Nebraska advertiser., 1867-03-07

for such a report. We admit the grass.
hopper, but deny the Mad itch"
Mr.. EDrroR : VIII you permit me
through your columns 10 a few words in
self.defenee';
In your paper of 28ih February a short
notice of what you please to call the
strangest portion Of re proceedings of
what you style The State Legislature.
Whether the body Of men referred to
were a State Legislature or not they re-
fused to do 50 aud dIdnt lake an oath to
support the State Constitution.
You seem 70 consider. it remarkable
that a member would vote against the
indefinite p-Ostponement of a bill and then
on lis final passage refuse to vote for or
against it. This may be somewhat strange
not more strange than was The bill itself,
which, if anything, was only a Legislative
act which proposed 10 alter he COnsti.u-
ton Of the State Of Nebraska without
having been requested TO DO any such
thing by any number of the people Of
Nebraska.
Your article says if any of our mem
bers were instructed that / was that man.
On this I have only to say that instead of
being instructed upon this subject previ-
Gus 10 or at the time of the election, l
had no. so much as heard that it was pro.
posed or expected that the State Legis-
Ialure wousa be Fequired in any respect
10 alter or amend the State Constitution
for Nebraska, for had understood and
do yet understand the Constitution to pro-
vide for its own amendment in a manner
that would absolutely prohibit the I'M
authorized Legislature from any such
action.
You rightly state that I opposed the
adoption of the Constitution, in your last,
because of the distinction it made Oh
account of color, and that / took no pains
to conceal il, This, perhaps, is unfortu-
nate for me, but il is nevertheless true.
that l never fell ashamed of any princi-
pie that l believed was right. therefore,
have always acted openly and without re-
serve.
You say you think l took particular
pains ito spread" You may be right
about this, I will not dispute with you
about it. am free to admit that depressed
my views frankly; bus then my effort at
the spread was not so ~eminenIly success
full as yours. John, when you "spread"
clear over the Traitorous Andy Johnson
and the Loyal Majority in Congress both
within a few days, during last summer,
and then that magic "sprea63' Of yours
when you "spread" clear over from the
most rabbid opponent Of negro suffrage
at the lime Of the formation of the STATE
Constitution, to the most blatant advocate
Of the policy TO force negro suffrage upon
the people by a body Of men entirely uu-
authorized by The people 10 do any such
thing.
These are evidences Of great prohci-
ency in the act Of "~spreading.' but
whether It's exercise in such unrestrained
quantities is a qualify calculated to fit a
man for a safe leader of the great Re-
publican party of Nemaha County, or
not, is questioned by many whose respect
able standing in the party extends back
to its first formation.
You say you cannOI imagine why |
should dodge" a vote to sustain the
principles upon which my political faith
has seemed SO firmly fixed My political
faith has seemed to me to be firmly fixed
fer many years that the whole people
shoald be the sole judges as to the Con-
stitution and Laws that shall govern them.
and, as / am not as famous for spread
ing'' my political faith as sOme experts
in the business, / have not been able 10
spreads over to the opinion that a Leg.
i~slalure uninstrucied and not elected for
any such purpose has the right 10 alter
or amend a.Slase Constitution, and faslen
it upon the people without their consent.
!, perhaps, should have voted against
the bill anyhow, and most certainly would
hare done so had their been any hope Of
defeating il. And, lest you ~misappre-
bend my views. I want 70 say TO you that
I did oppose the acceptance Of The IN
dilions imposed By Congress, and would
have defeated il il i bad been in my