Year: 1867

acceptance or re]ectlOn.,


T. I object to the whole scheme,


because it is unconstitutional. A


distinguished man-pardon me,
| oug ght to say notorious individu-


al, said to me few days ago, that


1 ought not to waste my time to


prove the constitutionahty of


these measares-a thing which
every man, woman. and child:
! in the country knew-and yet
, he was for accepting! He
spoke truthfuly. That tottering,
gray-haired candidate in Penn:
sylvania, for perpetual infamy,
who is building for himself a
monument of:malignity that will
overtop the pryamds of Egypt,
said the Constitution nothing to
do with, I shall never get done
shuddering, and horrors Will new
er cease to rise up in my mind,
when I see men taking all oath to
support the Constitution. and then
legislating to put in force meas
ures which are outside Of it. 4
great many Of our own people
dippantly say-the Constitution is
| dead. Then your rights, and
hopes for the future, and air hope
for your children are dead. | ask
every man, if the Constitution is
dead, why are we always, every
tday, and at every new step, re-
CURED to support it ?. :, :
Now, I affirm that these militia
ry bills are not only contrary to
the -Constitutin, but directly~in
the face of the amnesty oath you
were required to take after thesu
render. The Government thought
proper, in accepting your submis-
sion, to take your oath to support
the Constitution Of the. United
| States, and the Union ofthe States.
Why was that oath required, if
the Constitution was dead ?


But it is said the Constitution
does not apply to us. Then don't
swear to support it.


But it is said again that we are
not. in the Union. Then why
swear to support the Union Of
these States i? What "Union".
does that mean? When you took
that oath, was it the Union Of the
Northern States alone that you
swore to support? What busi-
ness have you with that Union ?
No, it is-the Union of all the States
known to the Constitution that
you have sworn to support.


But they say that oath was pre-
scribed by the President, and that
t he is not loyal. Then I. must
answer fool according to his fol-
ly, and a traitor according to his
treason. What do they require
who passed these. .bills-this mill
tary Juggernaut? They require
every man who registers, his name
to vote, to swear to support the
Constitution, and counsel and per
suade others to do so-and. still it
is said the Constitution has moth
to do with it! They say the
scheme is outside Of the Constitu-
ton, and yet in the process Of
carrying it out, they require an
oath to support the Constitution
and to counsel and persuade 9th.
ers to do SO! That is more than
Mr.. Johnson ever required in the
oath which he prescribed.


1t is my business to support the
Constitution, and my duty and
| pleasure to persuade others to do
SO. Some of you who favor the &C
ceptance of the military bills take
anoath TO this effect, and still in
tend to vote for a convention which
you admit to be ordered contrary
to the Constitution! ! How is this?
If you have conscience, l have
said enough. If you vote for the
convention you are ~pefjured!
Tremendous applause.] O! [
pity the race of colored people
who have never been taught what
an oath is, nor what the Consti-
tuition means. They are drawn
up by a selfish conclave Of traitors
! to inhict death blow upon the
life of the Republic by swearing
them to falsehood! They are to
begin their political life by perrin
ry to accomplish treason! I would


not visit the penalty upon them.


They are neither legally nor NOR
rally, responsible, but it is you


educated designing white men
| who thus devote yourselves to the


unholy work-who are the guilty


parties! You pirate about your
| loyalty! Hook you in the eyes and


denounce you! [Applause.] You


are morally. and legally perjured
u, traitors: ouperjure yourselves
| and perjure the poor negro to help


your treason! Immense ap-


plause. You can't escape it! You


may boast Of it now, while passion


is rife, but the time will come


when the very thought will with
1 er your soul and make you hide


from the face Of mankind.


I shall discharge tho obligation
of the amnesty oath. 1t required
me to support the Constitution