The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1868-02-07

'nC StHtcS, tnc only effect OF admitting
or excluding negroes from the ballot,
in any state, would be to change its
number of votes in the other House of
Congress, and in the Electoral College.
The second assumes that we are still
at war; that the Southern States are
not States in the Union at all, but con-
qucrcd provinces, with no Legislatures
which can either ratify or reject CON
stitutional amendment; that the white
people of these States shall no longer
have any power over the question of
suffrage that Congress, by the bayonet,
Will disfranchise the whites and enfran-
chiee the blacks; and thus by military
power ana negro votes compel the adop-
ton ofa new Union and a new Consti-
tuition. Because they rejected the con-
stilutionm amendment Congress now
resorts to the bayonet and negro -uf-
frage to compel its adoption
True, | admit they did reject the
amendment, But how did they reject
II" by the votes of their Legislatures.
The could reject it in no other way, for
it was only to thci7 Legislatures that
Congress submitted the question. But
how could their Legislatures reject it
if they had no Legislatures at all? If
they had Legislatures which could re-
ject ii they had Legislatures which cold
ratify it. 70 do either is the highest act
OF Il state Legislature, fer ii then acts
upon the fundamental law not only Of
It's own state and people, but Of all the
people OF the United States. tOuCcding
they had power, a. you claim, to reject
your amendment, by what shadow of
right do you deny to those Legislatures
power to choose Senators in this body :?
As well deny TO il living body the right
to breathe.
But perhaps you say if they had rati-
fed the amendment, then they had Leg
islaturcS which had the right to vote
But rs they voted to reject il, they had
no Legislatures, and no right to vote
In other words, if they voted with you
they had right to vote; if they voted
against you, they had no right 20 vote
at ALL
Aetin, sir; all the world knows the
whole object of the war was to put down
the rebellion and to maintain the union
of States under the Constitution. Ev-
cry act and resolve of Congress, every
dollar spent, every blow struck, every
drop of blood shed, was to compel the
people and the States of the South to
live in the Union and obey the Consti-
tuition. And now that we have sue
ceeded, now that the people and the
States of the South have SURRENDERED to
the Constitution and laws, You say that
they shall not live in the Union under
this Constitution at all. They shall
first form another Union and come into
that tnion under another or an amen
, deu constitution.
Mr.. PRESIDENT, having thus shown
that this first answer to that question il
2 unreasonable, inconsistent and absurd
! repeat the question second time
" ny lIicse VI ies,u "o''iiliatioh Over
@ a'i. WI Mn''.2 VI INV ''''"''' "''"' ie'Soi
r N"', sou ,.,,,.., ,-..
, ..,,,,,',,'i oevono unImei ~, nGcuuso .he ne
! f,ooa "e,e oSa' .,; ANY, tnG WHITES ulsioSal
p ~. ~ S"I,,,aiu pnn ',.to H. o1au "9SI.ttoh.
49,. !, u w uc ,i iteoa.i 't'c Lnc's. Nho uoe
nE' al ti'o = .,,"t u. h ,eas'
| ~ -, y. \, ~" N"iiD
e smstnin the rehel camsea Thaug gSIft feI tha
armies: thev dug their trencRes. the
v built their tortifications they fed thei
u women and children Thnre warn N
l. insurrections. no uprisin0s uo offnrt ,
y any Kind anywherd outside the lines =
our armies on the mart octhe neornn. +
h aid the Union cause In wbSir III.
t tricts in whole States even. where al
the able-bodicd white mrn We're CON
Il scriptud into the rebel army. the rrcn
mass of negroes of whose loyalty yo
y boast under the control of women, dc
crcpid old men and boys, did all the
u were capable of doing to aid the rebel
g lion.
d And, sir, shall we make no ai!oWanc
= for the great mass of the Southern pee
pie who, by force, by terror, by porsua
G sion, by the abandonment of the COY
l. ernment, and by all the oXcitcmcnts
II passions and necessities of actual wal
II Wcr" plunged into that terrible coniliC
II by the Radicals of the South rs by
Is power they could not control: We a
n know the influence over any party q
1t community of a small, well organize
IT minority, strong in will and reckless {
:; consequences. What have we seen i
u the Republican party Itself within III
d last three years ::