Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1867-02-01
TIE ON HI NEBRASKA
RIIT.


From the National In~teligencer.l
The debate on the admission of Ne
braska was one which the country will
I DO well to scrutinize. No man who
loves his country could listen to the eX-
t%raOrdinary doctrines avOwed in the
course of that discussion without feel
ing that constitutional liberty il endan-
gered by the ill-considered notions OF
The self-styIed champions Of liberty.
The bill, as it came from the senate,
contains three sectioDs-the first ratity-
ing and accepting the constitution, and
declaring Nebraska " admitted into the
union on an equal footing with the
original thirteen states in all respects
whatsoever The second AYERS that the
state is entitled to the rights and subject
to the conditions of the enabling act OF
April 70. 1864. The third subjects this
act 10 " the fundamental perpetual con-
dition" that within the state there
shall be no abridgment or denial Of the
exercise OF the elective franchise or OF
any other right to any person by rea-
son Of race or color, excepting Indians
not taxed"
When this bill came from the senate,
Mr.. Ashley, the chairman of h com
mittee on territories, proposed to rush 1t
LlEAL LuLOuZAs ulACA lAAG OIEAAA4bAA Vi AAAE
previous question. This was stOutly re-
sisted. and two DAYS have been given TO
this discussion, for the majority uc-
ceeded in fixing on three o'clock yester-
day as the hour when the vote should be
taken. Part of Monday and three hours
yesterday were accordingly allowed for
the discussion of the very important ques-
lions involved. 1t became manifest from
the drift Of the debate on Monday that
the bill could not pass unless it contained
some further guaranty of the right of ne
gro suffrage, and accordingly Mr.. Bout
well cOncOcted the scheme OF giving a
more authoritative commitment Of the
state of Nebraska to the doctrines Of
what Mr.. Garfield calls linen of adj
vanced views,'' by proposing as another
condition Z" that the legislature OF said
state by a solemn act shall declare the
assent Of said state TO the said fundamen-
tai condition, and shall transmit to the
president OF the United States an anthem
tic copy of said act, upon receipt whereof
the president, by proclamation, shall
forthwith announce the fact, ~whereupon
said fundamental condition shall be held
as part Of the organic law of the state"
etc.
On this a spirited debate took place.
4 lie SPECIFIES were NbAllutu ~ lllAENlG
minutes, and some gentlemen divided up
their time. BY some the extraordinary
doctrine was avOwed that congress had
the right 10 dictate any conditions of ad-
mission, and that if the people of a state
so admitted subsequently, repudiated the
conditions, congress could enforce them
at the point OF the sword. The owe Of
proposition, which undertakes TO
the legislature with the extra
ordinary power Of altering the organic
conceded that it had no legal effect,
but that it morally committed the
state to negro suffrage, and that
Is the party moving for an alteration
will then be in the wrong" This is Mr..
idea of a constitution, that a
party majority may at any time override
il in order to gain a partisan advantage :
One luminous gentleman informed the
house, when referring TO the interpreta-
ton Of the constitution, that the de-
Of the supreme court are only
binding upon the supreme court and upon
matters that come before it." Messrs.
Allison, Wilson Of Iowa, and others,
declared that under no circum-
could they be induced to vote
for the admission Of any state which
suffrage TO any class on
OF race OF tOlDIs III LDElI ]
therefore, the proposed cOnstitu-
tional amendment is a delusiOn and a
snare to the southern people. Mr.. Rey-
mOnd Enthusiastically avOwed his pur-
pose to vote for the amendment, though
against the bill. His reason for the first
was as weak rs his argument for the lat
ter wasrstrong. Mr.. Bingham made a
ive-minute argument against the amend
ment, as clear, as fOrcible and as eloquent
IS could well be compressed ia so
brief a space, and 10 any but a house
on a partisan end, irrespective of
constitutional limitation, il could not
to be convincing. He Indignantly
the p~retensions Of those to be
the special champions of liberty who
iisregarded that great charter of our
rights, the constitution, under p~reteEse
lf abolishing determinations against the
OF Mr.. Stevens we have else
spoken. Mr.. Garfield called upon
Al who held advanced views to vote for
amendment as "a step in the right
Erection whatever its legal effect, il
morally binding, aud would hold
,ver the heads Of the people OF Nebraska
he consequences OF a breach Of their
.ovenant-thoUgh he did not specify
What these were. Mr.. Ashley did not
.Ndcliy approve OF luls OIL, Out called
Ipon all the friends Of negro suffrage TO
for il.
Altogether, listening TO the ultraists in
.ebate, one would think hat the func-
ions Of this congress had been enlarged;
hat the constitution was an antiquated
Instrument that state legislatures are
ut the servants Of congress that the
OF a territory had nothing to do
obey unquestioningly the mandates
( this imperial body that the nation
self was in the hands Of a few men Of
nperious will and exacting temper.
fortunately, however, there are some
entlemen in the ranks Of the dominant
arty who hold different, but old-fash-
lned, OF what our neighbOr Of the
Ar0Ricle would elegantly term "rebel, -
about the limitations Of congress
iOnal authority, the supremacy Of the
ecisiOns Of the supreme court, and the
ight Of the people Of a state to regulate
heir own domestic affairs, including the
oasis and we have faith, that
iolent as may o seem partisan zeal,
be right will triumph in the end.