Nebraska advertiser., 1870-03-10

DeIOf6 ne knew the uilal NOlel anu HAS
never attempted to DC me Justice.
Though many Of us believed the
amendments, generally, of no use,
yet when the question was ''Shall the
bill, as amended, pass?" we voted
aye, while Senator Sumner and Thay-
er abandoned the bill and amend
ments and refused to vote. They
were in the Chamber during the roll
call. Where the Globe reports the alb
sent, OH the vote, it only means that
they did not vote. AS sumner sat in
his chair, Mr. KellOg, of Louisiana,
called for the reading of the rule re-
quiring all Senators in the Chamber
to vote, but it had no effect. But the
argument is "tbe action Of Georgia
and other rebel States made 1t heceSsd-
fV.n Really, how logically-W hereas
Georgia and other rebel States acted
the loef; therefore Senator Upton
shall rep1diRte a contract made by
himself, III che solemn form of legis-
lation} with Virginia, although Gen.
Grant proves that she has done all
that was required Of her, "and alb
stained from. all dOubtfal authority
Ihis looks 70 me Ike the morals of an
Indian Superintendent, Who would
say, In as much as the Sio0xs have
violated their treaty, therefore I will
steal from the Omahas. -,
The intention Of the article. Of
| which | complain, was to show that
Nebraska had one Senator tCho repre-
Se7lted the State, and one IUhO ices faith
Tess. But after he saw the final vote,
and I had espoused every amend.
ment, by voting for the amended bin,
| he forgot to say the tables IUere turned
and the bill with brakes amendment
/ prevailed ''in spite" of Senator .Thay-
er's refusal to vote for it. [ am aware
subsequently he did publish the final
vote; but what marks his malice still
more distinctly, is that some Of these
charges are mixed in with the very
column containing the Senate pro-
eeedings, as though he would not al
low my acts to go TO the people without
his effort to injure me. Since that be
has also published the speech of my
cOllegue, and referred to his previous
criticism, leaving me condemned who
voted for the amended bill, and inn
pliedly commending Senator Thayer,
who voted against it.
If you take the last test vote, OH
Wilson's amendment, you have thir-
ty-one aye, and twenty. nine no. Then,
on the final vote, if my associates had
not voted for the amended bill, when
Sumner and Thayer refused to vote
it would have been a tie, and, so far aS
| Senators were concerned, the bIl
would have failed to pass but /, Ia.
king the place Of my cOllegus and
seventeen others, supplying the place
of Sumner, the vote went up to forty
seven aye, and ten no.
When Virginia presented herself fol-
admission, her State constitution al
lowed cOlOred men to vote, and tC
hold office, and they were then mem
bers of the Legislature, and she had
pledged herself in ratifying the Fif-
teenth amendment of the COnstitu-
tiOn, THAT the right to vote should
not be abridged by any State on ae-
count of race or cOlOr.n On that sub
ject she could go no further. If the
| Fifteenth amendment is now funda-
mental law, she is bound by it as long
as the Constitution of the Union re-
mains. If it is not, then she has used
it as a voluntary pledge on her part,
| and it is her precedent condition. and
| she is morally bound by it. So l voted
on MOrtOn's amendment to the pre-
amble. But brakes amendment only
repeated what she had already done,
and was therefore of no earthly use
having no practical of force. I will
always vote against such amend
ments, but not throw away q valuable
| bill, afteTsuch have been forced upon it.
AS to the rights to enjoy school
! funds, as set forth in these amend
ments, Virginia and every other State
will control that, subject only to her
constitution and that of the United
States; and not on account of any
agreement with persons or Congress.
But l hold that in the new Union of
| States, there can be no restrictions on
one State that does not bind eUerU State.
We can tie them up outside as rebel
| States, in process of reconstruction.
We can impose organic acts upon Ter
ritOries but the moment they appear
at the door of the Union, the United
| States Constitution meets them, and
stripping them of every superfluOus
appendage, and rObing them in the
only attire of a State, inducts and in
vests them, the equals of all, the in
foriOrs of none.
Perhaps it is fortunate for me that
this attack was fOOlishly made, for l
know hereafter no one of my friends
who see this W IL cOuntenance any
newspaper charges until I have a
chance to explain. / have no doubt
but Mr.. BalcOmbe will do me Justice
when he returns to his place as Editor
IrNF Fovs II FL 4 4. =
was away when the article appeared
of which my friends complain.
If records are to be mutilated, and
incidental notes paraded, and final
notes suppressed; if articles written
| under misapprehensiOns are TO be
clung to in the face of subsequent
light, because certain parties could
not preventmy reelection at Lincoln,
then l shall demand a verdict before
the people. who do not intend that a
pro tenn Editor just back from the ten
ler embrace Of AHClreJ0 johnson shall
dOmineer over the Republican party
of Nebraska, regardless Of truth, hon
or, or decency. If / have "nlisreDre-
sented the 1cey EBOUH sentiments Of
Radical Nebraska, y my friends will
want to understand the penalty that
| is to fall upon those who believe me
honest and consistent. Can our noble
little party allow Senator to be array
ed against Senator, or the organ at
Omaha to set an example Of spite to
the party organ at BrOwnyilIe? took
my course openly and boldly, and so
did my colleague, and I trust that the
paper at my home will treat him so
fairly as to be a reproof of the ReLub-
Licdn. l admit the right Of free and
full criticism but demand that after
commencing a comparison Of Sena-
tors votes, and they change places,
criticism shall follow them to the III
innate consequences of their conduct.
That is fair.
L never would have given so much
attention to this matter only deemed
it best to show how easy an honest
course of conduct can be vindicated,
which will prevent the necessity of
my explaining hereafter any vote or
course of conduct I choose to adopt.
For YOUR interest i'm my welfare I