Year: 1866

under the lead OF his Genera!, ana VINO
would have sacrificed his own life, at any
time, for the protection Of his commander,
is required to dishonor and disgrace him in
peace. The son is required to vote the in.
fanny of his father. The people are asked
to repudiate aud disgrace those whom they
have, through life, honored and glori6ed in
honoring. Every Southern State is re-
quired to expel from her councils, her
Legislature, and from all public Offices, her
wisest, best and most experienced public
servants. Was ever such proposition be-
fore submitted to an intelligent, virtuouS
aud Christian people? How any honorable
man, who reflects on this section of the
proposed amendment, and sees its bearing
and consequences, can expect or counsel Its
adoption is, to my mind, incomprehenslble.
That any Southern man should vote for 1t
or favor its adoption is confession of his
own disbonor and infamy. Such a man
would willingly betray his country, bis own
household and his God


If the Southern States were so lost to all
shame as to adopt this section, it is possible
that young men might be found to fill all
the State Offices but they could not repre-
sent their State in Congress or hold any
Office under the United States, on account
of their having aided and abetted in the
war. The States would still be uurepre.
sented in Congress as long as the test oath
is continued.


The Constitution of the United States
provides that amendments may be proposed
by vote of two.thirds of both Houses of
Congress, and when adopted by three
tourths of the State Legislatures, shall be-
come a part of the Federal Constitution.
This clause of the Constitution evidently
contemplated full Congress when such
amendments should be proposed. 1t was
supposed that all of the States would b.
represented in Congress. This was the se.
curity against injudicious amendments.
But the proposed amendment was adopted
whilst ten States we're excluded from all
representation in Congress. 1t never could
have been proposed to the State Legislatures
by full Congress, and consequently should
not now be regarded by them as constitution
ally submitted to the Legislatures for adop.
ton. 1t should be, and will be, rejected
unanimously by ten or eleven of the South
ern States, and never can become part of
the Federal Constitution.


What will be the consequence of this re-
lection, is wholly immaterial to the South.
ern States You say that worse terms will
be enforced on us. This may be so; but
we shall have the consolation of knowing
that We did not voluntarily adopt them, and
that amidst all the tyranny and oppression
which may be heaped on US, We have main
tanned our honor unsulied, and never can
lose our sef-respect.


The Southern States may be kept out of
Congress- Who cares for that? We have
been out for the last twelve months, and
during all that time have been improving
our condition, and rapidly restoring the
prosperity of our country. The Northern
people are nearly equally divided. One
half of them are our friends, who deeply
sympathize with US in our misfortunes
With this half, we constitute large ma
jority of the people of the United States
1t will be passing strange, indeed, if one
third of the people of this Republic should
continue to rule, with rod Of iron, the
other two.thirds, for any length of time.
That this tyranny and usurped power should
continue always, isimpossible. 1t husband
will, have its end. The masses of the
American people are honest and Virtuous,
however corrupt and malignant their leaders
may be. The Executive Department of
the National Government is with the Con-
stitutou and the equal rights of every Sec
ton of the Union. There is every reason
to believe, too, that the Judiciary Depart
ment of the Government will oppose its
silent and peaceful power to the tyranny of
Congress; and We should not despair.


The fourth section of the proposed
amendment to the Constitution, which
guarantees the Federal debt and repudiates
the Confederate debt, is as unnecessary as
it is futile. No Southern State wishes to
repudiate the one or assume the other. If,
at any future time, majority of Congress
should be disposed to dishonor the nation
by reputation, this section, as a part of
the Constitution would not stay their action.
They could refuse, or neglect to levy taxes
or make appropriations to meet the debt as
it becomes due, without violating the Con.
stitution. And even if it did violate the
Constitution, that would be no barrier to
corrupt Congress in carrying out their pur.
pose, as we know, by the sad experience of
the present Congress in disregarding and
trampling on the Federal Constitution.


The fifth section of the proposed amend.
ment declares that "CoDgress shall have
power to enforce, by appropriate legislation,
the provisions of this article" Here we
have a power given Congress to destroy all
the rights of the States, and centralize all
power in the National Government. Under
the pretext that some one has been deprived
by State Courts of his liberty or property,
they may give the United States Courts en-
tire Jurisdiction af all litigation in the
State. The legislative, executive aud ju-
dietary departments of the State Govern
ments may, under this section, be entirely