The Cadiz sentinel. [volume] (Cadiz, Ohio) 1864-1911, 1867-09-11
Governor Nelm's inaugural

1t is my fondeSt wish, most ardent hone
and earnest prayer that all the States ma,
be restored to their equal rights under tn,
Constitution, and that the Union NAV b,
as lasting as time itself
Thanks to God, the tread CT OF hostile ar
mics is no longer heard; the roar of cannon
and the peals of musketry are husked, anC
| peace-blesSed, glorious peace-sheds hel
| beniguant and effulgent beams throughout
the entire length and breadth of the Repub
lie!
Now, my oountrymen, is the proper time
to calm the troubled waters, to heal all
wounds and dissenSons, to restore concord
and fraternity, and nobly to redeem the
pledges which we voluntarily and frankly
made at the commencement of our late and
unhappy civil war.
As early as 1861, Congress adopted, al.
most unanimously, the celebrated Critten-
den resolution. in which they proclaimed to
the wOrld-~-"That this war is not waged, on
our part, in any spirit Of oppression, nor for
any purpose Of conquest and subjugation,
nor for the purpose of overhowing or inter
terlng with the established institutions of
the States, but to defend and maintain the
supremacy of the Constitution, aud to pre-
serve the Union with all the dignny, equal
ity and rights Of several States unim paired;
that, as soon as these objects are accom-
phshed, the war ought to cease" Fortu-
nately for us all the war is now over, the
authority OF the Federal Government is eve
ry where fully restorrd, and it is full time
that the faith Of the nation, so solemny
pIighte1, should be redeemed. Let US for
get the bitterness Of the past
Let Us forgive It's errors remenhar;ng
that TO err is 6nman tn forp,ve diy;ne anI1
then, when we no lcnrer Keen The heel Of
military desDotism uD0n the neonIa Of ton
sister States, we NAV cry ont oSoinst tho
oppression of ENGLAND arainst Ireland If
Russia against Hungary; but the worIj viii
think that we may well be silent tiil then
EXCLUSION Ov FrENTrcSy FROM roNaprss
Referring to the exclusion nf tbe 5aln~,
ton. he saws: TIE peo,la of Kentnckv
have iust cause to comnlaip Of fhe a,t;on o{
CONGRESS. in excluding from their seats the
representatives from the State, who vera
duly elected in accordance with fhe G,rme
and requirements of law, and who had ali
the qualifications prescribed hy the Federal
Constitution. Nothing can be more exnIic.
it than the Constitution upou this subjnct,
for, under article first, section second, we
find the following:
|. The House of REPRESENTATIVES shall
be composed Of members chosen every sec.
ona year by the people of the several States,
and the electors Of each State shall have
the qualifications requisite for electors of
the most numerous branch Of the State Leg
islature
2. No person shall bo a Representative
who shall not have attained the age of TWEEN
ty-five yers and been seven years citizen
Of the United States, and shall not, when
elected have been an inhahitant Of the State
in which he shall be chosen.
POWER or CONGRESS IN THE PREMISES.
These are the sole and entire ouaIifca.
tiOns which are required by the Constitu-
ti0n, and Congress has no Constitutional
power to add to or subtract from them.-
This is the fundamental law, that our Rep.
resentativcs were al elected by the dniv
qualified voters of the .>tate. and that all of
them had the Constitutional qualifications
above enumerated. Knowing that these
things are fully susceptible of proof and can
not bo successfully c0ntrldicted or refnted,
the foes Of Constitutional liberty nnint nc n
another article of the Constitution, which
says: Each House shall be the Judge at
the election returns and Qualifications of its
own members" 4" and under this clause claim
that Congress is omnpotent upon this sub
iect, and can deprive free people ofreprc.
sentation. Nothing can be more absurd or
1t war with common sense and reason ~
The clause in the Constitution is a plan as
hose first cited. and is based on Justice, for
t was both necessary and proper that Con |
yress should see that all its members were
elected by the voters prescribed bv the Gan
'titution, and that they possessed the oual. |
icatlonS required by it. .
This is the beginning and end of the Con |
discretion and power upop this
,ubject, and if Massachusetts, or another
State sees proper to send Turks Or Nor. |
nons Chinese or Arabs, to Congress. and |
hey are elected by the qualified voters. and |
ire twenty five years old, and citizens of the
United States. they would undoubfedly hs
ntitled to their seats. Kentucky fully ac-
ords to every State the right to choose its
'wn representatives, in conformity with the
whatever may be their politi.
al opinions, and she claims the same right
or herself.
Let any other construction of the Ccnsti
utlon prevail, and let it be understood that
he merh caprice, whims and political prei.
dices of Congress are supreme upon this
utject, and it may not be long before Rep.
may be denied their seats be-.
ause they chance to be Frotestants. Catho
cs or Democrats, and when elections are
bout to take place, the people will have no
lternative left them but to send commit
ees to Congress to ask of that body for
HON they will graciously permit them to
asst their votes.
AT the last session of Congress our Rep
asentatives were present and ready to take
le oaths Of Office os prescribed by that bo-