Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-09-22

my political friends think best 70 pass it,
/ have felt bound TO say So" - Il
Mr.. Wilson, of Massachusetts,,
concluded speech for the amend
ment ia these words; 81 am going
to vote for this proposition without
taking any responsibility for it. l
am not responsible for this hall"
way proposition. I simply take it,
at this late hour, as the best l can
get" .5,tr
Mr.. Sawyer, carpet bag Senator
from South Carolina, said; elf I
vote for this proposition, if L vote
to concur in this report of the
committee Of conference, l do it
with the greatest reluctance; | do |
it with great hesitation" Mr., How |
ard, of Michigan, who also voted
for it against his conscientious cons
| yictions, made the following short, |
| but conclusive, speech against it,
| "Mr. President was remarking Chat
| This proposed amendment TO the constIti-
| lion will operate a. a repeal, az an annnli-
| ment of that clause Of the SIKH article
| Of the present constitution, which declares
that no religious test shall ever be re-
quired as a qualification 10 any Office or
public trust under the United States The
article which IL proposed 10 us declares
that no State shall pass any law, and that
the United States shall pass no law which
shall abridge or deny the right Of voting
and holding office 20 any citizen oil the
United States, on account Of race, color.
and previous condition of slavery. The
impli, a ;onI.is perfectly Irresistible in the
mind of every instructed lawyer who has
| had aDy practice at the bar that, with The
| exception Of race, color, aud previous con-
| dition of servitude, even the United States
NAV impose whatever qualihcitions Con-
eress may see fit TO impose, both upon the
voter and the holder of Office ia the States
and the United States, and that by an act
Of Congress, we may here, sitting in our
seats. prepcribe a rule which shall ex-
L clude in the States from the right Of voting
and holding Office every person who shall
not be of a particular religious creed,
every person who shall not be of a certain
ace, every person who shall not have
been born in some particular locality.
"But, sir, the great objection to 1t 10
| that il gives 10 Congress absolute authors
} t.. by this legal implication, 10 say lh t
| n jbody but members of some parliCul
! religious sect shall have the right TO hold
: office in the State and in the government
ofthe United States. d. not doubt it, sir;
: | look at it with the eye of a lawyer, Of a
3 | person accustomed to explain and inter-
r BRET statutes, and you can come to no other
: conclusion. The right of prescribing any
e | qualifications except such as are express
" mentioned in the article ia plainly. by
irresistible implication, given TO the Con-
T gress of the United States. Are Senators
prepared to disregard the old inhibition
contained in the constitution in reference
to religious test? Are they prepared &c
b | give to Congress authority to say what
E persons shall not hold office in the yari-
i Gus Sateg, in the various territories, and
d in the administration Of the laws of the
q United State?
"Sir. can conceive Of no alteration o
o the constitution which would be more
A | odious in the eyes of the people Of thu
United States than the one which is now
d before US; and l tell you, sir, although
Y YOU may hasten and rush it through Thu
body, and under the strain of the previous
Q question in the House, obtain the concur
- renee of the House of Representative,
predict here now that it will not receive
= the ratification of the legislature of one o
It the States Of the United States, and you
work will all be in vain, and worse thai
vain, because il will fasten upon the Re
II publican party, represented in Congress
the odium of giving 10 Congress powe
which our fathers we're careful to exclude
= from amcng the powers of Congress.
4 "But my great objection to this, MI
President, is that it runs the plowshare
through the old constitution, and take
# out of it one Of its most precious and Valu
L able safeguards. refer 10 the proposition
Ii which / have already read. Sir, / woul,
IT | not part with that security for human
liberty, religious freedom, for any consid
'' Grafton that could be addressed 10 me
e | and the article which is now offered, mis-
named an amendment TO the constitution
IL does repeal and set aside that most sacre
= and invaluable provision. | hope, MI
, President, that this miscalled amendmen
. to the constitution will receive that treat
is ment.wbich it justly deserves by this body.
n This is the character Of tn
l. amendment, painted by Radicals
]. that was attempted to be forced up
1t on the people of this country with
Ie out n reference to them. We be
" l;eve that not a single Legislator
Le that has so far ratified the propose
1t amendment was elected after If
% passage by Congress, In all fan
y ness so important measure shout
10 have been submitted TO Gegisls
> lures elected after its passage b
IS Congress. Here we find some c
s. the able5t men in the Senete de
ID nouncing the proposed amendmeu
+ as Gan outrage upon the 600
is sense and patriotism of tn
ID country Yet in obedienc
r to the demands Of party, enough
a. these Senators who thus stood u
N in the Senate chamber and d.
Ii nounced the fraud, voted for il t
4" secure its passage by the requisit
or two thirds vote. They denounce
d the monstrous proposition to strib
70 down observation-disclosures Of the State
e, in the matter reflections and VIII