The Plymouth weekly Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1860-1869, 1867-09-12
Inaugural Address
Or GDy. REELSI.OF KENTUCKY

or being too i'll to undertake the task
Gov Helm, in his Inaugural, referrin
to Federal relations, said
III is my tirmest and most ardent hope
and tcndest wish and earnest prayer, tha
all the States may be restored to the
equal rights under the Constitution, an,
that the Union may be lasting as time it
sell. Thanks TO God, the tread Of armie.
. are no longer heard the roar of cannon
and the peals Of musketry are heard nc
longer; peace smiles benignantly in efful
gent beams throughout the length and
breadth of the Republic Now, my coun.
trymen. is the proper time to calm the
troubled waters, to heal all wounds and
disseDsiOns to restore concord and frater-
nifty, and nobly redeem the pledges which
we voluntarily and frankly made at the
commencement Of our late unhappy civil
war.
"As carly as 1861, Congress adopted al-
most unanimously, the celebrated Critten-
den resolutions, in which they proclaimed
to the world that this war is not wagcd on
our part in any spirit Of oppression nor
for the purpose of conquest or subjugation
or for the overthrow OF the established in
stitutions Of the States, but to defend and
maintain the supremacy Of the Constitu-
ton, and to preserve the Union, with all
the dignity, equality and rights Of the
States unimpaired.' Fortunately for Us.
the war is now over, the Federal Govern
ment is now everywhere fully restored and
it is full time that the faith of the nation,
SO solemuly plighted, shall be rcdcemed.-
Let us forget the past and forgive its er--
rors, remembering that 10 err is human, to
forgive divine and then when we no long
er keep the he'll of military despotism up
on the PEOPLE Of ten sister States, we may
employ ourselves against the tyranny OF
England toward Ireland, but the world
may think we may wei! be silent"
Referring to the exclusion Of the Con-
gressonal delegation, he said.
The people Of Kentucky have just
cause to complain Of the action of Con-
ercss in excluding from their seats the
representatives from this State who were
duly elected in accordance with all the
forms and requirements Of law, and who
had all the qualifications prescribed by the
Federal Constitution. Nothing can be
more explicit than the Constitution up
on this subject; for under article | sec
ton ,, we find the following:
"'Ihe House Of Representatives shall
be composed of members chosen every Sec
ond year by the people Of the seyera!
states, and the electors shall have the
qualifications requisite Tor the electors OF
the most numerous branch Of the State
Legislature.
80. No lerson shall be Representa-
tive who shall not have attained the age of
twenty-five Years and been Tor seven years
4 citizen of the United States, and Tor
three years "a citizen Of the State in which
he shall be chosen
These the sole qualifications requir-
ed by the Constitution, and Congress has
no constitutional power to add or subtract
from them. This is the Fundamental law. |
and it is admitted by both friend and foe
that our Representatives were all elected
by the duly qualified electors of the State
and that all OF them had the constitutions
al qualifications above enumerated. Know !
ing that these things are fully susceptible |
of proof and can not be successfully cen
tradicted or refuted, the foes Of consttu-
t'onal liberty point us to another article. /
which says: Zach House shall be the
judge OF the election, returns and qualiii- |
catlous of It's members Congress is ON
nipotent. Nothing can be more absurd or
more ut war with common sense and rea-
son. This clause III the Constitution is as
plain the one first cited, and is based on
justice, Tor 1t Is both necessary and prop
er that Congress should see that its mem
bers were elected by the people as prescri-
bed by the Constitute on, ana that they pos
sessed the qualifications required by it,
This is the beginning and cud OF Congress
sional discretion and power Oh the subject;
and If Massachusetts, or any other State
sees proper to seud Turks or Mormons.
Chinese or Arabs to Congress and they
are elected by the qualified voters, and are
twenty five years Old, and citizens of the
United States, they would undoubtedly be
entitled to their seats. kentucky fully
accords to every State the right to choose
It's own Representatives, in conformity
with the Constitution, whatever may be
thelr pOiltlcal opinions: ana sue claims
the right for herself Let any
other construction of the Constitution
prevail, and let it be understood that the
mere caprice, whlms and political prejudi-
ccs OF Congress are supreme uYon this su D.
Jcct, and 1t may not be long before Repre-
may be denied their seats because
they chance to be Protestant,, Catholics or
Democrats; and when elections are about
to take place the people will have no alter :
native but to send committees to Compress 4.
10 ask Of that body for whom it will ora
;Iously permit them to cast their votes
"At the last session of Congress our rem
'esentatives were present and ready to
axe the oath of office as prescribed bv
hat body but as yet they have not been :.
admitted TO their seats. / sincerely trust
however that the mists of passion and !,
prejudice will soon pass away, and that !,
kentucky will not much longer be denied
hose sacred rights which are guaranteed
Ter by the Constitution itself"
lie touches the negro question thus: h
Inc negroes everywhere throughout .