Year: 1866

OF them any good to be elected-it will do
no man any good to vote fer man who
cant be sworn in,


SECTION fHRkE.


The next proposition in this amendment
my fellow citizens, is this: Neither the
United States nor any State shall ever as
sumo or pay any debt contracted in aid Of
tho late rebellion, nor make compensation
for emancipated slaves and the debt of
the nation contracted in the suppression OF
the rebellion shall be forever inviolat6.
Every well Informed man in America knows
that it the great mass of the population Of
the Southern States lately in arms against
the United States are to be restored to their
political right, that, unless this limitation
be placed upon the power of the State, d
majority ct the rebels in each of those
eleven States may exhaust all the resources
OF the people, in State taxation, to discharge
the debts contracted in waging war against
the nation; because, rs the Constitution
now stands, there is no limitation to the
power of State to tax, even to exhaustion,
her own people. We propose simply Is
say that the State of South Carolina shall
have no power to tax the people of South
Carolina to pay the debts contracted by
them III the war tor the Union, or to pay
Tor the emancipation Of their slaves. But
the other feature is quite as important as
this-that the national debt, contracted to
support, the Republic in the suppression
OF the rebellion, shall never be repudiated,
that the debt contract by the nation to it's
dead aud to it's living defenders shall be
paid to its uttermost farthing, and that
these rebo States, il they are to be re:
stored to political power, must first con,
sent to this, and pledge themselves, rs an
evidence Of their returning loyalty, that
they will, in the hereafter contribute tAeIr
reasonable proportion to the discharge of
this sacred debt contracted in the suppress.
sion OF the rebellion aud in support of the
manned heroes of the Union, and of the
widows and orphans of the gallant dead
who fell beneath their country's flag in
support OF the men aud women who gave
their sons, the last hope of their declining
years, willing sacrifice upon the altar Of
their country; in support Of the women
who gave their husbands, that the country
might live in support of the sorrowins
orphans everywhere in your midst, who
are anxonsly awaiting the coming Of that
day, for which all other days are made,
when the earth and the sea shall give up
thor dead and restore to them their long
lost fathers.


1t is for the American people, in the





put into the Constitution perpetual cove
nant, never to be broken, that this plighted
faith OF the nation shall be kept inviolatc,
and every tongue in the Republic shall bo
made to confess, by the majesty and power
OF the ballot, that ths decree IS Just. lt
should be so, and trust in God il will bo
so. The nation that won't keep faith with
its defenders. living AMI dead, is not Fl to-
have defenders, and can not have them
long.


sEtrIoN FOUR.


The other provision of this amendment,
my fellow citizens, Is that no person who
took an oath of Office, either Federal or
state, to support the Constitution of tho
United States ana IN vloHIiuu or MS UaIn,
voluntarily engaged in the late Htrocious
rebellion against the Republic, shall ever
hereafter, except by the special grace of
the American people, for good cause shown
to them, and by special enactment, be per-
United to hold any office of honor, trust or
profit, either under the government of tho
United States or under government of any
State in the Union. You will notice that this
provision of the amendment exemps from
it's operation all persons who did not take
an official oath to support the Constitution
Of the United States, and voluntarily break





words, it asserts that the American people
will admit to the exercises OF politicalp pow
ers, after they have taken these securities
for the future, the great mass of the popus
lation of those Southern States lately III
arms against tho Government! And 1t is an
act of forgiveness on the part Of the Amer.
lean people without parallel, undertake
to say, in the history of nationsj worthy |
doubt not of the character Of this great
people, They are brave they are just
they can afford to be generous aud mag
unanimous in the hour of their triumph
But at the same time, they say that those
who voluntarily organized this conspiracy,
and in order to accomplish 1t clothed them
selves with perjury as with garment; in
tho hot breath of whose treason, even ar
official oath-that adamantine chain which
binds the heart of man to the throne of
eternal justice-turned to dust and ashes
the men shall not DO trusted again. They
surely have no right to complain if that is
all the punishment the American people
shall see fiji to impose upon them. Whit is
itY II is simply that If yoti have violated
trust reposed in you, you should not again
sit in our temples of justice aud take into
your bloody hands the golden scales to ad.
minister justice between man and man.
But while you are denied official powers,
we say to you, live in The land of your ma.
tivity. and so long as you behave your.
selves well aud il pleases God TO let you
live, you shall enjoy the equal protection
of the law. They ought to tiahk God they
ere permitted TO live any where on this
side of tho deepest hell.


sEoTioE FIvEs


And the last proposition of this amend
mont is that the Congress of the United
States shall have power, in the name and
authority of the whole people OF the United
States. 20 enforce the provisions have
just recited ty appropriate laws. Pardon
mo for enumerating them ogain in your
hearing First, that every person hereafl
ter, in every State shall have equal protees
tion of the laws, and no State shall make
or enforce any law which shall abridge the
privileges or immunities of citizens of tho
United States; that every State shall have
equal representation in the Congress of
tbs United States. according to its repre-.
population; that neither the
United States nor any State shall ever as
sume or pay amy debt contracted in and of
the late rebellion or make compensation
for the emancipation Of slaves, aud the
halional debt contracted for the suppression
Of Nle rebellion shall be forever inviolated;
that no official who broke his oath of office
and voluntarily engaged in treason against
the United States shall ever hold any offic6
OF trust or honor, either under the United
States or under any State of the Uuion, aud
the Congress slfIl have power to enforce