The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1868-02-21
NUMBER 8.

Il
erument until the Drsd scpt decision uas
made In 1887.
The second section pro,iled that vhere
class or raoe OF men were excluded ron the
right OF suffrage they should not be counted
IN the basis OF rspresentatiou-ao obvious Jus
tioe that no reasonable man for moment
could deny that u iour million people down
South were TO have no suffrage, the men living
In their midst and surrounding them, and do.
priving them OF all political rights, should not
have members OF Congress on their account.
| say the Justice Of the second clause has psv.
or been successfully impuRned by any arRu-
meut, I care not how ingenious Il may be.
What was the third clsusef Il wss that the
leaders Of the South. those men Who had once
taken 90 oficlal oath 20 support the Constitu-
ton OF the United States, and had afterwsrd
committed perjury by going into the rebellion.
should be made ineligible TO any Ofhos under
the Government Of the United States Or u .
State. Il was . very small disfranchisemeat
Il wss intended TO withhold power from thoss
leaders by whose iustrumentlty ws had lost
nearly haif million lives and untold treasure.
The Justice Of that disfranchisement could not
b disproved. Asd what wss the fourth eisass
Of the amendment That this Government
should never assume and pay any part OF the
rebel debt /; that II should never pay the rebels
for their slaves. This Was bitterly opposed In
the North 40 we'll as In the South. How could
apy man oppose that amendment unlers be Was
In favor Of this Government, assuming por-
ton or all Of the rebel debt. and In favor OF
paying the rebels for their slaves! When the
Democratic party North and South opposed
that most important, and, perhaps, hereafter
to be regared as vital amendment, they were
committing themselves In principle. ~ they
had been before BY declaration, to the doc
trine that this Government was bound 70 pay
for the slaves, and that II was just and right
that We should assume and pay the rebel debt.
This amendment, as have before said, VAS
rejected, and when Congress assembled 10 De-
cember, 1866. they were confronted BY the fact
that every proposition Of compromise had been
rejected every halfway measure had been
spurned BY the rebels, and they hsd nothing
left to do but to begin the work VI recoustruc-
ton themselves; and In February, 1867. Con-
gress for the first time entered upon the execu-
ton Of the guaranty provided for In the Con-
stitution by the passage ofthe hrst reconstruc-
tion law. A supplementary bill Was found nec-
essary In March, another in July, and believe
another Is found necessary at this time but
the power Ii with Congress. Whatever II shall
deem necessary, whether Il be In the way OF
colored suffrage. whether Il be In the way Of
military power whatever Congress shall
deem necessary In the execution ofthis guaran-
~. Is conclusive upon the courts and upon tho
States.
Sir, when Congress entered upon this work II
had become apparent to all men that loyal re-
publican State governments could not be erect
eli and maintained upon the basis Of the white
population. We had tired them. Congress
had attempted the work OF reconstruction
through the constitutional amendment by leaN-
Ing the suffrage with the white men, and by
leaving with the white people OF the South the
question as to when the colored people should
exercise the right Of suffrage. II ever but
when Il was found that those white men we're
as rebellious - ever, that they hated this Gov
ernment more bitterly than ever when II WAS
found that they prosecuted the loyal men. both
white and black, In their midst when II Was
found that Northern men who had gone down
there were driven out by social tyranny. BY .
thousand annoyances. BY the insecurity Of life
and property then IL became apparent to all
men Of intelligence that reconstruction could
not take place upon the basis Of the white pop
ulation. and something else must be done.
Now, sir, what was there left 10 dol Either
We must hold these people continually by mill
tary power, or We must use such machinery
upon such new basis - would enable loyal
republican State governments 10 be raised up;
and in the last report, and will say Congress
waited long. the nstiOn waited long, experience
had to come 10 the rescue OF reason before the
thing WAS ,lone-in tho last report. and a the
last thing to be done. Congress determined TO
dig through all the rubbish. through the
soil and the shifting sands. and 20 down TO the
eternal rock, and there. upon the basis OF the
everlasting principle OF equal and exsct Justice
20 oil men, We have planned the column Of re-
construction and, sir, II will arise slowly but
surely, and "ths gates Of hell shall not prevail
against IT," Whatever dangers We appreherd
from the introduction TO the right ot suffrage
of seven hundred thousand men, just emerged
from slavery, we're put aside in the presence OF
greater danger. Why. cir. let me say frank
ly to my friend from Wisconsin that | ap-
prosched universal colored sutfrag. In the
South reluctantly. Not because | adhered to
the miserable dogma that this was the white
mans Government, but because | entertained
fears about at once entrustIng large body OF
men just from slavery, TO whom eiucation hal
been denied by law, TO whom the marriage re.
lation had been denied. who had been made the
most ahject slaves, With political power. And
as the Senator has referred TO speech which
made Ia Indiana in 1868. allow me TO show The
principle that then sctuated me. for In that
speech l sAid
In regard to the question Of admitting The fesinsa
th<bouihem States 10 vote, while admit the equal rrhts
q all men, and that In time oil men will have the right
vote without distinction o cor yet bslIe,e that
In the case d ur millions OF slaves Just fref frou booi
are there shouh he psfiod of proson npi prvInraon
b<os thsy are bsousht to the exercise q political poser
such was my feeling st that time. for II had
not then been determined by the bloody expe.
rience Of the last two years that We could not
reconstruct upon the basis Of the white popu-
laton, and such was the opinion of Q great
m.jority OF the people Of the North; and II
VA. not until . year and half after that time
that Congress came to the conclusion that
there was no way let but to rs-ort 10 coloret
sutirspe, and suffrage to oil men eIcept thos~
Who were disqualified by the commission Of
high crimes and misdemeanors.
Mr.. President, We hear much SAID In tho
course Of this debate, aud through the press,
abost the violation ofths Constitution II Is
said that In the reconstruction measures VI
Congress We have gone outside OF the Consiitu.
ton, and the remark Of some distinguished
Statesman OF the Republican party Is quoted to
that effect Sir, u any leading Republican has
ever said %, he spoke only for himself not for
another. I deny the statement IN toto. 10.
sist that these reconstruction measures are ~
fully within the powers ofthe Constitution ssany
legislation that can be had. not only By rsss'n
but BY authority. And Who are the men that
are retalking 90 much about the violation of tho
Constitution. and Who pretend to b the espe-
cIsl friends Of that instrument The great
mass Of them, only thres years ago, were In
arms 20 overturn the Constitution, and who
established thss OF Montgomery In its place. OF
were their Northern friends, Who were aiding
and sympethiIing In that undertaking.
hsd occasion the otner uay 70 spesk ofwhat
vss described - Constitutional Union man
man living inside ofthe Federal lines during
the war, sympathiiing with the REBELLION. snd
Who endeavored to aid the rebellion BY insist.
Ing that every war msssure for the purposs VI
suppressine 4 was Q violation OF the Cosstitu.
ton OF the United Ststss. Nov. these men .ho
claim to BE- tbs espscisl friends OF the Cossiitu'
ton sre the men who have sought TO destroy
Il By force Of arms and those throughout the
country Who have given them sid snd eoufort.
Sir, zoo will remember that onoe celsorsted
French v6man wss being dragged to The scsf'
shs exclslusd "Hov many crimes have bssn
committed in Thy psms -; and can say 70 the
Constitulion. hov many shnes against liberty,
humanity, and progrss Are being eomnittsd
In thy nsms By thsss men who, while they
loved not The Copsttutiou and sought its de-
strsetion. now. 6r party purposss, claim "