Year: 1869

can ana often more than they can aord for the pur.


follow in their footsteps and help direct the aars OF
government lApplause.l


Mr.. J. G. b. DAvIsI ask that the rule be enforced
II this applause s 70 be repeated.


SPEAKER-The Chair viii see that the rule Is en-
forced. Upon repetition Of applause the galleries


Mr., JACoBs-Mr. Speaker, have given the gentle
man credit for making an eloquent speech and he
certainly made an ELOQUENT speech. had, however,
almost forgotten ailude to what seemed to to
be the most eloquent portion OF hls remarks. 1t was
In the description of that great battle OF the
to us In glowing language the armies OF both sides;
the defeat OF our forces the rally and the eventual
triumph. 1t was in that portion OF his speech that
ne pictured to rs this great event that l really
thought the gentleman was eloquent; but wnle he
spoke another great event In the military history OF
our country came fresh to my mind. It was, Sir on
the decisive field or Gettysburg, when the rebel Gen.
eral Lee directed one OF ms most able eutenants TO
pierce the Union centre-whlch done would have
ended the rebellion and dlsasrously for the repub
lic But there was in command OF that centre
brave and gallant soldier man who knew how TO
otratic soldier, sir There was in COM
mand OF that centre 0 man who, when
ns Srsa % ns re noldes n
saved the republic. What Is the results The rebel
lieutenant who nearly pierced that Union centre
era general IS sent into exile In the wilds OF Da-
cotah. This is rewarang loyalty This is giving to
these brave who upheld the standard OF the re-
II 1t Is because this republican party, 80 overgroWn
with pride, fall Of lust OF power dare not 90 JUS
tice even to the men who perlled their lives In the
defence Of tire republic.


Mr. LABAU-TO whom do y0u allude.


Mr. JACOBs-I refer to General Longstreet and
General Hancock. Wen, next my friend from 81.
Lawrence, Mr.. Gleason arose; like to hear my
friend from st. Lawrence. He Is always argumenta-
tive, and seldom attempts to be eloquent, and he,
first OF ALL really opened this question; he first OF
all reached the substance OF 1t when he said that he
believed II we decided In favor OF this amendment
would decide in accordance with the Judgment
OF the people. Now sir, that is exactly where wish
y have this quesLon placed It Is the position
which wish my republican friends to take. Then,
sir, my friend from Orange, Mr.. Davis, whom all
know as . scholar and gentleman, gentleman
night see hts spirit is little perturbed by the demon
stratons IN the gallery; then my friend from Orange
and says that he is astOnished that propose
10 submit this amendment to the people Of this
State. he Is ast0nshed that asked for the popular
verdict upon this great question, SO affecting the
vital interests OF the entire country. Are not In
this free government OF to be always guided by
the viii OF the pe0pleS Do not we say that 1t is the
will Of the people which controls, and that we but
obey it, When the rebellion began the republican
party said that as the VIII OF the people had placed
Abraham Lincoln In the Presidential chair, so must
good in 1850 and 1851 Ia good to-day. II 1t is the
win OF the people that this amendment prevail then
let It prevail II It is the win 81 the people that It
Why astonshed that should propose to submit 1t to
the peopcp He says the constitution provides that
it shall be submitted to the Legislatures OF the
raj states. Now let me see what the constitution
does provlde:-


Congress- whenever twothirds OF both houses shall
tuon the application Of the LEGISLATURES Of wo-thrds
o. the several States shall Ss % oT propesss
when ratified by the Legislatures OF the
several States by In thereof
the or the other mode be proposed by the Congress


Now, Sir, article i've Of the constitution OF the
United States looks to the ratification Of the amend
ments proposed to the constitution by parties CON-
petent to express the win Of the people. That
article simply says that threefourths OF the Legsa
lures may ratify or that conventions In hreefourths
OF the States may ratfy Congress directs. II 1t
was intended merely TO submit this question to the
Legislatures Of threefourts OF the States, require
the OF three-fOurlhS OF the States why even
intimate that conventions might be calledf It was
simply for this reason. sir, that there
the time chosen by the people with the power
to express understandingly the win OF the people
upon great questions anectlng the fundamental law
that tins question should be submitted TO conven-
ti0ns the republicans voted 1t down. WhyY Because
the States republican, and that therefore they
had what might be termed sure tning Of 1t. hold.
con- Of the you ae atept to
add to subtract from that great law, which Is the
heart and life and liberty Of our peoples made 1t
spring from the people. 1t should come from the
popular heart and there should be no such thing
partisanship about It, It was when you began to
forget the constitution, 1t was when you began
to neglect and TO cast aside In order to uphold the


y y
simply by party not until then, not until tins war
commenced, and until this republican party as
sumed power. Why, my friend from Orange again
said land in this he expresses the entire argument
50 far the amendment Is concerned upon his sdc)
In this State, except in very closely contested elec-
tion. IL meant he said, that 1t should principally
a. te soSa hose arg a se ,S Moras rus ., inc
people In being expressed by the majority here, In
the adoption OF this amendment when upon
every occasion that the question has been submitted
to the pe0plethe very people whom they pretend to
representatives. people have said that 1t was
no e o w ,s IN y
the negroes in the SOUTH who control In the South,
aud who can give their party power when has but
New York ie very limited Sir, Is tins the way In
which to meet proposition for changing the con-
~ say oo o s o. to o. our
limited all the rights OF that state should be over
thrown in order that the application may be made
to another State where Is not 30 limited? There
time, sir and the gentleman can remember 1t,
when honored men, and think one whose name he
bears would have uttered In legislative body
such words OF foiIy-such words or crtmi nal wrong
The gentleman tells us that the democrats seem tofor
get that we have Just emerged from war; We have no
reason to forget it. We have felt it as much as
you have. We have suffered as much the majority
in this House have suffered. Our hearthsones have
been desoated as much as theirs, and the men
whom they revile to-day have suffered In the battle


fields OF the South pcrhaps much more than the poll
tlcal friends Of the gentleman from Orange No. sir,
remember that we went into the war TO uphold the
Union and to defend the constitution, and we appre
cate too well that we have emerged from that war
without Union and with violated constitution.
Then my friend from Orange goes on TO say that the
negroes OF the South, whom he terms the laborng
classes OF the South, deserve the right OF suffrage,
and he asks us eloquently, Would you deny that
right to the aboring classes OF the North Does the
gentleman, sir, propose In his argument TO place
upon an equality the laboring men, the mechanics.
the intelligent workingmen generally, whatever their
condition. with the ignorant negroes OF the South
Does he pretend TO place upon an equality one
hundred thousand men In the city OF New York who
have been used TO freedom and who know It's bless-
ings, with one hundred thousand, or whatever the
number may be, Of negroes just emerged from bond
age in the SOUTH Sir would respect, II could,
would respect men OF my own race at least as much
% would expect negro to respect his, and do
not believe there Is Intelligent negro within the
boundaries OF this State who wonld come here
deliberately and say that one OF his own race emera
ing from servitude and becoming q froe man was as
capable Of exercising the right OF citizenship as the
man always accustomed to Il, and hardly think my
friend from Orange believes so either. Then the
gentlemen spoke Of CASTE He told us that caste
aud the prerogatives OF caste must give way
to the progress OF the day. Why, sir,
away down In Massachusetts--and think the gentle
man from Duchess (Mr. Hegemanj spoke Of it In his