The tri-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1866-1868, 1868-06-09

come in until the fourteenth article or amenu-
ment becomes part of the Constitution OF
the United States. Pass this bill admit
Arkansas North Carolina, South. Carolina,
Georgia, Florida, Louisiana and Alabama,
and within forty days that amendment will
become a part of the Constitution. Iwen-
ty-two States, including Arkansas, have
adopted that article of amendment, and
there are six States with Legislatures ready
to adopt it whenever we enable them to do
so. When these six States shall have adop-
ted it, then twenty-eieht States will have
adopted it and it will become, If it is not
already, a part of the Constitution. be-
lieye that constitutional amendment, sub
mitted by the Thirty Ninth Congress, is al
ready part of the Constitution of the
United States, but many of the ablest legal
minds of the country doubt or deny it. The
Legislatures of Ohio and New Jersey have
Withdrawn the assent of those States to its
adoption. Whether they have a right to do
so or not, if the question remains an open
one, other States may follow their example.
Oregon votes next Monday, and it is posi-
bile that she may elect e Legislature oppos-
ed to the constitutional amendment, and
that Legislature may withdraw the assent of
that State.
If twenty eight States are necessary to the
adoption of that constitutional amendment,
implore the friends of that amendment
to admit these seven States at once. and
thus secure the twenty eight States necessa-
nv to make the amendment part of the
Constitution. If the votes of twenty-eight
States are necessary, then let us avail our
selves at once of the proffered vote of these
States The black men of the South, to
whom we intrusted the grand work of re-
storing the rebel States upon the basis of 10y
atty, liberty, and manhood suffrage, have,
with unsurpassed fidelity to principle and at
sacrifice that no people in our country
were ever summoned to make, achieved the
victory in seven States To them belongs
the high honor of restoring seven rebel
States and of Incorporating into the Con-
stitution those provisions that define Amer
lean citizenship and give it protection every
where within the limits of the Union, the
standing. make no partisan appeals. I
would vote for the admission of Arkansas
if believed she would cast her vote against
the party of unity and liberty in the coming
contest, In this work of restoration we
must trust the whole people of those States
and abide the consequences But, sir,
want the loyal people of these States to
share with us in the coming struggle that
shall settle or unsettle all that has
Deen dcnleVcO III tilc Heii anu In the
councils of the nation during the last
eight years. The men who have been so
true, who have born so much, suffered so
much, resisted so much, surely cannot fail
us in the great battle that is to settle forever
the issues we have fought for ON bloody
fields and struggled tor in these Chambers.
believe that these seven States now de-
handing admission, if restored at once, will
give more than one hundred Thousand ma
jority for General Grant.
hope that the motion made by the Sen
ator from Vermont Mr.. EGmunds will re-
ceive no support in the Senate. Hope, too,
that the motion made by the Senator from
Connecticut Mr.. Ferry will not prevail.
Gentlemen of great legal learning tell us
that it has no force III law whatever; other
gentlemen, equally learned in the law, tell
US that it has the binding force of law.
Whether it has legal force or not there is 1
am sure moral power in it. If, hereafter,
any attempt is made to change that portion
of the Constitution that guarantees equal
rights and privileges to ALL the friends of
equal rights will lean upon this fundamen-
tai condition for support. So believing I
shall vote against the amendment and all
amendments, and for the bill as it came to
us from the House of Representatives.
wish that the loyal representatives of these
seven States could at once take their seats
with US in these Chambers. Then we could,
in the language of that great Convention
representing three millions of voters, recent
ly assembled at Chicago, " congratulate the
country on the assured success of the recon-
struction policy of Congress"