The National tribune., 1909-11-11
ABRAHAM LINCOLN.
CONTINUED from page one.) }

ciently strong to dare this for the sake
of what they thought right Senator
Henry Winter Davis, of Maryland, and
Frank =. Blair, of Missouri, We're orig
inal Emancipationists, and nearly the
only ones from their States who were
sincerely in favor OF Free Soil. Alto
gether 10 men were found from West
Virginia, Delaware. Maryland. Ken
lucky and Missouri whom it was
thought would vote for the amendment,
and 13 of these actually did, and ended
their political careers by so doing. In
like manner II Democrats were found
from New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania,
lconnecticut and Michigan who might
be brought to vote for the amendment,
of whom IL actually did. two of the
number being absent at the time the
vote was taken, while the remainder
weakened at the critical moment and
voted against IL.
a Thrilling Scene.
Tuesday, Jan. 81, 1855, was fixed upon
| by the House for the vote on the
amendment, which had previously
passed the Senate by SO to 6. The mat
ter came before the House in the shape
in which it had been reported TO the
Senate by Senator Trumbull, from the
judiciary Committee. and passed by the
Senate. the bill read:
BE it resolved, etc, That the follow
| ing article be proposed to the Legisla-
lures of the several States as an amend
ment to the Constitution of the United
States, which, when ratified by three
| fourths of said Legislatures, shall be
valid, to all intents and purposes, as
part of the said Constitution. namely:
Article XIII.
"Sec. l. Neither slavery nor involun-
| tary servitude, except as a punishment
! for crime, whereof the party shall have
been duly convicted. shall exist within
the United States or any place subject
| to their jurisdiction.
Sec. 2. Congress shall have power
to enforce this article By appropriate
| Legislation"
Mr.. Ashley in an address delivered
before the Ohio Society of New York,
| Feb. 10, 1890, gave the following ac-
count of the scene in the House on this
occasion:
THE Speaker stated the question, and
announced that the gentleman from
Ohio was entitled to the floor which
under the rules gave me one hour in
which to close the debate.
Never before, and certain am that
never again, will l be seized with so
strong a desire to give utterance to the
thoughts and emotions which throbbed
my heart and brain.
| Il knew lndt Ine nOuF WAS at HdIiu
when the world would witness the COM
pIete triumph of cause which at the
beginning of my political life L had MOI
hoped to live long enough to see, and
that on that day, before our session
closed, an act, as just as it was merciful
to oppressor and oppressed, was to be
enacted into law, and soon thereafter
became a part of our National CoRSti-
tuition forever.
1.-The hour and the occasion was an
| immortal one in the Nations history.
and memorable to each actor who voted
for the amendment.
| Every available foot of space. both
| in the galleries and on the floor of the
House, was crowded at an early hour.
and many hundred could not get with
| in hearing. Never before, nor after
wards, did see so brilliant and distin-
guished a gathering in that hall, not
one where the feeling was more intense
The Judges of the Supreme Court, the
members of the Cabinet. the Vice Pres
| ident and Senators, most of the foreign
Ministers and all the distinguished vis-
| itors who could secure seats. with their
wives, daughters and friends, We're
present to witness the sublimest event
| in our National life.
you will readily understand that
this was an occasion to inspire any
man of my temperament with q strone
desire to speak. and yet it was beyond
question my duty to yield all my time
TO gentlemen of the opposition who had
promised to vote for the amendment
and desired to have recorded in the
official organ of the House the reasons
for the vote which they were about to
give