Nebraska advertiser. [volume] (Brownville, Nemaha County, N.T. [Neb.]) 1856-1882, 1870-03-03


Speech Senator Upton before q. s
COngrbs-DeIivered February 18th
1S70.
1fr. Resident I expect to vote fol
the billfor the admission of Missis
sippi; ht / do not understand that il
is Necessary in doing so that / should
inyestiate the past legislation
of the country for the purpose
of setthg any question Of con-
sistency have never understood
that III Republican party Of this
cOuntrywas pledged to any system on
that qustion. They have never been
pledgedtO the details of any system
on thagnestiOn.
Whe the new State of Nevads
came tlbe admitted she came in here
with aIonstitution that kuew moth
ing wHtever in regard to this ques-
ton Ofmpartial or universal suffrage.
Whenthe State of Nebraska came
here VI had taken one step forward
the fOfteenth amendment to the con-
stituttn had been adopted; and then
as aparty, having.nO established pol
ICY p this subject except that within
the Constitution of the United States,
inteHed to protect the loyalty of the
county, you required of Nebraska
whatyou said had become necessary
In ydr inward progress toward the
cOnsdnmation of our reconstruction.
Thh p, when another State from the
Sohtl presents herself, and the ques-
ton ) how shall she be admitted.
shallshe be admitted as Nevada
Perh3s so that will depend upon
the circumstances. Shall shecOme in
as Npraska? Perhaps so. Who
knowR You do not know, sir; / do
not kbw ; no man in this Chamber
knowiuntil he investigates the cir
cumstnces under which she makes
her APPLICATION and then, without
any phcedent to bind US on the sub
ject, W within the pale of the Con-
stitutin desire to do what is neces-
sary ttaccOmplish the grand object of
final ad triumphant reconstruction.
No ban, therefore, in this Senate
Chamer can talk to any one of US
with rgard to preserving our consist
ency ilwhat we shall vote for Missis-
sippi. vote in regard to Mississippi
to-dayhs my judgment dictates. and
woul apply no part of that princi-
pie I'd Texas tomorrow unless I
though it absolutely necessary; but
when exas comes here if her case is
peculia, standing on its own individ-
uality, will vote for something so
unhea1 of as perhaps to astound you
/ horn1zn ~ 80 fhof so1r =,
sary tOPring her in, tie up the inter
ests other people, and guaranty to
them republican form of govern
ment.
So M ch on the point Of cOnsisten-
cy. Su ask me to impose upon the
membes of the Legislature of BIissis-
sippi tnay an oath which is set forth
in this Ocument before us. will not
attempto do that, but if it is putup6n
the bilI[ will take the bill as thus
amendd. will not vote upon that
prOpOsitOn, and then when it is car
ried abadon the bill. / will not stand
here in by place and advocate amend
ments tda bill, and after the bill is
consumHated with those amendments
then tnri upon the amendments and
the bill Gbandon them entirely, and
leave then to whatever fate may over
take then. I shall under all circum-
stances vSe for the bill for the admis-
sion of Mississippi, when the hour
comes. protest against imposing
this OathupOn her Legislature, be-
ceuse alredy an oath as strong has
been imposed upon the members of
that Legislature. They have sworn
in the preence of Almighty God that
they werenot disqualified as members
of the Mississippi Legislature by
virtue of hything in their State con-
r the Constitution of the
United SAtes; and the Constitution
of the United States, by reason of the
amendment adopted, rules
them eveE one out if they have been
guilty of he crimes specified in that
fourteenth amendment. When, there
fore, a mmber of the Legislature of
takes that oath prescribed
by the aate, he takes an oath, a
which will admit of no
evasion OF his part. l say, therefore,
that the uth 1 hold in my hand as
being the oath administered to the
of the Legislature has al
ready pured that Legislature of a few
men, or rther, perhaps, more proper
ly speaking, there were some men
offering Themselves as members who
could not take their places under that
oath of teir own, SO broad, so COM
so practical. | am will
ing, then to leave the interests of
and the loyal people of
to that oath which they
themselv9 have incorporated into
their constitution.
Now, Mr.. President, in regard to
the questbn of voting, it is proposed
to put in his bill q restriction upon
them providing that they shall never
h all coming time change
their constitution from the basis on
which it Hsts to-day on the question
Of the rigat to exercise the elective
What have they done on
that subject? They have declared, in
the spiritof the fourteenth amend
ment, th4 every man born in the
State of Mississippi and living there,
and ev9rpcitiZen of the United States
residing here q certain time, shall
have the light of exercising the elect
i've Franchise. That they have guar
antied. What else have they aOne?
They haze adopted the fifteenth
to the Constitution of the
United Stltes, and by that they have
declared hat neither the constitution
Of the Site, nor the Constitution of
the Unitel States. shall ever be amend
ed so as toabridge the right of exer-
cising theelective franchise. Could
they havegone further? Then they
would have been compelled to go fur
ther, and eaching to eternity, stretch
their limitation beyond the confines
Of time. They have not only said
that in regard to the exercise of the
elective fhnchise, but they have
thrown thl door open, and in their
State Legislature at home have per-
haps thirtycOlored men as represent
atives os That people in the Legisla-
ture of the State Of Mississippi. VIII
you be satisfied with that?
Are they honest on that subject?
They have adopted the fifteenth
amendmentto the Constitution of the
United Staes; and if that to-day is
the Fundamental law, if twenty-eight
States of the Union have voted for 1t