Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1867-01-04
CONGRESSIONAL.
ADMISSION OT NEDRAsKA.


Vermont. II understood the argument and OBJ
servations Of The Senator rightly, bis principle is
this that under that clause of the Constitution
which declares that thc congress may admit new
states INTO this Omon' 90 BE- competent Ior Con
grcss Co annex as fundamental conditions any re-
quirements chat Congress may -,e lit' and ON Che
consent of the people OF ihe Ieuioy 90 those
conditions, b they are declared Co Dee lueyocabe,
without the consent OF congress, they are TO roe
main in force as law forever, or so long W Con
gress wnlholds iis consent. am 10 state the
proposition OF The Senator iary u ial TO do
$50 ] wish Doe would correct mc.
Mr. EpMJNDS. on have stated it exactly.
Mr. HOWARD. Now, '-ll cannot under
any circumstance give my consent FOO that pruci-
Pile. do not believe Congress po,scsse. such 81
power The power granted is supple and piaiu
% s to admit new States INTO ims Union. 10
admit new States INTO the Union is 10 invest those
States, ol coursc, and necessarily, with every
power every faculty. every constitutional proNs-
ION which pertains TO any OF the states pa the
Union under the Consultation IL S to impait TO
the new States the same rights of legislation, the
same sovereign power that belongs 20 the old states
or TO any other States, Tor DOB respect 90 pulura
power. BE- impossible 90 Che very nature 40 things
that there should not bc perfect equality among
the states.
II We may ain'N am ine'ocaole' fundamental
condition which is 10 mdcthc thc constitution OF
'f'i NV .'tt't ''''.' '''''t'''' ''' '.'
sequences which will not DE entirely agreeable
TO thc people of the United state. For instance
% we may annex as fundamental condition that
the black man shall have an equal fleht to vote
with the white man, we may with equal propueiy
and with equal assertion OF law say ihat the whole
population, male ana female, black aud white,
shall possess Oh, night, and We may incorporate DO
in the State constitution in the form of tins SOC
called rrcyocable condition. NOT TO bee repealed or
altered without the consent OF congress
We may 90 iurtheri we may declare that m
their constitution ihe people OF Territory shall
enact that real estate shall descend unequally to
the heir law OF "a decedeni that u shall de-
scend entirely 10 the male heirs or entirely 10 the
female heirs; we may declare that this coisiitu-
ton shall contain clause prohibiting the resort
TO any legal proceedings for the collection of debt
leaving every debt as am Obligation OF honor, TO
be discharged according TO the SENSE Of honor that
may happen TO be entertained 10y The debtor. In
deed, We may 90 through all the details OF state
policy, state legislation ami individual rights as
regulated by ilc constitutions OF the States
Even further than this, we may here 900 these
Chambers draft and enact not only constitution
tot the state which contemplated TO be admitted.
but we all may enact an entire code OF laws for
The State and Ton all its cu2rns and a!l lts nhab-
itaHts, Organizing its courts OF Justice. and max
ing provision for every cNgeuc! mat ARISES 10 SOC
citty under State cor suiulon; and We can 90
go jar HN t' h''IHi'f "''"lNllE '' ' "I E"l'Il Ul
the honorable senator from Vermont that tle aa-
sent OF the people Of tbe Icnitoy to this State
constitution formed here, 10 TINS toue OF laws
iolmcd here, shall be- rre'ocahle without DE con-
sent Of Congress What then, becomes of State
rights? Why, Fir, DO is merely converting the
Congress of tie United States INTO mandatory
of new States and new State constitutions. 1t
denies 10 the people OF the States almost ALL yes,
/ all, substantially, of those original aud iumemo-
/ rai rights which have been exercised by the PEG
/ Pile OF the States ever since the di@cIuion of om
I connection with Great Britain
! Sir, cannot 'otc for any such ooctrinc as this,
and | do not believe that this sweeping principle
| or rather claim, viii ever meet The appreciation OF
| the people Of the United States. | know it will
! never meet the sanction OF that great, patriotic
and loyal party in the country whom we represent
| here IL is one Of those extreme ideas which can
not be OF any value placed IN the ioim Of legs-
| latioL, and Il in that form, can produce nothing
but mischief, and that continually. ! said yester-
| day aud repeat it to-day, that under the pener-
| al terms ia which the power to admit new States
is granted in the Constitution, Congress may. il
/ itsees lit annex conditions 70 the admission; that
| is prescribe acts TO be performed by the people OF
| The Territory before they become state but al
| ter they have become State. they have the same
! power over their internal affairs which has ever
/ been possessed by the people of any and all the
! other States OF the Union We cannot take away
| from them the night of amending and reforming
] 81 al.