Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1878-12-14

| people upon every question which is dis
cussed IN this country or argued here in her coun-
| Gil chamber.
| But, Sir to come t1the direct point, the Sens-
tor that in consequence of the suppression
| of the negro vote at the South by means that are
| illegitimste and irregular. the South has . dis
proportiouate power 10 this Government. Sir.
before this discussion is over, will show that no
| negro vote has been suppressed in the South.
| will demonstrate that this political phenomena
| which is the subject of so much discussion and
| misrepresentation is q phenomenon that would
occur in any free society, and that it has been
brought about by the agencies which intelligence
and virtue and sagacy, aud the other agencies of
civilization always bring upon the classes that are
ignorant and debssed. But, Sir, assuming all that
| the gentleman says to be true, that there are In
the House OF Representatives lO6 Representatives
| of one party complexion, and elected by means
| that not what he considers legitimate. let us
| see where We stand il this position. Now. Sir,
what interest Of the North, what interest of this
country is endangered by it. But, says the gentle
| man, under the operations Of these amen dments,
| the South has representation not in proportion
to the constitute nov which is represented. and the
States of South Csrolua and Mississippi aud Ala
bsma have twice as much power, more than
| that, and twice the numbers. some of the
North western States, which he mentioned. Mr..
President, every member Of that population en-
titled to vote ought TO be coun ted. You have no
| right to draw the line between the black and the
white, and assume that the black man. because he
did not vote the republican ticket IL, therefore,
| suppressed voter. But, call attention to this
fact, that, if we are to embark upon q system of
legislation and political movements in order to adj
just representation and political power in 'h. gov
eminent according TO constituencies. the principle
NAV operate further than the gentleman tn nks.
What is the population OF the State of Maine
believe 625,000. 1t has been diminishing within
the last 20 wears. cannot recolect, but perhaps
it is $50 900. Take that of Vermont, both solid
as represented here. and yet the State Of Maine
has az much cower in this Government with her
600 900 people rs the State of New York with her
5000 900. | mean in this Government not in
this chamber. Gentlt men correct me by saving
'in this chamber" No, Sir; they have got the
affirmative power of legislation This day. Six
hundred snd twenty-five thousand men. women,
and Oh ldren n Maine are equal to 1000 900 in
| the State of New York. That il not all The
whole Of New EnRlat hss not 3 ,500 010 Of popu-
lation; vet under the operation &C the Constitu-
ton and laws of the land, OF which I make no
complaint, and which are proper. these 100000
Of population have SIX Times as much mower as
sovereign Commobweaths that have 100000.
They have as much power As 20, 900 600 in the
large North. western States that the gentleman
called attention To. Sir. WIN is one man in these
Eastern States eq nal to 20 in the Northwest sx-
cept by virtue of the Constitution the ContItu-
| ton which we are intending to abide by and main
| tain. But as the gentleman has vouchsafed sd-
vice to Southern men on this floor and outside. 10
all spirit of fairness and equity, will speak to
the people of New England and tell them tn at 10
| nv opinion. the direst foe they have got on earth
| is the representative a. Senator, whether from
| their own section or any other. that will kindle
this fire whose subterranean flame will lquefy the
| very foundation on which the proud and free Com
monwssth. sre now rearing their aspiring heads
Sir the Senator is fishing 10 troubled waters upon
| this subject and when you come to compare ques.
tons of this kidd, you will fluid that changes of
more radical and Fundamental nature will be nee
essay 10 order to adjust representation to nam
bers in this country.
Mr.. EDMUNDs-Mr. PRESIDENT: The point
Of the Senator from Mississippi appears to be
| that, if a Senator from New ngland proposes to
inquire whether the Constitution has been viosted
in deprvng any part OF the people Of the States
of their right to vote for members of Congress,
&C., he thereby ncurs the danger of overseting
the Constitution itself, which says that the States
in this body shall be equal; and, therefore, un-
derstsnd him TO put it out AS warning that the
people of New Engl md, through their senators
and Representatives have no right t. stand up for
the Constitution as II is in favor Of equal rep
| resentation by the people of the States in the
other house, unless they run the risk of being
posed to the danger of having their Senatorial
representation overturned. That, then, is the
question We are invited to consider, and the peril
that we expose ourselves to, if we undertake to
inquire whether the Constitution of the United
States has been violated. In other words, the
representatives OF the democratic party Of the
South say to an inquiry into q violation of the
Constitution: "1f you dare to make such an in
qury, you run the risk Of returning the repre-
sentation Of the States aud reducing ourselves to
= state of servitude." That is the proposition
Mr.. LAMAR hope the Senator will allow me
TO explain.
Mr. munds-Certsinlv.
Mr. Lamar-Or rather to protest against the in
depreciation which be has put upon my remarks.
| made no suggestion. 1t was SIMPLY 10 reply to
the theory the Senator from Maine had brosched,
that this investigation was justified in order that
the evil which he thAd disclosed of 100, 900
white men in the South having q political power
and vote 10 this Government: equal to 100000
somewhere else, that said that the tendency of
such an inquiry aud any theory justified by such
resolution would lead to further invest
and would condemn the policy and the system and
the genius of the government upon which our
American iabric rests.
Mr.. Edmunds-I am very glad TO know, Mr..
President, that the Senator did not mean what his
remarks appeared to indicate and be has mi.un-
derstood-
Mr.. Lamar. (nteiruptiDg)-l did not mean
what the gentleman has attempted to force nv re
marks into, bat which he will never succeed in
doing.
Mr.. Edmunds-the Senator is mistaken In that.
have not attempted to force the Senator's re-
marks into anything. The record will show ex-
actly what he mas said, aud think it will appear
that have not miss,ated the substance of what be
has said. But the Seuator has greatly mistaken,
with his present explanation, the point of the Sen
ator from Maine. The Senator from Maine did
not complain Of the inequality of personsges 10
one part OF the Union or another. What he COM
planned of was-surposing what he believes to be
true turns out to be so by investigation that small
number Of persons 10 the South, bv gross and out
rageous violation of the Constitution, have taken
to themselves by that species of usurpaton the
power of . large number exercised under the Con
stution in q lawful way in the Northwest Is
the Senator satisfied If that turns out be true
or would he like to rectiiy it The Senator would
of course like to rectify it, | must assume that
he would. Whist then is the use of saying that
you are going to overturn the Government,
if we undertake to find out whether the Constitu-
ton has been grossly violated by denial of equal
rights in respect Of the elections to the popular
branch of the Congress of the United States ?
Aud where is the necessity in such case Of hold
| ing out the terror, and kndlng the conhagration
that the Senator referred to- respect to sectional
| representation upon an inquiry of that kind The
| people of New England, far as l may speak for
| them, believe in justice and in equal rights under
tho Constitution and according to it, just the
| fathers and their successors have made it and
| that is, that 10 the States land surprised to
hear Souther Senator assail the very four ton
of State rights there is, and there must be, pot
ica equality; that in respect of the people repre-
scented in the other branch of Congress. there shall
be fair equality of fair numbers, fairly aud freely
| exercsinp their rights. and not the suhiects Of