Year: 1866

VISH, uDODJ6CLlODdDlS. VIII nOI SIOp
to criticise those which are objection
able, but content myself with stating
that the call fails to take any notice
of one of the great issues now before
the American people / allude to the
question whether the several States
shall ratify or reject the last amend
ment proposed by Congress to the
Constitution of the United States.
This is grave and all important
question; the issue upon it cannot be
avoided. 1t should be placed fairly
and squarely before the people. The
failure to take grounds upon so i'm
portant and all absorbing question
must be attributed either to desire
to avoid the issue or as a declaration
of belief and policy against the adop-
ton of the amendment. Being myself
earnestly and decidedly in favor of
the adoption of the amendment by
the States, | cannot go into an organ
ization that would either openly op-
pose that measure, or would smother
it by avoiding its discussion. | must
also add, that no man is more desirous
than / am, to attain the entire restor-
alton of the American Union, with its
practical working in more perfect
harmony and concord than ever, and
the surety, as far as mortal affairs can
be made sure, of endless perpetuity
in the future.


The blessings to flow from such
Union are countless and inestimable.
But such a Union. consistent within
itself, maintained by the universal
consent of all classes and sections,
and laughing to scorn both the as
sault of foes internal or external, and
the ravages of time and change, will
only be obtained by sternly retracting
every departure from or compromise
with the supreme and general idea of
the American fundamental law-the
Constitution. That general idea con-
sists, in brief, of the political liberty
and equality of mankind under the
law.


Such, and such only, can be the
Union, the nationality that will put
in form the magnificent and lofty
dreams of the American continental
mind, and fulfill in the future the
highest efforts Of the present and the
past. 1t is not the vague delusion
that the rights Of the States need doe
toring The American theory cul-
inmates properly in the sacredness of
the rights of individuals-of each
single individual That after all is
what Washington carved out with his
sword, and Jefferson, fltering it
through his subtle and free mind,
/
pen.


It is well known thatin the political
and illegal history of the United States,
the only departures on compromises
of the kind alluded have been those
in the interests Of slavery and OF its
manifold incidents. | do not, of
course, propose to go over the thous-
and times told tale of the past 60
years, to-day. Slavery as a'confessed
legality, is, as we all know, no more;
but some of the most important of its
incidents or compromises still remain
blots and incongruities upon the law.
What equitable reason can be given
why these incidents also should not
be erased? Time was that when the
brains were out the man would die,
but now we see the limbs demanding
to live and move as if the nerves still
existed. The persistent attempt to
keep in the Constitution the rule of
an unequal and unfair basis of repre-
sentation is perilous to the future
peace of the country, and will surely
cause a chafng sense of injuries as
long as it is continued. Furthermore,
the high mission of the Union party,
as avowed in the Baltimore Conven-
tion-to extirpate slavery-includes
the removal of all the hate, and anti
popular excrescences, engrafted by
that institution for its own selfish ag-
grandiZement upon our free national
laws and policy That high mission
and obligation cannot be accomplished
until all which slavery has so engraft-
ed is cut out; for until then slavery is
not exterpated.


Earnestly sympathizing with the
men who look upon law of equal
representation as the only guaranty
for popular rights, should feel my
self out of place in party that show
ed a basis Of representation giving
peculiar and unjust advantage to
portion of the body polite, to the
detriment and dissatisfaction of the
whole.


United with you and all good men
in the soulfelt desire that peace. pros
perity, and amicable brotherhood,
which is more than any worldly pros
perlty, may soon prevail, and continue
unbroken through our common coun-
try; that the former enmity shall die
out and be forever lost, and that all
over the broad domain of America
equal laws shall protect equal rights
to all minds,


/ have the honor to subscribe nv
self, Your obedient servant.


JAMES SPEED.


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