Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1868-06-11
senator Edmund> on the Admission
OF Arkansas,

the objection tina, the fourteenth article q
amendment to tho Constitution, proyidin
for the diminutiou in the representation
Of a State when any part of its male in
hahitants shall BE- denied the right Of III
elective franchise, has not yet become
par, of the Constitution ly its adoption
IN the pant Of two.thirls Of the State
From this excellent speoeh we make tn
following extract:
| am a. siaeercly anxious t. fv-tor
these people. and all the other people o
the South, 10 their primal relations I
this Union a. he is, or amy other ggntl,
man on this floor; hut am anxious, Il
the same time, 10 DO /, 50 that il will BE-
restoration and remain restoration. NJ
fear j. this-and | confess that II i 10
20 my mind light fcar-l hope il vii
not happen-thet when the state II N
kansas, which i, perhaps, a fair sanpl
Of all the others, shull have been admit
ted TO representation, and shall have thci
put on the full robes OF statehood. as my
friend from New York Mr.. Conling
very happily expressed ii the other dav
she will have then become entirely FREE
Nisstom the operation OF our military GOV
eminent, she will be no more the subject
Of military control. Of military ,urvcil,
lance or military aid, than the State OF
Vermont or tho State Of Indiana i. He,
only rightful aid in preserving the new
institutions which she has set mp agains
the opposition that We know exists ther,
from those who have been in rebellion
against the government will be the aid
aud support that she gets from the Prcsi
dent of the United States. we oil know
that. Ny friend knows that. BY the
Constitution and the existing laws the
State Of Arkansas will have no anchor to
tic TO and no rock to lean upon but that
of Andrew johnson, the President Of the
United States, the moment she ceases TO
be in the condition she-nrrw iv,-t and he.
comes State OF the Union.
II is, therefore, worth little while Ia
inquire what is the position Of the Prcsi-
dent OF the United States as it respects
the State government that We are about
to set up in Arkansas. How does he feel
toward it Z What are his views Of its leg
Utility Sir, we are not left in the dark
about that. We know that in his opinion
the whole scheme of restoration, rs il eN-
lists in the laws of Congress, is totally and
grossly unconstitutional. and We know
that it is the opinion Of many Senators
on this floor that ii he believes that he
may set those laws al defiance with i'm
punity; that there is no power in the
land 10 punish him for it. that there j.
no power in the land to hold him to the
execution Of Them. 50 long as acting in
good faith, he believes he is doing his du-
ty by undertaking to oyerturn them
Now, therefore, when the government
of Arkansas under this bill set up, and
the bill is passed over the veto Of the
President of the United States-if he
should still be of the opinion that he has
been, that all this il unconstitutional and
should act upon that opinion-what will
be the condition of affairs. He will be
bound to believe that this government
thus set upis a usurped government, and
that the true government of Arkansas Is
the one he instituted in 1865, and that
the true voters of Arkansas are the white
men and rebels, and nobody else. IF he
has that belief as an officer Of the gov
ernment, what will he believe it to be
his duty TO do' His friends must answer
for him, | cannot. ! only mean to say
that | have great fear III trusting TO the
President of the United States, and am
not now impeaching his motives in the
least degree; am only ailuding TO his
opinions as they are represented 70 Us by
HIMSELF have great fear in trusting to
the President of the United States To up-
hold this new government af Arkansas
against the rebels tina. are in it and
around il and Of it.
Now, then, to follow my friends ques-
ton q little further, suppose il should
happen that there should be domestic
tumult in Arkansas. or there should be
such pressure against the organization
Of this new government, when it is frat
organized, as to make il impossible for it.
TO go on without military aid and the
new Governor should call upon the Pres
ident for that aid, what would the Presi-
dent say If he is true to his history
and true TO his opinions. az he has repre-
scented them to u. he viii say. - Co
away | know YOU not: Won are uyurner
yourself; you donot represent any state
Of Arkansas; it i another man who is
the Governor Of that State, and not Won"
Suppose he fails to say that; suppose he
only yields to that Governor slow, dila-
tory, reluctant support, such as he has
yfelded-if he has yielded anv--to the
reconstruction measures that we have
passed, whore will the new STAT govern
ment Of Arkansas find itself then do YOU
suppose fear, Mr.. President, that il
will find itself upside down Ii il does
find itself upside down. and a new legis- .
lat ~. H.. -
. the white mans party oi Arkansas,
which is another mime for "thr rebel
party before this article becouce part
Of the constitution, and then they lctruet,
as Ohio and New Jersey have done. where
are You then You have her Rcpres.nts,-
tive. here, very good ren, / dare say
but like Ohio and New Jersey, whose
Representative You have, very good men
here, she has taken the back tracI /
| know il i said by good lawyers that
a State, having once u>scntcd, cannot re-
trace her steps. ] doubt that, Mr.. Pres .
ident. That is ono Of the dcbatablc oues- /,
tons which remain to be decided. and If
there is any value in prophecy. | assume
TO prophecy that the Surreme Conrt q,
the United States, as il i. now orraniz.1
will, as certainly as the DAY comes de.
eide that they have 4 right d take hack
their assent at any time before The assent
OF three-fourths of the States finally
closes IT INTO tho constitution. Nv fear.
therefore, is the haste We are MAKING in
reconstruction, in the way that we arc
proposing to make il, will be haste that
will prove 10 Be haste Laclsva ard and
that Is the kind Of haste ] d. not with 10