Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1866-11-07

but in no manner sbridges the power OF Con-
gress, nor the rights or duty of Congress. 1t
farther conditions are necessary in order to
make the Union safe, and in order to secure
to the loyal people of the Government, the
effects for which they have carried on long
and bloody war, it is the duty Of Congress to
see that these conditions are imposed. will
take no moro time. gentlemen, in Discussing
the point as to whose duty it was and 10, to
impose conditions upon the rebellious states
1t has always seemed to me that there was no
question upon the subject, and NJ man who
pretends to have any knowledge Of constitu-
tioaal law, will say otherwise than that Con-
gress is the power, and the only power for the
purposes of which have spoken.
Are these conditions unjust to the South
Do they require any more than we, in justice,
have tho right to demand when they have
rebeIled against the government of the nation.
When we have been required to suffer such
an immense loss of life, and burden the coun-
try with such an Immense debt, and when 30
many, many homes throug bout the land have
been made desolate, and mournful, and sor-
rowful have we not . right to require all that
these constitu sional amendments do require
of them prior to their admission into the I'm
ion =! ls it any more than we ought to re-
oure in order to insure the safety of the loyal
people OF the North Let " look at these
amendments for q very few moments Ia detail.
The first amendment says
| "All persons born or naturalizad in the
| United States and subject to the jurisdiction
thereof, are citizens of the United States and
of the state wherein they rsside. No state
shall make enforce any law which shall
abridgs the privileges or immunities OF citi1sns
OF the United States nor shall any state de-
prive any person of life, liberty, or property
without due process of Law, nor deny to any
person within its jurisdiction the equal pro'sc-
| ton Of the lave
Now, more than ever before, is it important to
/ have an amendment to the Constitution OF the
United States 80 that there shall be one uni
versal rule Of citizenship, throughout the Unit
| ed States. We psveg d. ubtsd liz Vermont or
in North Carolina but What psrson born up
on our soil-who should 6rst see the light mp
on our soil-and should live bore from that
time forward. was cisiIen. Ii WA hardly
doubted thiak. anywhere in ,hs Ua.sd States
until it was brought abeut by that Infamous
bred Scott decision. a. Mr.. E!m.uds has al
ready told you. That dcs'rips-thata negro
has no rights that whine man j. bound TO re-
spect-es,abli.hes ;hs fac, that, ia sHms man
ner, we should have uniform and wsll ds6ned
rul. OF citizenship. Bs, thsrs i. great deal
more than this 10 reference 20 tais amend
ment.
The Civil Rights Bill, v.toed b' President
johnson, and passed over his vsto by two
thirds vote, snbodiss ihs sam. prirc plss a.
are embraced 10 this iols " tne amendment,
and | have heard il asked Whe: is the
necessity. while We havs he Ci,i. Rights Bill
of adopting sush az ansnlne 1 as th;se You
assume that ConSress .r.ssy p1Ssssa-s the
power TO pams law Ike thif, u1w ss-t dc
you want to smbody th. same law ia Constr.
tutional am Omen, f, ?" All u. ssn't yov
know that Prs.idsst j.hnson. wax he vetoed
that Bl-,hs Civil Rights BAi-vs.t Ito
very long ana ingenious srgsGaa: |. p,ove
that the bill wss unconstitutional, Asd hal
not the Chisf Justice ST Ni..i,s ppi decided
that it is unconstitutional spS vudl Have ",
no, Supreme c 'ur? AID /. ih.rs not som'
little danger that il this sslJ lsw j
would come before them soms OF shsss days
We have now on ,hs Supreme Beach nin
tlJudges, which by lay are 10 - r.suasd psrma
nentiy TO seven 81 any future v.cA.ci-s- Fou
OF these concurrsd il that terrible bred SCOT
decision. We hav. trusted .ons wha! TO Prov
l idencs that those four would bs taken ava,
: hrst-bui God in his ins-ru,sbls proviisnc
: may otherwise decree. Whom We T.lao n Der ths
these four Nan no the hiss position wh;c
d they do, We should endeavn. 10 plaza :uch law
as these above al courI, Supreme other
wise. and snIbody them Ia To. shsrssr 81 gu
e Ia; d-ths Cor .;itu.ion i;s.f l. !. aid tbs
q the veto Of President Johusos vpon Ins Civ
e Rlsats Bill uss written by his present ga, nc
[ wiser, has Attorney General. | douos yer
: much, ysst. II Inc P'ssiisnt ev.r wr9is ihs
u d0camtnt himself rhfre j. gT.at cal
Is importance attached to this matter. gent.
q We cain To have Inc po~sr n congress
e pass .uCh 4 bill this Civil Rights bri. bu
Is suppose Congress passes such a bill end it
pronounced unconstitutional By the Suprsm
10 Court cannot well be claimed that We ha,
j the right to proisct Southern, loyal, Viii
man even. under any clause in the presei
a. Constitution Suppose the men Of the Sou'
Is are elected 10 office. and have their Judges at
( other offices filled by such men as they choo
o TO elect-wh.re would be The protection Of Il
50 loys! m n-"hite men if you chooss-of Il
or South | recollec,, not long since, of tslkir
er with gentleman from Virginia. lie lived
80 the neighborhood of Culp.pper Cour, Hous
IN and had been employed upon various pub
10 works IN Virginia and knew The land pertsctl
st lie went with Sheridan upon lis raid throui
d. the valley and aided our troops in various Wa
y. during the war, and he said to me L
IN Virginia be permitted TO place such men
III office as she should choose 10 elect, and h:r
10 self, and every like himself througho
at Virginia IN one week would be hanged upon
Gu tree And precisely with the fresdme
AZ Unless We adopt this amendment, the men VI
x there now, will cease to live. They cannot .
NC list unless we give them protection, for I
81, South, II left 10 themselves In the matter
VI elections, will not place such men in office
81 will protect them. Ia every election for sts
'se or county officers has any one Of my heart
eir ever read of a Union man being elected ? II
he single instance come to the knowledge Of a
To, one of you where q man who has remained
lat Union man throughout the war; do not me
,ue kuch men as AleXander II Stsnhape Tho pY
en- fessed Union sentiments, bu, who went "
IN, the traitors nos~iths,anding-I mean q II
at Union man, has ever been placed 10 Office ?
ny you have heard of such an instance, you hs
ne. heard something that l have not heard, ye
eo Very little has been said about this phase
cn this amendment In the discussions 10 tie ne,
CO. papers, but. if We would save he Union n
NC IN the South, white or back, it behoovss US
40 see that this amendment becomes part OF
ne' Consultation of the United States. and a.
We It's Justice and universal propriety, take it
I'd one will undertake to contra dict IL
ein Next comes, gentlemen, the amendment
GU reference TO representation. Il reads:
~ Representatives shall be apportionsd amo
nv the several states according to their respect
H. numbers, counting the whole number Of psrs
tes in each state. excluding lndisns not tax
ont But when the right to vote at any election
the choice OF electors for President and
o.. Presiden, of he United States, Repressntati
~ in Congress, the executive and judicial oflc
ac of 4 state. OF the members of the legislat
70, thereof, ls denied to any Of the male inhsl
I'D ants of such state being twenty one years
,~r age and ctlsens Of the United States, or in
e.s way abridged, except for participation in
-; teliion or other crime, the basis of reprsssI
w. ton therein shall be reduced in the proper,
20. which the number OF such male citisens q
bear to the whole number of inale r. I, 4