Year: 1867

t;culnr question now before the house, but
only 10 State briefly why am for the
Amendment. The State in which live,
lies adjacent to the territory which IS now
asking for admission asa State into the
Union, separated from it only by the Mis-
souri river, and shall be glad to cast my
vote in faver Of its admission here II thai
Territory or State stands ready TO incorpor
ate within its organic law . principal
which believe TO be the duty Of every
State to incorporate, whether now in the
Union or hereafter 10 be admitted, which
pricipal is clearly set forth in the amend.
ment now under consideration.


The State Of Iowa, which ! in part rep
resent, by the vote OF her people and By .
majority Of moro than twenty thousand has
declared that tho word white should be
stricken from hes Constitution and tha,
| question is again to be submitted to the peo
| pie of my own State next year. And | in
| tend il I am present tho day Of the election
TO cast my vote in favor Of striking out thai
| word f.om the Constitution Of the State, de


priving. As it does, portion of her people o.
the right to participate in the enactment o.
laws for her government.


l
only in favor of the admission Of such OF
the ten states which have been declared il


rebellion as viii adopt an impartial rule Of


suffrage, without distinction Of race or color
| | shall not cast nv vote Tor their admission


until they are willing to accord to the blaci


man the rights which white men enjoy undel


similar circun stances.-Theretore it is sir


that unless this proposition now made BY


The gentleman from Massachusetts is incor
| pora.ed into this bill as fundamental con
/ dition precedent to the admission Of this
| State into the Union, much as desire it,


admission, l shall be compelled to vote


against it,


/ believe ii is within the power Of Con


gress to impose a condition precedent upon
q territory, and that condition, when assent
ed to by the Legislature Of the State as il
here proposed, which Legislature represents
for the time being the sovereignty Of the
people, is binding upon the people Of the
State and join hands with the distinguish
ed member, from Pennsylvania, Mr.. kel
ley,l and say will not put BY my vote gives
upon the wrists of nine hundred freemen in
Nebraska, especially when probably more
than one half Of them imperrilled their lives
in defense of the liberties which we nov
enjoy, and which they as citizens have q
right to enjoy in common with us. More
especially should We insist upon this amend
ment when by the votes Of both Houses We
have recently declared by large
majority that IN all the Territories including
Nebraska, in the future, there shall be no di.
,incsfon Of rights on account Of race o,
color, or previous condition of seryisnde,
and when we insist that similar provisions
shall apply to the States recently in REBEL
ion, to consent now TO a surrender Of these
rights virtually acquired, either directly OF
indirectly, would be in my judgement dis
graceful abandonment Of principle which
believe Just, and which meets the approval
Of vas. majority of the people Of this
nation. For myself, I cannot BY my voice
or vote consent tc such abandonment.
shall therefore vote for the amendment, and
for the admission Of the State with the li,ni-
sations prescribed. thank the gentleman
from Indiana, for his courtesy 10 yielding to
me.