The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1867-01-05

the sanction of tw0-thirds Of the men,
bers chosen by the several States to the
House Representatives. Twenty-Five
Senators, chosen by eleven States, and
fifty-five members of the House of Rep
resentatives, chosen by the people OF
eleven States not being admitted to
seats, nor counted in the pretended pas
sage of the resolution, and is not there
fore constitutionally committed. If it
be objected that by the construction,
contumacy or negligence upon the part
the States and people in refusing to
elect members, be found to defeat the
powers of Congress, the objection. is met
by the language of the Constitution,
which CONSTITUTES the members chos en-
the Congress. az z.S. 80
None are members and to be counted
as composing the Congress until they
are chosen by the people of the several
States to the House of Representatives
and to the Senate by the respective leg
islatures thereof. The objection that the
withdrawal of members and refusal to
attend will defeat the powers of Con-
gress is equally untcnable, because, by
the provision before quoted, less than
majority is vested with power to COM
pei the attendance of absent members
in such manner and under such penal
ties as each house may provide.
1t is idle to propose amendments to n
constitution, the existing provisions of
which are held at naught by those pro-
posing the amendments. Let them first
learn to obey that which already exists
before proposing amendments thereto.
In the language of my inaugural adj
dress, a departure from constitutional
faith is the foundation Of all the evils
now upon us. A return is the only per-
manent remedy. Kentucky has never
left this faith. She has given her blood
tn maintain and enforce the obligations
of the constitution upon her own peo-
pie in the Southern States and will
not now falter in demanding and exact
ing alike obedience from others, by all
the appropriate means at her command.
We cannot consent to the overthrow
and destruction of our government in
the hour of its triumph. The Consti-
tutional rights of the States, the right
ful obligations it imposes, have been
successfully indicated by the yalor
and blood of our sons, and we will not
now consent to the destruction OF
States whose stars gem our National
ilag, and whose people are orr people.
Whatever may have been their past
errors, true allegiance now is the only
proper test of loyalty to the existing
Government.
Let this test be applied to admit or
exclude whom it may 10 make the sup
port proposed change in the form of
government. The test on loyalty to
the existing constitutional government,
is far more iniquitous and unjust than
to make the past disloyalty a perpetual
test. The former destroys manhood.
The latter denies repentance and re-
form; pledges to support and maintain
government, which may be written on
paper, but they can only be given in
the heart.
The voluntary consent to support and
maintain government is the only true
pledge that cannot be obtained by
policy in conflict with constitutional
rights which Expresses and aliases those
from whom the pledge is eXactcd. A
true craftsmanship never yields princi-
pie to the fears of the timid, rhe vote of
the sectional, the eXactions of the
covctcouS, nor the desires of the parti-
san. If these be discarded from our
national councils, the wisdom of the
will prevail, the hopes of
the patriot revive, our discOrds be end
ed, and our security established.