Year: 1866

to know all that was said and done upon
matter of such interest to them. The pres
ent proposed amendment has been decided
upon in conclave more secret than has
ever been known in this country.


SO carefully has the obligation OF secrecy
been observed that no outside Senators, not
even the sharp-eyed men Of the press, have
been able to learn one word that was spoken,
or one vote given. An Egyptian darkness
covers the proceeding. The secret could
not be more profound had the conclave
assembled down in the deep and dark
caverns of the earth. If you change the
Constitution have the people not the right
to know how and why it is done, what was
proposed and said, and how each Senator
voted? Is it not their business? Or indeed
have they masters, party chieftains, who may
say to them 1--WE govern, you obey ?" Is
ii not fact that snail arrest attention that
since this measure was reported from the
caucus scarce an explanation has been con-
ceded, and not one amendment offered or
voted for by single Senator who was in
the caucus, so exaeting and imperative is
the obligation, and so literally is party au-
thority obeyed. Sir, If the people can only
come to know how this thing has been
done, / believe they will refuse their in
dorsement. ...r -.f.


now propose briet examination of
the measure as it came from the caucus.
1t proposes an additional article Of five sec
tions, making that number of amendments
or additions to the Constitution.


For the first section the virtue Is claimed
that it defines citizenship of the Unit d
States and of the States. l will read that
part of the section:


"All persons born In the United States,
and subject to the Jurisdiction thereof, are
citizens OF the United States and OF the
State wherein they reside" ...... .


What citizenship is, what are its rights
and duties, its obligations and liabilities.
are not defined or attempted TO be defined;
but these vexed questions are left as un-
settled as during all the course Of our his
tory, when they have occupied the atten-
tiOn aud taxed the learning of the depart
Inents of Government. But this is certain,
that the section will add many millions to
the class of persons who are citizens. We
have been justly proud of the rank and
| title of our citizenship, for we understood
| 1t to belong to the inhabitants of the United
| States who were descended from the great
races of people who inhabit the countries
of Europe, and such emigrants frOm those
countries as have been admitted under our
laws. The rank and title conferred honor
at home, and secured kindness, respect, and
safety everywhere abroad; but If this
amendment be adopted we will then carry
the title and enjoy its advantages in COM
mon with the negroes, the coolies and the
Indians. When the Senator from Wiscon
| sin proposed an amendment excluding the
savage Indians of the forest believe every
| Senator who had been in the caucus voted
against it. No one was authorized to change
| a word that the caucus had used, and am
not quite sure that the people of Minnesota
will regard the obligation TO a caucus as =
sufficient reason why the Senator from that
State (Mr. Ramsey should seek to confer
the rank, privileges and immunities of citi-
zensIip upon the cruel savages who de-
stroyed their peaceful settlements and mas
sacreed the people with circumstances OF
atrocity too horrible to relate. How our
citizenship will be esteemed at home and
abroad should this amendment be adopted,
we may Judge by consulting the sentiments
with which we regard Mexican citizenship
| We feel that it denies a mixed population,
made up of races that ought not to mingle
whites, negroes and Indians-ot whom
| 10000 could not cope with 1000 soldiers OF
the United States of pure white blood on
the field of Buena Vista. 1t was the work
of many generations to place the name and
fame of our citizenship SO high that 1t
ranked with the proudest titles on earth;
but the mad fanaticsm and partisan fury of
a single year may SO degrade it as there
shall be


None so poor to do it reverence"


The second section now demands our at
tention. The intent and effect of that Sec
| tiOn is to take away representation in Con-
gress in all the States in which the right of
voting is not given to the negroes. The
purpose is to constrain every State to con-
fer the right of voting upon the negroes;
and, in case of refusal, the penalty is loss OF
representation. The section does not rest
upon the proposition that those whom the
States treat as unfit to vote shall not be
represented, for it is SO framed as to con-
| tinue to the Northern and Eastern States
non-voting population. 1t is so framed,
! also, as to continue to the States of Mary
land, Tennessee, West Virginia aud Mis-
souri, their full representation, although
during the war the military power was so
used In those States as to place the political
power in the hands OF few, who so eXer-
| cised it as to exclude the residue of the
population from the ballot-box. You say
| that, if the States treat the negroes as unfit
to vote, then they shall not be voted for;
that no representation shall be allowed for
them; then, Task If in some ofthe Northern
| States the foreigner Is denied vote for five
years, why shall he be voted for? If in
Maryland, West Virginia, Tennessee aud
\ Missouri the majority are treated as unfit
to vote, why shall the minority vote for
them and be represented for them? Come,
now, let candOr and truth have full. sway,
and answer me, is it not because you believe
that the few in these States now allowed to
vote will send Radicals TO Congress, and
thereforey you allow them to send full dele
cations that it may add to your political
party power? And Inow submit to your
patriotism, to your love of our country, II
we have not come upon most dangerous
times, when our Constitution is to be torn
up and remodeled that political party
may make its power more secure, that it
may hold on to the Offices, and shape and
control sectional policies.


Mr.. President, l now venture the predic-
tion that this thing cannot succeed; that In
this land of intelligence and love of liberty
and right permanent power cannot be built
upon inequality, injustice and wrong. If
the principle be right that none but voters
ought to be represented, why do you not
say SOP If you think the, negro ought TO
have the right of voting II you are in fa-
vor of 1t and intend 1t shall be given, why
do you not in plain words confer 1t upon
| him? 1t Is much fairer than to seek it by
indirection, and the people will distinctly
understand you when you propose such a
change of the Constitution. / am not Tor
it directly, nor will coerce the States to
its allowance. If conferred by the free ac-