New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1868-03-30


rories of the United States TO form Constitutions
possible make them ut 10 be associated with CIV
ilized communities. II gave them certain length Oh
time for the purpose Of doing So IL was provided
whether wisely unwsey IL is not for me to say tha
tho state Of Alabama and the other States after having
all their voters registered. should require majority
Of all the registered voters TO adopt such constl
buttons Unfortunately, Alabama did not find a
majority To come up to the law which had been
passed failed Of that majority by considerable num-
heT The House had this difficulty before 1t finally
bappcued and had passed act giving power TO these
states 20 act with bare majority according to our ma
,ority principle The senate-now here arises all our
troubles-wth a wisdom which has characterized IL FAR
above this House in many Just such disastrous issues Ie'
thai bill lie upon the table two months, althouHh
urged take up and pass before the vote OF
took place That vote took place and only minority oi
The registered voted for the Constitution he'0
Is that called upon either to reject the Sao
or % violate our own enabling act winch allO"eu IL u
enter upon certain conditions There is nothing that pre-
vents us from violating that act we deem IL pruuen
am often reminded by gentlemen around he-some very
wise and some otherwise laughterl- have sara more
than once that all this is outside OF the Constitution nc
sobcrwise " no thinks that that assertion Is not true
Laughter among the DemOcrats'I This very pro
eedng shows that this House believes that Is aetng
not according rhe forms OF the CONSTITUTION "meh
found no such Of apsed territory to be formed INTO
communities and brought INTO the nation. When West
ton IL was admitted by a majority of the House on the
ground that had gone through with the forms OF the
Constitution in acquiring the consent OF bOtn STATES
while one had ceased TO exist long before and the oher
one existed in -aughter}and voted for the al
mission Of that State But not going to make either
fool or knave of myself and say that voted Tor II I'M
der the Constitution. that did not know what was
oiipr for held then hold now, that having con-
uered that Territory from another POwer-a power re-
cognzed as an independent begeren By all the sover
egn nations OF the EARTH by ourselves as well as others
we had right treat it as SUCH and to take II III OF
keep IL out as we pleased. said, then that the Con-
siitution had nothing to do with it; but would in
form my learned friend from the bushes laughterl
that while / speak Of being outside Of the Constitu-
ton do not mean that the Constitution does not recog
n1e the law Of nations. II does recognize the law OF
nations and the law Of nations recognizes the right OF
the conqueng power to do with conquered territory Just
astpeases trust shall hear nothing more after TINS
explanation from my most obfustcated friends who have
often seemed ignorant OF what meant or OF what they
we're talking about lLaughterl Now, MI Speaker
what are we to say with reference to Alaoamai con-
tess TO you not altogether clear as to what we
ougbt TO do AS a lust and wise body we have power
under the Constitution to admit new STATES Whelher
made out Of fragments OF cOnedeTacy OF OUT oi Iag
We come to agree with those states hOld more
when Won come 10 admit new States you admit them
on lust such terms may be agreed upon Ihey
are parties capable OF contracting, capable OF pro
hosting and OF consepting and until they have lost
power OF consent by having become actually ineor
porated in another body they have right enter into
such contract and after they have gone into it and 1t is
naTtany eXecuted they are bound to fulfill it, How
Il about Texas when she was admitted IHere was not
unly condition imposed by Congress, but there was
proposition made that State TO get her wild lands to
pay her debts the lands consisting OF over l69VcO0
acres aud the debt being $20O0OOO The debt we
terward paid 10 he sure, because Texas could not pay
It, but did anybody ever doubt that that was valid and
budng contract the people Of both sections or both
nations if you please for then they were both nations
or both contracting powers II would De an ulcsu9n
House, If il needed that should enumerate the
numerous I'm which conditions have been proposed
and accepted and acted upon and never olatea Ihey
proposed TO Missouri 10 Arkansas, and to other
states but will not enumerate them for anybody TO
say that the Inhabitants OF any tract OF land coming mere
and saying Here are 100000 people, here constitution
under which would like to be one of the members Ci
your naOnfor anybody to say that we coua NOT ault
them and send that identical Constitution TO their people
forever after seems to me to be degree of ignorance
which will not presume TO exist In this House H. then
do in ali instances in which we admit new states INTO
the Union The only question here although this state
has not lived up to the Enabling act Is. are we prepared
admit her people fit 10 associate with freedmen
few Of whom so sympathzed with rebels tha they are
unwilling to let these poor men into the Union at all
daughterl What is that Constitution II that every
10 vote M their elections IL were certain that those
who have lust peIjured themselves and attempted TO
break down this glorious Union would live and abide by
their contract and attempt further to destroy
admit this terrible leayon. l should not hesitate
There are forms, omissions that would keep me
from admitting them into the Union at once confess
have ms doubts sorry for it, 10 whether, after we
shall have admitted them into the and after NOR
rows shall have set upon them they will not be ready
shape or form We know very well the ingenuity OF
these We abolished slavery, except for crime, but
have been informed Of 20 cases in which men have been
held In bondage and serving in 1t. One case is
Florida. where our Commissioner OF the Frcedmen's
i az @ssy and bgtt sSaH be sold into sidrery Jor
70 Years his TIE lac there They 90 INTO The street
and 'rh!e man jOsesq black ore or G6tacE .a yote
n assault and battery and is sold for 20 years INTO slgreTB
there are hundreds this day ia The Southern States ho arr
gere3 ne a,o that neyA hare introduced the system Of eon-
age eren tcorSe han IN leTieo or me middle SCuhef!
skGokE Mem ia some tcaY, that, whiie toe are Gd-
hitting these fraudulent white men, ire nay secure
Hence il is have moved TO strike out al after the
first section and insert IN its place wnSl , I'M VII Te
from Ohio r Bingham 10 strike out the thrd section
all must say in the interest Of slavery have offered
my proposition to try TO protect IL possible Iee3o9
against the wles Of the most wicked Institution that Coo
the invention OF human ingenuity WIN vote for no
Constitution which give universal and impartial
that provision forever, unaersbe, ineradicabe IN the
instrument that ever taken out by the roots II shall
with II every other fragment OF the Instrument u
self and send them back to act according TO the prov
Mr. BouTWEII, Gep Mass) opposed Mr.. stevens's
amendment because 1t would admit to suffrage women
Mr. STEVENS thought that that was not fair con.
tructiOn it, he wiling TO change the words
citizens Of the United States into the words ELECTORS
Mr BOUTWELL, did not ace how that would help it,
Mr. STEVENS asked how he could help III
MT BOUTWELL, replied that IL he were offering the
proposition il would be his business to perfect IT, but
he was opposing it, that not his business He was III
favor OF the BILL but opposed 10 Mr. Steyenss ameud
ment, which had been offered after the bill had been
agreed upon in Committee That amendment would
open up 20 every Rebel in the state OF Alabama who
convicted Of treason the right to vote IN ali
elections
Mr.. MILLER rep, PENN favored the Admission OF
AlabamA under the Constitution presented He was
very anxious for the late rebeous states 70 have repre-
senaton IN Congress and be restored TO all their pou
cal rights and that military rule be dispensed with
soon as could be done with safety 70 the country.
Mr.. FARNSWORrH closed the debate He said that
the bill was opposed by the gentleman from Massachu