The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1870-03-24

whom | politically act in this body.re of
| the same opinion. 1t is enough for ne to
know that five years ago nearly every nem-
| Der of this body, if gentlemen mean o be
considered as acting consistently. entetain-
ed the same opinion do to-day. and will
| give you that Evidence which you rourS
| selves have furnished before | shallhay-
done.
| do not wish to deal with this queston in
/ any sly. one-sided, or ey2Sive manHr.
wish to meet the question boldly and SPARE
| ly, and assert the principle. which hGest-
/ ly believe to be sound, that under the Eder-
al Constitution there rs not negro ormu-
latto within the whole limits on the lifted
States to-day who is eligible to a seat this
body. / know that we were told Yesterday
that the chances in the Constitution had
worked wonders; and we had an exttant
speech from the honorable memberfrom
Nevada, (Mr. Nye,) telling us what woder-
ful changes the Republican party had
wrought in the country. and how the Con-
stitution had been by them changed.
Yes, sir; We read in the leading orgu of
the Republican party published in thicity.
frank announcement, made exultigly,
that ought TO startle the freemcn of Aleri-
ca, and which should rouse them rom
ocean to ocean and from the lakes the
Gulf which should cause them to coKider
whether the time has not at last arrivd for
them to wake up to the alarming ifaova-
tons upon their Constitution, framd by
lnclT WOFlDg anu DdLrlOLlc SlreS. and when
was intended to be rich and noble heitage
to them and to their posterity forever. And
what, sir, was that announcement Tat in
the last eight years this Government had
been more completely revoluIioniZed than
was this country by the separation Of the
Colonies from Great Britain; that the re7o-
luton had been greater, more Thorough,
more fundamental, and invoking Demo-
Gratis to come up and accept the situathn.
the revolution being complete.
Yes, sir, the party which the honorable
member from Nevada eulogiZed yesterGy
has. by the confession of its leading orgn,
published in the capital of the country, u
der the eyes of the members of Congress
and the Executive. proclaimed that yu
have reVolutiOniZed the Government. aid
that your work has been more Thoroughbred
more complete than was the work of rGo-
luton wrought by your fathers in thir
separation from the British Government.
Then. sir, l say to you, addressing pu
not as Republicans, but as revOlutionits,
that there is one thing, that there is one *
tent to which your revolutionary movemnt
has not carried you yet, and that is to make
negro or mulatto eligible to seat in he
Senate of the United States at the presnt
time.
/ am aware, Mr.. President, that you pO-
posed, or undertook to propose, an amed-
ment to the CONSTIPATION to effect that ed.
So far as my own Individual opinions re
concerned have no hesitation in avowng
them. L think your fourteenth amendmut
is no more part of the Constitution of he
United States to-day than anything which
you might write upon piece of paper and
fling upon the floor. But will not stop to
assign my reason for entertaining that onl-
ion. If the occasion should ever require lie
assignment of reason L shall be perfectly
prepared and ready to assign them; butt
am going to treat, for the purposes of tbs
argument, this fourteenth amendment
the Constitution as you would have it tTea-
Ell. as valid part of the Constitution of tie
United States and l say that that does Mt
make this man Revels eligible to a seat n
the Senate of the United States.
In presentingithese views | have OnE
discharged in a feeble way what / conceive
to be public duty. / have ne hope th4
any efforts of mine can arrest the action If
this body. The advent of negro or mulat
to or octOroon in the Senate Of the United
States. a person belonging to that favorel
class known as colored, is to be regarded
with exultation and joy by many, alas toe
many, deluded persons in this land. Thi
day great change is to be effected as re-
CARDS the character of membership in thL
body. | have but little hope for the futur,
of my country. | would avert if possiDk
this great calamity. / would preserve this
proud heritage, bequeathed to US by our nc
bic ancestors as they intended it to be pre-
served, and transmit it untarhished to Their
and our posterity forever.
| see, however. that no efforts of mine can
avail. | retire, therefore, from the contest
uttering in behalf of my revolutioniZd
country most solemn protest against tits
great and damning outrage. Revolutions
rampant Unless it is speedily checked ue
end will soon come