Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1868-06-12
Ghe 6ree press,
C. G.. B. l.. BENEDICT.
EDITORS AND PROPRIETORs.
EDITORS AND PROPRIETORS.
FRIDAY MORNING. JUNE u, 1868.
The Admission of Arkansas
The New SOUTHERN STATE GOyERSMENTs.-
VIEWS OF SENATOR EDMUNDs.
The Admission of Arkansas

ments Of Congress lie took the ground that
Congress Is clothed with plenary power to re-
the government Of the late rebel
states, upon such fundamental republican
forms as it shall deem fit; and he argued at
length against the view of some, that the
state governments, 50 reconstructed, cannot
be made to stay put" He asserted that
the people Of every single State IN this Union
have time and again parted with rights which
were the inherent and necessary faculties Of
sovereignty as it respected the private citi-
zens and corporations within their own limits,
and he quoted from decisions Of the Supreme
Court, delivered by Judge Story and others,
holding that a state may bind itself in such
compacts 50 that it cannot recede.
This opinion did not find universal assent,
among the republican Senators, Senator
Conkling of New York, replying, at the
c,ose Of Mr.. Edmunds speech, and denying
hatly . that the history Of the Government
in any of its branches warrants the assertion
that condition such as is now before US
lin reference to suffragel imposed by Con
gress On u State, Is authorized or binding at
ter the State assumes her statehood in the
Union" Our limits DO not allow us to
quote from the debate, and we can give only
the closing portion of Mr.. Edmunds remarks.
He said
We have proposed, in the first place, consti-
tutional amendent, to which wish to ask the at
tention of the Senate. This was proposed on the
10th Of June, 1866, and is known as the four
teenth article The second section provides, as
we all know. for diminution in the representa-
ton of a State when any part Of its male inhao-
itants shall be denied the right Of the elective
franchise and we all know that 1t was intended
as the foundation safeguard Of tins whole ques-
tion of restoration. Ne all know that it was
considered as Of the most vital Importance 70 the
future welfare and prosperity Of the whole coun-
try. rs well as to social order in the Southern
States that that article should become part Of
the Constitution Of the United States, because
| then it would be above the temporary excite
ments and changes Of party It would be beyond
the changes Of administration; 1t would be be
yond all changes of policy; it would be above any
/ overthrow bv State authority in the localities
where il appiied 1t was regarded, and justly
REGARDED. as the key which should finally hold
| safe the great treasure Of liberty and equality
| that We had wrung from the rebellion. | regard
! il so vet, not merely in that respect but IN the
resue.t rroyiled in the fourth section, which Is
Us follows
..The validity Of the public debt Of the United
| States. authorized by law, including debts IN
CURED for payment Of pensions AMI oounties Tor
services in slppressing instruction or rebellion,
! shall not be questioned. But neither the United
/ States nor anv State. shall assume or pay any
debt or Obligation incurred in aid of insurrection
or rebellion against the gnitel States, or any
! claim for the loss or emancipation Of any slave
but all such debts, obligations and claims, shall
be held illegal and void
regard that still as of great Importance, as of
| the highest Importance at this moment, hiSher
/ than any temporary injury, or suffering or IN
convenience that can happen TO the people Of Ar
| kansas. bv waiting for a month or SIX weeks he
fore tbev are admitted to representation IN tins
| body.
/ Now, what do we propose to do We propose
to admit the State Of Arkansas and do not
saw bv alluding TO these considerations that /
! shall finally vote against the admission u that
| State | hold that in reserve. only ailude 10
it now to show what appears 10 me to be the very
| high Importance Of not forgetting IN cur Jealous
| haste the very groundwork upon which We have
undertaken t1 establish this restoration What
| do We propose to do We propose TO admit Ar
/ kansas. although we gave notice TO that people
that they must first have q convention and frame
a constitution. must submit it to their people,
must send il to us, must have it in such q con
| dit;,n that It shall meet our approval, and that
then and afterwarl before they should be entitled
| to "a c9mulete State organization and TO repre-
/ seutation as q State, this fourteenth article 10
which have called your attention shonld be
! come a part Of the Constitution Of the United
/ States not that the people of Arkansas alone
should arree to 1t, which, to be sure, as my
friend from Illinois Mr.. Trumbull says, was
all they could DO, but We told them IN unmistah-
able terms that they must do all that, ana 'heh
/ they must wait until that article should have he
come irrevocable beyond the chances oi fortune
beyond the chances Of violence, beyond the
chances of reconsideration Has it become 50
ask NV honorable friend from Illinois has 1t be
come So NV friend Is unwilling to say that 1t
has do not know what his individual opinion
is. [ can scarcely say that know what my own
is.
To he sure. it Is contended by some Statesmen
and bv some iurists that the three fourths Of the
STATES which must assent to this article 81 the
Constitution means three fourths Of the States
which had legal and loyal and represented gov
ernments at the time the article was proposed.
It is contenied by another class OF statesmen
and iurists. whose purity is not to be question
ed that the Constitution plainly means that
three fourths OF the States are three iOurths ol
all the States, and, therefore, IN order TO have
/ il become a part Of the CONSTITUTIONS you must
have twenty-eight States assent to Ii, instead oi
nineteen, or whatever the number other"ise
Z would be- | confess, Mr.. President 'hat the
ipcIinatior of NV mind is, if it is Of any value
toar1Iod,, 70 know it. in favor OF the latter pro-
nosition. | hold myself ready TO change my
anipion if I shall be convinced, or that lnclina-
tion if ii shall turn out TO be wrong But mas
mncb as it is subject Of dispute at least, OF
fair and honest dispute, are We to throw over to
/ the mere chances of futurity the fourteenth ar
/ ticle upon such doubt and dispute? That Is
/ the question Is there so little OF value ana
Of virtue and Of security to the peace OF this
] country in the years to come IN this article
/ which we framed with so much care and sub
mitted to the States, as to make 1t worth cur
while to hazard it upon any chance whatever
Mr.. MoRrov | should like to ask my learn
ed friend one question
Mn FpNryDs. will hear it with pleasure.
]
the fourteenth article Is put in peril by the ad-
mission Of a State that has already ratified 1t
itself2
Mr.. EpNuNDs | viii answer you presently.
now merely endelvoring to call the attention OF
senators to the transcendent Importance to the
country that we should make no mistake and run
no hazard on this question. That Is as FAR as
have gone 50 far.
4 And now wish to call the attention OF oena-
Tors and the country once again to the fact that
we are not ruilty Of any want Of faith whatever
70 the people Of Arkansas, or Of any other south
crn state, in saying to them, as we sai1 IN ioo'
when we passed the law under which they have
orranized. ..when you have organized ana nave
ad9nted. so far as you can, that fourteenth az
/ ticle YOU shall tLen wait until enough ot your
fellows have adopted it to make it absolutely Sc
cure Where IS the injustice in that! Where
f Is the bad faith in that? Have We held out any
other inducenont to them ve we ln'i'ea
them TO organize and to arrange their oIa'e al .
fairs and to come here upon any other terms :
By no means What, then, is meant by oena-
tors when they say, why are you keeping them
out have they not done AL you asked them 10
do? You are committing had faith against