Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1871-04-26

fails, it will be the fault of the Constitution
and not the fault of Congress, for ID goes to
the utmost verge of constitutional power.
Congress should not only declare. as is de-
cIared in this bill, that invasiOns of the right
of a citizen of the United States to the equal
protection of the laws under which he lives
and to the same privileges and immunities
as are enjoyed by other citizens are crime
against the United States, but it should pro-
vide for the enforcement of such law; and
this bill does that. As first reported, the
measure, in its military features, was open
to very serious constitutional objections but
the amendment now proposed by the com
mittee is so far a modification of the bill IN
that particular that, to my mind, the same
objections cannot be fairly urged against the
measure in its present shape. 1t is true we
give the President power to use the whole
military force OF the Republic but he Is TO
use it In a constitutional way, and only to
suppress rebellion against the authority OF
the United States While the officials, the
courts, and the laws of the United States,
including the law we are now enacting, are
respected and unobstructed, he cannot use
the military power. When the authority OF
the United States is resisted he may use
force to overcome that resistance and when
that resistance amounts to rebellion and war
I
to do in the last rebellion, put it down.
am as reluctant as any Republican, and
in principle perhaps as reluctant as any
Democrat, in con6ding unusual power TO one
man, whether that man be Republican or
a Democrat, President or private citizen.
But the solemnly emphatic admonltlons we
have had, in every variety of rhetoric, from
the other side of this Chamber during the
eight days Of this debate, respecting the dan
gers of irresponsible power, have, alter all
affected me but little, as | suspect that much
of the extreme sensitiveness OF Democratic
members respecting this measure is owing TO
the probability that if It hurts anybody It
Will hurt Democrats The rufhans who are
making the lives and property of Union men
in the South insecure are working, some OF
them avowedly and all of them really, in the
interest of that Democracy which hates the
great act of emancipation, and Il yet bitterly
hostile to every guarantee OF the COnstltu-
ton which gives to the negro the title deed
to his freedom with the highest and most
solemn covenants OF warranty OF that De
mocracy which avows its purpose, n Il Oh
tains power, TO use il with the spirit and IN
the interests of the rebellion which but re
Gently went down before the battle array OF
more than two million armed men fighting
/ for liberty for all Of that Democracy which
could never see a constitutional objection 70
securing the rights of the Shareholder, as II
now cannot see any constitutional guarantee
+ OF the liberties and rights OF the enanclFat-
ed slave 1t Is but natural, 1t becomes a
party necessity, that Democrats should OPP
+ pose this legislation. They are in this
/ faithful to their southern allies. But II the
United States leaves these emancipated
slaves and these Mon men, while 1t mas the
constitutional power u protect them, u the
- 4
night conspirators and banded murderers, ii
VIII show to the world the saddest spectacle
ofa great Republic retus NJ TO do what it car
to make liberty something more than O
name, and equal rights some thing more sub
stantial than party catch word