Year: 1866

[ are individuals in this. Government.
/ doubt not, who want to destroy our insti
t tutions and change the character of tn
D Government. Are they not satisfied witt
tho blood which has been shed ? Doe
, not the murder of Lincoln appease tn,
, vengeance and wrath Of the opponents o
this Government Are they still unslak
: ed :? Do they still want more blood P
} Have they not got honor and courage E.


nough to attain their objects 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. | only dread him


when he would go in disguise. his foot


steps noiseess. If it is blood they want,


let them have courage enough to strike


like men. | know they are willing to
wound. [applause.] IF my blood is to be
shed because yindicate the Union and


the preservation of the Government in its
original purity and character, let it be
shed let an alter to the Union be erect
ed, and then, if it is necessary, take me,
and lay me upon it, and the blood that
now warns and animates my existence
shall be poured out as a fit lbation to the
Union of these States. [ Great Applause.
But let the opponents of this Govern
ment remember that when it is poured
out, "the blood Of the martyrs will be the
seed of the church, [Cheers.) Gentle
men, this Union will grow it will con-
tinue to increase IN strength and power,
though it may be cemented and cleansed
with blood. | have talked longer now
than / intended. Let me thank you for
the honor you have done me. SO far as
this Government is concerned, let me say
one other word in reference to the amend
ments to the Constitution of the United
States. When reached Washington for
the purpose of being inaugurated as Vice
President Of the United States [ had a
conversation with Mr.. Lincoln We were
talking about the condition Of affairs and
IN reference to matters in my own State
| said that we had called Convention,
had amended our Constitution by abolish
ing Slavery in the State, not embraced
in his proclamation. All this met his
appreciation, and gave him encourage
ment, and in talking upon the amend
ment to the Constitution he said "When
the amendment to the Constitution is ad-
opted by three -fourths of the States, we
shall have all or pretty nearly all l am in
favor of in amending the Constitution if
there was one other adopted" Said
"What is the that, Mr.. President p Said
he 81 have labored to preserve this u
MON | have toiled four years [ have
been subjected to calumny and misrep-
resentation; yet my great desire has
been to preserve the Union Of these States
intact under the Constitution as they
were before" "But," said |, "Mr. Pre-
sident, what amendment do you refer to?"
He said he thought there should be an
amendment added to the Constitution,
which would compel all the States to send
their Senators and Representatives to the
Congress of the United States. Yes,
compel them. The idea was in his mind
that it was part of the doctrine of Sc
cession to break up the Government by
States Withdrawing their Senators and
Representatives from Congress, and there
fore he desired a Constitutional amend
ment to compel them to be sent.


How now does the matter stand The
Constitution of the country, even the portion
of it which it provides for the amendment of
the organic law, says that no State without
its consent shall be deprived of its represen-
tation in the Senate. And now what do we
nJ Uo ind bo l-a,, thofS Sfafo
shall not be represented; that we may i'm
pose taxes; that we may send our tax-gath-
erers to every region and portion of a State;
that the people are to be oppressed with
taxes; but when they come here to partici-
pate in the Legislation 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 of the country, which is
to affect you for all time. Is this just =
["No, no. " Then say, let us admit into
the councils of the nation those who are un-
mistakably and unequivocally loyal; those
men who acknowlede their allegiance to the
Government and swear to support the Consti-
tuition 1t is all embraced in that. The
amplifcation of an oath makes no difference





whatever test-oath you please TO prove their
loyalty. That is matter of detail for which
| care nothing. Let him be unguestionably
loyal, owing allegiance to the Government
ana willing to support it in its hour of peril
and need, and am willing to trust him.
know that some do not attach so much i'm
portance to this principle as DO. But one
principle we carried through. The Revolu-
tion was fought that there should be no tax
alton without representation. | hold to that
principle laid down as fundamental by our
fathers. If it was good then, it is now. If
it was a rule to stand by then, it is a rule to
stand by now. 1t is a fundamental principle
that should be adhered to as long as free
governments last. know it was said by
some during the Rebellion that our Consti-
tuition had been rolled up as a piece of
parchment, and laid away that in The time
ofwar and rebellion there was no Constitution.
Well we know that sometimes from the very
great necessity Of the case in great emer-
gency, we must do unconstitutional things
in order to preserve the constitution itself.