Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1867-02-09
to all other Governments or pretended Gov.

What is the organization Of Government
the people within any of the Territories of Il
United States were there exists no acccpte
constitutions. States Government, and pr
scntation thereof to the Congress of the In
ted States asking it's approval, but the simn
exercise OF the right of petition Aud y,
the gentleman puts into tlis Bill provisic
that the eleven States lntcly in rebellion, c.
:rpt Tennessee, may form valid States Co
rrnmcnt in the following manner" and snl
)cct to the foregoing forfeiture and denial
right.
| lhlrd. Because it undertakes to forfeit Il!
| rights OF large majority of tue Souther
people as cnlzrns, and places them upon til
same iootlno with unnaturLizcd foreigners. "
submit to this House," said Mr.. Binuha,,
and submit to that great body of frecmc
represented by this House, that the Congress
or tho Cnltcd States has no culnr of nutlor
~ for providing by law. first, that T. lilo
persons, nainral,born male citizcus OF tbs r.
pnblc aud resident therein, are no longer cit
zcns OF the United States and next, that ii,
people Of ten States lately in nsurrcction ma
not form Constitution of State Government
otherwise than us provided in and thronol
,h's Blil aud yet this Bill so declares"
But, sir, there is further provision in thi
n'i' 10 winch ask the attention of the House
and that is Tic provision of the fourth section
tlink more monstrous atrIcity never wa
presented in the form of legislation to th
american Congress for it's consideration |
is, that
+" No person shall be deprived of the righ
TO vote, otherwise dsfrarchiscd by reason o
conviction and punishment for any crime 9th
or than Tor nsnrrcction or treason or misnris
on of treason"
constitution of State Government whicl
upon lis face shall declare that no person TO,
crime shall nc denied the elective franchise
OF pc otherwise distranchiscd within the State
save persons convicted Of instruction, tren.
son, or n'sprison Of treason What is this
the insurgcnt Statcs shall SO frame their Con
stitutions of State Government that thieves
robbers and assassins shall never be deprived
of the right of the elective franchise it vii
be approved; otherwise their Constitutions
will be rejected. The Bill will bear no Other
construction than this.
Fourth. The seventh Section of Mr. Ste
vcns' Bill provides that, call laws shall b'
impartial without regard to language, race, Of
former condition. If the provisions Of thi:
section should ever be altered, repealed, OK
plunged, or in any way abrogatcd, this ac
Shall become void and said State loose it
right to be represented in Congress"
Mr.. Bingham thus disscnts from the latter
part of this proposition: 6
1t is al iusuperablc objection to this Bill
that it is dccrccd of perpetual obligation upol
the State md nation never to be altered or ab
rogatrd; and that only in pursuance of it
conditions can State be adGitted to repre-
srntation or be permitted to retain representa-
lives IN CHhgrcss after admission"
* y x
do not propose myself to support any sue
legislation, for the reason that with my pres
ent convictions the Congress of the Unite
States has neither the power nor color of pow
er 10 do this. II is in vain that gentlemen sa
it is only to protect the freedmen in thei
rights
am not going, under the pretence of
lnawkish humanity, under the pretence
throwing guards about the sacred right Of lit
crty, to take away the right OF a free pcopl
| to amend and alter their Constitutional Go,
crnmcnt at their pleasure, subject only to I'll
limitations OF the Constitution Of my cou'
| try.
will never, with my present conviction
duty, Incorporate by law upon the statu
book of this Union Il provision which knocl
out the cornerstone Of the fabric of Amer
can Government
do not forget, sir. the words of Wnshin
ton, transmitted to us. When about to su
render his public trust, he declared " the b
sis of our political system is the right of tt
people to make and alter their Constitution
of Government.
cannot, Mr.. Speakers; for the reaso
which | have stated, pronounce the Bill pr
sented anything else than Bill of anarch
II sweeps away all the laws in those States
1t declares the laws and all Acts done und
them void, and subjects the people thereof
such laws as may hereafter be enacted,
Sir, am not to be thus driven into Vi
lation of the letter and spirit Of the Cons
A. &c Al Il