Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1868-04-07
Old Thad. Stevens again Declares that he
~ acts outside the Constitution 81

In the House. Saturday, Mr.. Stevens, OF
Pennsylvania, rose at the clerk sdesk, and said
Mr. Speaker, / desire to say few words in ref.
erence to the condition of this BILL Some time
ago, Congress passed an act authorizing Alaba-
| ma and other waste territories of the United
States to form constitutions if possible, so as to
make them fit to associate with civilized COM
munities. It gave them certain length Of
| time for the purpose of doing so. It was pro-
me to say, that the State of Alabama and the
other States, after having all their voters regis
tered, should require majority of all the reg
lstered voters to adopt such constitutions. I'm
fortunately, Alabama did not find a majority to
come up to the law which had been passed. 1t
| failed of that majority by considerable num-
Der. The House had seen this difficulty before
it finally happened, and had passed an act Civ
ing power to these States to act with bare ma
jority, according to our majority principle. The
Senate, however, and hence arises all our trou-
ble-with wisdom which has characterized it
far above this House in many just such disas.
trous issues, let that bill lie upon the table over
two months, although urged to take it up and
pass 1t before the vote of Alabama took place.
That vote took place, and only minority Of
the registered voters voted for the Constitution.
Hence it is that we are now called upon either
to reject this State or to violate our own ena-
bling act, which allowed it to enter upon certain
conditions. There is nothing that prevents us
from violating that act, if we deem it prudent.
| am often reminded by gentlemen around me-
some very wise and some otherwise laughter
that | have said more than once that all this
is outside of the Constitution. He is "other-
wise" who thinks that assertion is not true.-
Laughter among the Democrats. This very
proceeding shows that this House believes that
4 ,,nfo Al. Al
Constitution, which found no such cases of lap
sed territory to be formed into communities and
brought into the nation. When West Virginia
was introduced land first made that declara-
ton it was admitted by majority of the House,
on the ground that it had gone through with
the forms of the Constitution in acquiring the
consent of both States, while one had ceased to
exist long before and the other one existed in
Ohio Laughter And | voted for the ad-
mission of that State, but | was not going to
make either fool or knave Of myself, and to
say that voted for it under the Constitution,
or that did not know what | was voting for
held then, as | hold now, that having con-
quered that territory from another power "a
power recognized as an independent belligerent
by all the sovereign nations of the earth, by our
selves as well as others, we had right to treat
it as such, and to take it in or keep it out, as
we pleased. said then that the Constitution
had nothing to do with it, But would inform
my learned friends from the bushes laughter
that while | speak of being outside the Consti
tuition, [ do not mean that the Constitution does
not recognize the law of nations, and the law of
nations recognizes the conquering power to do
with conquered territory just as it pleases |
trust shall hear nothing more, after this ex
PLANTATION, from my most obfuscated friends who
have often seemed so ignorant of what l meant,
or of what they were talking about. Laugh
ter