Year: 1866

mass OF the people. They may tall


about beheading and usurpation, bu


when am beheaded I want tn


American people to witness it.


don't want, by inuendoes, by indirec
| marks in high places, to see the man wht


has assassination brooding in his bosom


exclaim: "This Presidential obstacle


must be gotten out of the way" Imakt
iuse of very strong expression when
say that l have no doubt the intention
Twas to incite assassination and so gel


out of the way the obstacle 70 place


and power Whether by assassination


or not, there are individuals in this gov


ernment, doubt not, who want to de-
stroy our institutions and change the


character of our government Are they
not satisfied with the blood which has


been shed? Does not the murder OF


Mr.. Lincoln appease their vengeance


and wrath Have they not got honor
and courage enough to obtain their OBJ


iects otherwise than by the hands


of the assassin? No, no; | am


not afraid of assassins attacking me


where brave and courageous man
would attack another. l only dread
him when he would 60 in disguise, his
| footsteps noiseless. If it is blood they
| want, let them have courage to strike
| like men. l know they are willing to


wound, but they are afraid to strike.
| Applause. If my blood is to be shed
because | vindicate the Union and the


preservation of the government in its
original purity and charity, let it be
| shed. Let an altar to the Union be erect
ed, and then if hxis necessary, take me
| and lay me upon it, and the blood that
| now warns and animates my existence
shall be poured out as fit libation to
the union of these States. Great ap-
| plause. But let the opponents of this
Government remember that when it is
poured out, the blood ofthe martyrs will
be the seed of the church, (Cheers.


Gentlemen, this Union will grow, and


will continue to increase in strength and
power, though it may be cemented and
cieansed with blood l have talked
longer now than intended. But let me
thank you for the honor you have done
me. So tar as this government is con-
cerned, let me say another word in RET
erence to the amendments to the conSti'
tuition of the United States, When 1
reached Washington for the purpose of
being inaugurated as Vice President of
the United States, had conversation
with Mr. Lincoln We were talking
about the condition of affairs, aud in ref
erence to matters in my own State. l
said that we had called convention, and
had amended our constitution by abol-
ishing slavery in the State, State not
embraced in his proclamation. All this
met his appreciation, and gave him en-
couragemept In talking upon the
amendment to tie constitution he said;
When the amendment to the constitu-
ton is adopted by tbree-fourths of the
States, we shall have all or pretty nearly
all | am in favor of, if there was
another amendment adopted Said
l. what is that, Mr. President Said he ]
have labored to preserve this Union l
have toiled four years. / have been sub
iected to calumuy and misrepresenta-
ton; yet my great desire has been to pre-
serve the Union Of these States intact
under the constitution, as they were be-
foro But, said l. Mr.. President, what
amendment do you refer to9 He said
he thought there ,shnnld be an amend-
ment added to the constitution which
would compel all the States to send their
senators and representatives to tue Con.
gress of the United States Yes, compel
them The idea was in his mind that it


was part Of the doctrine OF secession to
break up the government by States with
drawing their senators aud representa-
tives from Congress, and therefore he de-
sired a constitutional amendment to
compel them to be sent Now how does


the matter staud2 The constitution
of the country, even that portion OF it
which provides for the amendment OF
the organic law, says that no State with


out its consent shall be deprived OF its
repre- sentation in. the Senate, and now


what do we find We find the position
taken that States shall not be represent


ed that we may impose taxes


that we may send our tax gath
erers to every region and por


tion of State, that the people are TO
be oppressed with taxes but when they
come here to participate IN the Ieglsia


ton Of the country, they are met at the
door and told: No you must pay


YOUR taxes you must bear the burden


of the government, but you must not


participate in the legislation oil the coun
try which is TO affect you tor all time"


Is this iust2 No; no Then | say, let


us admit into the Councils Of the Ma
tion those who are unmistakably and


unequivocally loyal those men who ac-
knowledge their allegiance TO the gov.
ernment and swear to support the con.
stitution II is all embraced in that


The amplifcation of an oath makes no
difference if a man is not loyal but you
NAV adopt whatever test oath you
please to prove their loyalty. If,
while the rebellion was going on,
the Constitution was rolled up as
a piece of parchment; if it was done i'll
some particulars to save the government,
there NAV have been some excuse to JUS
tify it. but now that peace has come,
now that war is over, we want written
constitution; and l say the time has
come to take the constitution down, un-
rCu it, read it and understand its provis-
ions. | came here to vindicate the con-
stitutiOn and to save it, for it does seem
TO me that encroachment after encroach-
ment is proposed. | stand to-day pre-.
pared so far as | can to resist these en-
croachments upon the constitution and


government ] tell the opponents of this
Government, care not from what quar-.
fer they come, you who are engaged in


the work of breaking up the government
by amendments to the constitution, that
the principles of free government are
deeplv rooted in the American heart.
| All the powers combined, l care not