The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1869-03-12

were slandering them in charging them
with intending to introduce negro suf-
frage. That charge was declared TO be
defamation upon the fair fame of the
republican party. And yet it is to this
present legislature the gentleman in
sists upon submitting the amendment
A legislature not only not elected to
consider any such subject, but elected
in the midst Of profuse denjals that
such a subject was 10 come before them.
On this question they do not represent
the people We're never chosen to rep
resent them. If the gentleman will
say that this legislature was elected to
consider this or any imilaramendment
l will give up the discussion. Nay,
will give him anything ! have to giYeif
he will hazard that statement. But he
will not, and the fact must remain un-
| challenged that you are about to call
upon a body Of representatives to ratify
your amendment who do not represent
the people upon this question. The
ratification might just as well be sub
mitted to any other body of men-it
might just as well not be submitted at
| all.
What propose is, that the amend
ment shall besubmitted toa legislature,
| the most popular branch of which shall
be chosen after this date, with this
/ question before the eyes of the people
| The gentleman from Massachusetts,
says that is unconstitutional. Why?
Because we cannot select the legisla-
! ture to which to submit our amend
/ ment- deny his premises. 1 say
/ that the Constitution dey0lves upon US
! the duty of selecting the representa-
/ tive body to which we shall submit
! amendments. When | read the words
4 of the Constitution you will see / am
right. 1t is as follows:
1.-The Congress, whenever two-thirds
] of both Houses shall deem it necessa-
ry, shall propose amendments 10 this
| Constitution, or on application of the
legislatures of two-thirds of the sever
/ al States shall call a convention for
! proposing amendments, which, in eth
er case shall be valid to all intents and
purposes as part of this Constitution
when ratified by the legislatures Of
three-fourths of the several States, or
by conventions in three-fourths there
of, as the one or the other mode of rat
ification may be proposed by Congress. F"
There, sir, is the constitutional devo-
luton of the duty to exercise our dis
cretion as between the legislature and a
convention to pass upon amendments.
The duty involves the power. If we
must choose between helegisIature and
a convention, we may choose q legisla-
ture or a convention elected last year, or
to be elected this year. The constitu-
tion does not shut up to legislatures
now in session. We may take
any legislature that shall fairly
and reasonably represent the peo-
pie. And the ground on
which | maintain that our discretion
should be exercised in favor Of future
instead of the existing legislature is,
that the people may have change to
choose representatives with view to
this question. What right had the gen
tlcman to say that the amendment was
to be submitted to the people? 1t can
not be submitted to the people by be-
ing submitted to the present legisla-
ture. Nobody knows that better than
the gentleman from Massachusetts,,
When you have matured the form OF
your proposition, throw it before the
legislature to be chosen next fall, and
let thepeople understand that when We
democrats charged you republicans
with plotting for negro suffrage We
did not SANDER you, but spoke only
the truth. Put your amendment be-
fore the representatives of the people
chosen after you have shown your
hands, and If they ratlfy it will agree
never to raise my voice again in Op,
position TO negro suffrage.
Having said thus much in behalf OF
an amendment which the gentleman
from Massachusetts will not let me
offer, improve the opportunity to add
a few more thoughts on the general
subject of n7gro suffrage. | have
shown the House what has been the
/ fixed position Of Pennsylvania in al
time on this subject. For more than
thirty years all parties have acqulesced
in the rule Of white suffrage. So far
/ as remember no public man in Penn
! sylvauia has proposed q repeal of the
rule. Even the late Mr.. Stevens
whose opinions were extreme on all
subjects, never brought forward any
measure to alter our constitution In
this regard. He would not sign the
constitution, as a member of the con-
vention, and no doubt he would have
voted to his dying breath to eXpunge
the word "whito." So also, had he
/ been spared, would he have lifted up
his eloquent voice to persuade the
people of Pennsylvania to change
their fundamental law and give the
ballot to the negro; but, sir, persuade
myself that he would not have been
guilty of the insincerity and duplicity
that have characterized the conduct OF
the republican party on this question.
Having denied again and again that
3 II F,AT II
Mr.. Stevens would have said, with
characteristic candor, the representa-
tives then chosen do not necessarily
represent the people on this question,