Year: 1866

should draft. i therefore hereby re-
sign my position on that committee,
and / conceive it TO be duty / owe
both to myself and to others, to give
my reasons for taking this step.


In their political action the patriotic
citizens of the country can have but
one object in view the unity, pros
perity and happiness of all these
States, North and South, and that the
sacred rights of life, liberty and pro-
perty may be everywhere respected
and protected. There is undoubtedly
wide difference of opinion among
thinking men, how this object can
be best attained. But in the present
political contest only two plans are
presented to our choice for harmonic
ing the country, the johnson and
| Congressional.


The war has burdened the country
with an enormous public debt, impov-
erished certain localities and evolu-
tionized the social and political system
of one-third of the States by manu-
mitting four millions Of slaves. These
results must be accepted by the whole
country or there will be no hope fol
peace in the future. The public debt
must be liquidated, devastated fields
made to yield their reward to the hus'
bandman, ruined cities must be re-
built and the freedmen protected III
their newly acquired rights. The
johnson party hope TO accomplish all
this by Immediately admitting into
Congress the qualified representative
of all the States lately in rebellion,
trusting the payment Of the public
debt to existing laws and TO the good
faith of the General Government, and
leaving to each locality the task oi
obliterating the footprints of war, and
to each State tho duty of protecting
tho rights Of all her citizens. Tho
success Of this scheme, if adopted
will depend very much upon the local
legislation Of tho Southern States and
the temper and purposes of their SEN
ators and representatives; although
Congress has the power, under the
amendment OF the Constitution pro.
hibiting slavery, Of intorposing ma.
tional legislation, if necessary, TO pro.
tect the liberty Of the freedmen.


The Congressional party propose tC
restore the Southern States to theii
former relations with the Union uror
their adopting certain amendments tr
the Constitution. Thm making sacred
the public debt and forever repudiat-
ing the rebel debt OF what value is
such an amendment? The public
debt is already sacred obligation,
and the people are in honor bound to
pay the whole tn tho very last farthing
but if hereafter Congress should cover
itself and the country with infamy by
refusing TO make any provision for its
payment, it would become utterly
valueless in the hands Of the holder,
Notwithstanding this amendment be
adopted. The history of tho old con-
/ tinental debt would be repeated. AS
for the rebel debt, it has no legal OK
istence, and Congress could not, if il
would, raise it from the dead. The
amendment is well enough as an ex-
preston of public sentiment, but as
an irreyocable guarantee against the
anticipated treachery Of some future
Congress it is absolutely worthless.


2d. An amendment excluding from
the basis Of representation negroes,
when they are not voters. An amend
ment making the number of voters
the basis of representation would be
moro equitable, on the ground that no
person is'really represented who has
no voice in the election Of his repre-
sentative. The system proposed by
the amendment is, however, better
than the present one, yet this is not a
defect in the Constitution which tho
present war has made appalent. 1t
has always existed. It's overthrow was
not one Of the issues of the war, and
its existence does not affect any issue
growing out Of the result of the war,
except the public debt, and it does not
affect that except upon the SUPPOSE
ton that The South will hereafter vote
in body to repudiate the debt, sup
position that would make union under
any circumstances dangerous and in
expedient.


3d. An amendment forever exclud-
ing from the privilege of holding ny
civil Office, eithor under the State or
National Government, certain classes
who have engaged in tho rebellion
Tney are already excluded from all
Offices of trust or emolumcnt, under
the General Government, by the test
oath-an act which will remain in
force during the pleasure Of the North.
SO far as the exclusion from Office un-
der the State is punishment, this
amendment Furnishes traitors, and it
accomplishes no more. 1t furnishes
no protection to the Union men or tho
freedmen of the South. 1t will not
strengthen the public credit


9TH. An amendment securing the
civil rights of all tho citizens of the
United States. The Constitution al
ready provides that 'the citizens Of
each State shall be entitled TO all the
rights and privileges Of citizens Of the
several States" provision amply
sufficient when enforced to protect
every citizen of the Republic in the
enjoyment Of the rights of person and
property in each and any State of the
Union.


What is all this worth ? One State,
Tennessee, has just been admitted un-
der the proposed Congressional PLAN.
and what are all these so-caIlcd guar
antees worth TO hei citizens? They
did not prevent the Memphis riot, and
how could their adoption by the State
of Louisiana have prevented tho one
at Now Orleans? II must be aclxnowl-