Speech Of Hon Ta Hendricks Of Indiana

Author : Thomas Andrews Hendricks
Publisher :
ISBN 13 : 9781331104766
Total Pages : 30 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (47 download)

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Download or read book Speech of Hon. written by Thomas Andrews Hendricks and published by . This book was released on 2015-07-10 with total page 30 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Excerpt from Speech of Hon.: T. A Hendricks We, without the hearing, without the counsel of the men of the South, propose to make a Government which they shall respect and obey. Are the circumstances favorable to this work? How different from the circumstances that surrounded our fathers when they made the Government! Peace then, peace now; but peace then after a war which had united the people; peace now after a war which has made such divisions among us, as that you now say eleven States ought not to be represented in Congress. Again, sir, the fact that there is such a desire to change the Constitution should admonish us that we ought not to attempt the work. I understand that there are seventy propositions to amend the Constitution. In this Hall there have been two or three upon the same subject-matter, two or three amendments that we shall not pay a debt of the South which the South itself has repudiated, which can never according to the terms of the debt itself become due. And covering nearly the entire instrument propositions for amendment are made. I was once, when quite a young man, a member of the Legislature of my State, and nothing struck me as a greater curiosity than the fact that upon certain questions there was a great desire to offer propositions and bills, and especially the estray laws, the road laws, and the school laws. Members from different parts of the State seemed to make a race of speed which should succeed in first getting his proposition before the body. Such a spectacle we to-day witness in regard to the Constitution of our country. It seems to be a race among Senators and Representatives who shall offer the greatest number of amendments to the Constitution of the country. I do not expect to vote for the proposition that is now before us or any other that may be made. In some regards 1 think the Constitution could be improved, but I would not propose any amendment, nor would I vote for any, when I think we are not in a condition for the work. This proposition comes from the committee of fifteen; a committee which was constituted and the powers of which were defined by this resolution: "Resolved, That a joint committee of fifteen members shall be appointed, nine of whom shall be members of the House and six members of the Senate, who shall in quire into the condition of the States which formed the so-called Confederate States of America, and report whether they or any of them are entitled to he represented in either House of Congress; with leave to report at any time by bill or otherwise." Sir, there was one question upon which it was important that the action of the two Houses should be uniform, should agree, and that was in respect to representation. It seemed to be important that when Senators were admitted into this body from Southern Spates, Representatives at the same time should be admitted into the House of Representatives. In other words, the Senate should not allow representation from a Southern State and the House deny that representation to the same State; and therefore it was understood that there should be a joint committee on that subject, because it was a question relating to the organization of both bodies, and this committee was organized with a view to reach that question, and that only - to inquire into the condition of the Southern States, whether they are entitled to representation; and upon that question to report to the Senate and to the House either by bill or otherwise. Sir, the Senate has never said to that committee that it might inquire into any other question. Mr. Fessenden. Allow me to ask the Senator if he heard the explanation which I gave? Mr. Hendricks. I did, and I am going to speak of that. This is an extraordinary committee to consider just one question, and that is the question whether the Southern States ought to be represented in this Hall and in the Hall at the other end of the Capitol. That committee h.