Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1870-02-25
senator Edmund, and the Mississippi Bin.

y p
Mississippi without further condition. if they
adopted loyal State constitutions aad Gti-
fed the Fourteenth and Fifteenth amend
mcnts lie avowei on the contrary that
Congress said in ezplici; language, that it
reserved the right to review the whole history
Of the subject and declared 10 the first re-
construction acts also, that until they were
absolutely and finally admitted t. 1epreacn-
tati0n Congress reserved paramount an-
thori;y over the whole subject. He ar
.ued also that Congress could ul. consistent
" refuse to impose upon Mississippi the cln-
ditilns required of Virginia. and D.. showed
the need of such conditions arising lsem tic
character of the people of those States.
Thcv are people who have been in rebel
lion. who have been bred to ari-tocratic
ideas: who believe in caste. and who Do not.
therefore. desire that the lower classes OF
the community shall be educated aud made
equal to themselves. The fact that they
have been conquered does not change their
opinions. The man Who was n rebel iS NOT
T. be blamed i'f retaining ''' ''''' ''''.'''''
ana 1t Is better he should 'A press '''e,' '''''''
iAi'y than To pretend % be converter " '.'-
he j. not. IL is illa % ora" " comp 80"
between the restoration o. 7n'h states ana
the admission u state composed oil people
Of a Territory, who have emisr'tel from t-e
States and been taught IN Tree schools '' --'
North who have been Drought up in COM
munity where the rule was 'Aa "-5'''-. -'--
''raue equality Oh Ne" r'-''i'i1 ''''.' -'l"
! 'rk and Penn7y!'Ania' lnai'nl' ana ''.'..'
ana WAC come a h'm'Iens'u7 ''l''-...''-'
educated lntei!iSen'' 'e''e''"S II. que 1'--'
ty and honor OF Labor ana asking log ".''''''-
SION. It is the duty oi Congress o preserve
in those Southern communities nov '-'' We
have them in our hands, that eIaaliiy' that
course Of education, that course oi s''iii
progress which shall gradually ana SLOWLY
bat surely, wipe ont and destroy all notions
Of aris-ocracy and of caste taat have existed
there hitherto.
Mr. Edmund. rre.es,iei {, ar.e that the
conditions required were nothing h''-'I'u-
ny tvrapni,al They were ,imulv saving %
the people of those States. e. d son are sin
eere and are honest and are determined to
enter upon this course ofnew rcrublicai-m,
yol Will Just say tAat You VIII S'ii'- } '''''
free institutions with the elements oi pro-
.-. H. ..-.-.;, AMI mill ,..- rho
SieSa '"a' '"''
moment Won have reached t-e SU'o' 'i
S+,-e +,-p a-snn5 and destroy them an p"
i:...... ,.,.
Inc Ii-N- 10 iH' i''7' '-'''
next argued under the clauses ci the t9nsu-
--+i,r er,noyvarir,- t.9n,-ress q. secure and
uphOld IePu'l'1i" 7'''' u-'-"' J." 0'J
State of the Union providing that Con-
l.,l l.,,., ....- .r.. ,is-i..., .f
ne" states apiAea'ie W0' I'd d I'~l l''''''
State; and the clause that no State shall
make 81 Id" ''i t'''i''- ''''
tracts. d" IT, SAID Senator Edmuni-. % the
State IF Nissi.sipni come. IN under these
conditions 1t 'e''''i's' ny .. Old '''-
proceeding TO exercise the functions OF
S+,., ,,-,5er this grant am accented c,nli-
ton she chooses I'D lAAa l- ''' go "'- "i''"
il. aud she is therefore Just ar much bound
rt-t.l .-...l ms sl.. ,,,.,b- r., ,.5s.
d II '''' ''''1
agree, for greater security, solemn act oil