The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1879-02-06
FORTY,FIFTH CONGRESS-.
SPEECH OF MR.. MORGAN IN TIE
SENATE ON MIR. EDMUNDS'S
RESOLUTIONS.
-s-
The House Passes the Fairfax Seminary Bill.
SENATE.

Washington D, G January 30,
The Vice President appointed committee to
consider and report upon the rights OF the Senate
in the matter of the amendments to the Post Route
bill OF lat session.
Mr.. Plumb called up the House bill providing
for the payment Of counsel fees in Usage ceded
land suits aggregahng 1886 OOO Pending discussion
the morning hour expired, and the bill was laid
aside,
Mr Hill presented the petition of his State, pray.
ing for the payment Of the balance due on ac.
coEnt ofexpendltures In the revolutionary war,
the war Of 1872 and various Indian wars, Re-
ferred,
EDMUNDss HOBBY.
The resolutions Of: Mr., Eimunds declaring the
validity ef the thirteenth fourteenth and fifteenth
amendments to the Constitution, were taken up,
and Mr.. Morgon (Ala.) advocated his substitute Of
January Goth,
Mr., Morgan said the Senator from Vermont was
unable to get his resolutions before the Senate un
Til aided by Senators nn the Democratic side. No
Senator had been sworn here who did not under
stand that his oath Of Office included the thir-
teenth, fourteenth and fifteenth amendments no
matter whether he came from the North, South,
East or West, and no Senator had, by any vote,
motion or speech indicated that he did not intend
to support these amendments ss part of the Con.
stituuon Of his country. The Senator wanted
Democratic Senators now to pledge themselves
by resolution to keep their oaths to support the
thirteenth, fourteenth aud. fifteenth amend.
ments.
MI. Morgan then argued the constitutional
amendments had been solemnly ratified, and
there was no necessity for bringing this matter
back to the attention of the Senate 10 declare by
resolutions that the amendments were valid.
State after State in the South had changed It's
Constitution TO conform 10 the fifteenth amend.
ment, and yet the State of Vermont and other
Northern States had failed to do SO. He then ex.
planned his substitute for Edmunds's resolution
and said the substitute did not seek to bring be-
fore the country any narrowing question, butrest
ed upon the ground that the amendments were
part of the Constitution and as valid as any part
Of 1t. The Democratic party, and he hoped every
American, conGurred with the Senator from Yer.
mont that the amendments were valid. Was that
not enOugh2 What more could they do? The real
quarrel of the Senator from Vermont was with
the Supreme Court of the United States. II was
Democratic doctrine to support the decisions of
the Supreme Court. The resolutions of the sena.
tor fIom Vermont now before the Senate were an
attack upon that doctrine, and therefore an at.
tack upon the Democratic party, and when that
party failed to meet such an attack 1t would
amount TO naught. The people Of Alabama never
considered that they had any interest In the en-
iorcement of the Constitution in the State of Yer
mont. So far as Congress was the agent of the
people to enforce the Constitution for the good of
all and by legal methods the people were interest
ed, but the people of Alabama did not claim any
right to send remonstrances to Vermont complain
ing of her acts If man should be deprived of
the right OF trial by jury or of the right to vote in
that State, the people OF Alabama had no right to
complain. A common right was the right enjoy.
I'd by all. Therefore, any little State might be
called to account by another for any act deemed
unconstitutional.
Mr.. Edmunds said he did not say In his resou.
tions that the people had common right He
said they had "a common interest" &c.
Mr.. Morgan argued that the executive was sim.
ply the right hand Of the judiciary to enforce its
DEGREES. If the Senator meant that the President
Of the United of the United States had the right to
use the army Of the United States when no Court
required Its use If he meant to give the executive
department authority to go by other agencies than
those prescribed by civil law, then the Senator
and himself differed as tolthe constitutional pow
ers of the Executive
Before Mr., Morgan concluded his remarks the
Senate went into Executive session. During the
Executive session, the doors being constructvely
oOened, Mr.. Burnside moved to amend the bill
recently reported by him from the Joint Commit
tee on Army Reorganization, by Withdrawing Ger
tain portions to be referred to the Committee on
Military affairs leaving the balance of the bill to
stand as that reported by the committee Agreed
to, and 1t ordered the bill to be printed, as was
proposed to amend 1t,
The Senate then adjourned,