Year: 1866


f grOes in the basis of representation, the
Southern States have sixteen members OF
? Congress more than they otherwise would.


lfthey would consent TO give up tlAe six
, teen members and the political power they


WELD, then they mas exclude the negro


from the ballot-bOx for all time, and are


quite welcome to do so.


DO | wrong these Radicals in Congress.
! They will not admit the Southern States to
T their constitutional equality and recognize
their right representation, because negroes
are excluded from the ballot box. Their
outspOkeD leaders boldly say so. And vet


within two weeks by large majorities,


they have passed bill to admit Colorado
to the Union, whose people have declared
in the most authentic and offensive form


that in their new State none but white men
shall vote, Do you remember the state
ment of Thaddeus Stevens, that if the
South should be permitted to vote, the
Democratic party would again come into
power? And do you know the fact that
the Senators from Colorado are Radicals,
whose votes in the Senate it would be con.
; venient to have in case of another veto?


Do you believe that protection of the ne
gro was the true purpose of the amend i.


nent. No sir. 1t was to cross the bound
ary ofState authority, and to lay violent
hands by Federal power on the most sacred
of all the guaranteed rights of the States.
This amendment passed the sitting section of
the House of Representatives, aud now
awaits the action Of the Senate.


Consider the Civil Rights BILL 1t de-
clares that all native born persons of what
ever race, color or condition, are citizens of
the United States, aud that all citizens shall
enjoy equally all civil rights, and that oil
citizens shall be protected alike, and be pun
ished with the same measure of penalty
What does this mean? Suppose State law
preccribes less penalty in the case OF ne
gro than of white man convicted of crime
against State law2 Has Congress authority
to say he shall be punished more severely!
If Congress may abrogate the clause of the
State law relating to the negro, and sui sti-
tute for it a Federal law, it may abrogate
also the clause relating to the white man
1t it may subject the negro to the punish
ment prescribed for the white man, it may
also subject the white man to the punish
nlent prescribed for the negro; Or it may
prescribe for both an entirely different pun
ishment or remit punishment altogether,
and so establish within the State criminal
code to the exclusion OF State legislation al
together; and if this is 50, what work of
supererogation was it in the Constitution to
insert a special provision confdng to Con-
gress the power ito define and punish pi-
races and telGnies on the high seas" And
yet thus to overwhelm the powers of the
State was this law, avowcdly to protect the
negro in civil rights, chiefly gotten up and
urged.


On tha 18th Of January last, an order
NJ iSSu md ir,p, tnn w lla,,nct,,nnt ,ot 81
military in the Southern States, to protect
from prosecution or suit in any State court.
all officers or soldiers, or any other person
subject to military authority, for acts done
pursuant to orders, and to protect all loyal
citizens for acts done against rebel forces
and all persons, their agents or employers
charged with the occupacy of abandoned
aD1s, and the possession and custody of
any kind Of property, who used, possessed,
or controlled the same, pursuant to the Or
der of the President, or of any civil or NIL
itary department, and also to protect colorcd
persons from prosecution in any State for
otfenses for which white persons are not
punished in the same manner and degree.
That is to say, the citizens shall have no re-
dress if any military officer or the President,
or the head Of any department shall have
stripped him Of his property, driven him
from his home, upon some false or trivial
charge, or to crafty some personal hatred
or i'll will The order is more lawless than
the act could be. The judge who would
obey it, unless compelled by mere brute
force, would deserve to be deprived Of his
Office, and to be made by.word and scorn
! among all men. pass over the intany of
embodying such provisions in military or
der. In law they would b., intolerable. -
| They are the fit means Of subvertng not
only this but any system OF free Govern
ment.
| And not content with striking thus di-
rectly at the States, these Radicals are at
tacking the well settled system Of the Exc
cutive authority. They find now, in time
of peace, that the patronage of the Presi
dent is enormous-that it may to be used
| thwart their schemes-that it is dangerous
to liberty. We heard nothing of this when
the officers of million of soldiers were to
be appointed by Mr.. Lincoln, and the cons
cription law and the Internal Revenue bill
clothed him with the power of filling the
land with Presidential partisans. They now
seek to break down and degrade the Presi- |
dental office, and to reduce it to mere de- |
pendent upon the will and whim of this
Congress. which has in its fanaticlsm and |
folly degraded itself to mere Central Direc |
tory And these are the proofs which | |
adduce of desire and determination to |
overthrow our system OF Government.


know, of course, these gentlemen will
deny my conclusions. | understand their
theories and the arguments by which they
support them. understand their thimble-
RIG logic by which the States are in the
Union in order that they may be governed
and out of it that they may have no rights
under the Constitution when duties are
to be exactcd and not under it when pro-
lection is to be accorded-within the law
when taxes are to be paid, beyond it when
representation is demanded. The Pres-
dent of tie United States confronts these
gentlemen He denies their theories He
brushes away their cob-web sophistries He
stands consistently on the ground occupied
by him and them at the beginning of the war.
He denies the doctrine of State suicide.
He denies that the ordinances of secession
were valid in the law.


He denies that they were made effective |
by success of arms. He maintains that the
States never were, and are not now out of |
the Union, and he is prepared to secure to !
them the enjoyment Of all their rights,
as they are ready to perform all their du-
ties. Gentleman, let us give him, in this
effort, a cordial and hearty support; let us
give him warm, effective, magnanmous
support. Let it be the more jealous and
outspoken. because he is not the President |
Of our choice, because we have no favors to
ask no offices to seek--no patronage to
enjoy; let us verify unsel6shly the claim
which we made during the heat of the war,
that we we're devoted to the integrity of the |
Union and the maintenance Of the Federal
compact. We disagree with the President
in many, things--we dissent from many of
his doctripes--we question the wisdom Of
many of his acts; but we agree with him