The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1867-01-05

their passion, to The destruction of
that Government which has Just been
so successfully aud triumphantly sus-
tained and vihdicated by the vaior
I and endurance of our soldiers. This
| denial is made under the pretense of
love for the Union, when 1t is patent
that nothing bat / desire to perpetu-
ate power In the hands Of sectional
party prompts their action. The just
balance "a of power between the
State and National Governments is
sought to be destroyed, and the CEN
! tralization of power to be established
1 in the Federal Government, through
amendments to the Constitution,
which, if successful, will destroy
those rights reserved to the States and
the people, and which are essential to
the preservation of free government.
| After discussing the mode of pro-
cedure in Congress relative to the
/ Amendment TO the Constitution, pro-
posed by a joint resolution, the Gov
lsernor concludes: ura 5 .md7iw za
It-only requires twe-thirds of a
quorum, or of those present, consti-
| tuting a quorum, to impeach; but to
propose amendments, two-thirds of
both houses Of Congress must, con-
bcur, not two thirds Of a quorum or of
those present, but two7thirds, of both
houses The resolution submitting
the. proposed amendments does not
come to us with the sanction of two
thirds of the members chosen by
the several States to the House
of Representatives and Senate.
Twenty-Five Senators chosen by eleven
States, and fifty five members of the
House of Representatives chosen by
the people of eleven States not being
admitted to. seats nor counted in the
pretended passage of the resolution,
and is not therefore constitutionally
submitted. If it be objected that by
this construction contumely, or neg
ligence upon the part. States and
people in, refusing to elect members
would defeat the powers of Congress,
the objection is met by the language
of the Constitution, which constitutes
the members chosen the Congress,
and members are to be counted
as composing the Gongressswhen they
are chosen by the people Of the sever
al States, to the House of Representa-
tives and tothe Senate blythe 'respec-
tive Northumberland. The objec-.
tion that the Withdrawal Of members
Jefa, Jed retgsa fba oTt to d attf9d adgrs ESp4d
equally untenable; because, by the
spr ogisi onsA before quotedy less even
than amajorityl isivested with power
to compel fhe attendance of absent
members, IN such manner and under
such penalties as each House may
prescribe. fif'7
1t iside to propose amen dmentsst6
Constitution the existing provisions
of which are held atnaught by those
proposing the amsndment. Let them
first learn to obey that which already
exists before proposing amendments
therefor In the language of my in >
auguraEz address, "a departure frome
constitutional faith is the foundation
of all the evils now now upon us. A re-.
turn to such faith is the only perma-
nent remedy, Kentucky has ever
kept this faith. She has given her
blood to maintain and enforce
the obligations Of the Consti-
tuition upon her own people
OF the Southern States, and will
not now -falter in demanding and
exacting Ike obedience from others
by all appropriate means at her COM
mand, We cannot consent to the
overthrow and destruction of our
Government in the hour of its tri-
l-umph., The constitutionality of the
|. States, land the rightful obligations it
imposes, have been successfully as
serted and vindicated by the valor and
| blood of our sons, and we will not now
consent to the destruction of States
whose stars gem our national flag, and
whose people are our people. What
ever may have been their past errors,
true allegiance now is the only pro-
per test of loyalty to the existing con
stitutionalGovernment. Nothing can
be more Ubiquitous and unjust than to
make the past dislOyalty perpetual
test. The formerabuses and destroys
manhood, the latter denies re-
pentance and reform. Pledges
to support and maintain government
maybe written onpaper, but they can.
only be given in the heart Volunta-
~ consent to support and maintain a
government. is the ouly true pledge,
ThHsS cannot lie obtained by a policy IN
conf ct with the Constitutional right,
and which oppresses and abuses them
from whom the pledge is exacted. A
true statesmanship never yields prin-
ciples to the fears Of the timid, the
hate of the sectional. the exactions of
the covetous, nor the desires Of the
partisan. IF these be discarded from
our national councils, the wisdom of
the Creator will prevail, the hopes of
the patriot revive, our discords will
be ended and our security established.