept
conditions for their admission to the exer-
else of their legitimate functions as men,
bers Of the Union, those conditions being
the ratification of the amendments to the
Constitution, abolishing slavery, and the
reputation of the debts contracted in the
effort to overthrow the government. These
conditions were met and accepted. The
exaction of new conditions is unj Just, VIC
lation Of the faith of the government, sub
versive of the principles of our political
system, and dangerous to the public pros
perity and peace, applause. ..
Each House of Congress may, as the
judge of the qualifications of its own mem
bers, reject individuals for just cause, but
the two bodies, acting conformity, cannot
exclude entire delegations without an un-
warrantable assumption of power. Ap-
plausc Congress has not only done this
it has gone farther. 1t has incorporated
new conditious into amendments to the Con-
stitution, and submitted them for the ratifi.
cation of the States. There is no probs-
bilitv that these amendments will be rati-
fled by three-fourths of the States. To in-
sist on the conditions they contain is to
prolong Indefinitely the exclusion of more
than one-four,h of the States from represen-
tation in Congress. Applause. Is this
the government our fathers fought to estab-
Iish? Cries of No. Nor IS this the
Union we have been fighting to preserve? !?
T"No! Nor'] The President has done all
in his power to correct this wrong ap-
plause, and to restore the Legislative body
to its full proportions, by giving to all the
members of the Union their proper share
in the pubic councils. (Ckeers. Legis-
lation without representation is an anomaly
in our political system Under any other
form of government it would be but anoth-
er name for usurpation and misrule.
Gentlemen, trust that in our delibera-
tons here we shall confine ourselves to one
main purpose that of redressiug the wrong
to which have referred. There is much
in the administration of the government
which needs amendment some things to
! be done and others to be undone. There
are commercial and financial reforms which
are indispensable to the public welfare. But
we shall not have the power to carry out
these until we change the political com
plexi"n Of Congress. Enthusiastic al d
long continued applause. This should be
our first, onr immediate aim. 1t is in the
Congressional districts that the vital con
test is to take place. The control of one
branch of Congress will enable us to pre-
vent partial, unjust, and pernicious legisla-
ton. The control of both houses, with the
power to Introduce anI carry out salutary
reforms, and "bring the government back, "
in the language OF Jefferson, ''to the repub-
licsn tack" will come later. Cheers. :
But, with wise, harmonious and jndicious
action on our part, and on the part of those
we represent, this need not be long delay
ed. Applause- l believe that public
opinion is right, and that it is only necessa-
ry to present to the people clearly the is
sues between us and the political organiza-
ton which controls the action of Congress.
And, gentlemen, is not the object for
which we are contending a consummation
worthy of our highest and most devoted
efforts, to bring back the republic purified,
strengthened by the fiery ordeal through
which it had passed) to its ancient prosper
ity and power (applause) to present to the
world, ar example worthy of imitation, not
a mere Utopian vision of good government,
but the grand old reality cf the better times
(applausel with which the memory of our
fathers, the recollections of the past, and
all our hopes of the future, are inseparably
entwined (cheers) one country, one flag,
one Union of equal States.
PRAYER BY REV. Mr.. M'DONALD
The chairman then said 1t has been sug-
gested that the proceedings be opened with
prayer, and The Divine blessing will now
be invoked by by Rev. J. N. Mcdonald
The call for the convention was then read.
THE CALL FOR THE CONVENTION.
A National Union Convention of at
least two delegates from each Congression-
al district of all the States, two from each
Territory, two from the District of Colum-
ba, and four delegates at large from each
Slate will be held at the city of Philadel-
phia, or the second Tuesday (l4th) of Au-
gust next. -.
Such delegates will be chosen by the
electors of the several States who sustain
the Administration in maintaining unbro-
ken the Union of the States, under the
Constitution which our fathers established,
and who agree in the following PROPOSE
tions, viz: -.
The Union of the States is, in every
case, indissoluble, and is perpetual; and
the Constitution Of the United States, and
the laws passed by Congress in pursuance
thereof, supreme and constant, and univer-