here within the United
States and the jurisdiction thereof."

Mr. Sumner's idea in antagonizing the Judiciary Committee's proposition
with this, was to introduce into our Organic Act, distinctive words
asserting the "Equality before the Law" of all persons, as expressed in
the Constitutional Charters of Belgium, Italy and Greece, as well as in
the various Constitutions of France--beginning with that of September,
1791, which declared (Art. 1) that "Men are born and continue Free and
Equal in Rights;" continuing in that of June, 1793, which declares that
"All Men are Equal by Nature and before the Law:" in that of June, 1814,
which declares that "Frenchmen are Equal before the Law, whatever may be
otherwise their title and ranks;" and in the Constitutional Charter of
August, 1830 in similar terms to the last.

"But," said he, "while desirous of seeing the great rule of Freedom
which we are about to ordain, embodied in a text which shall be like the
precious casket to the more precious treasure, yet * * * I am consoled
by the thought that the most homely text containing such a rule will be
more beautiful far than any words of poetry or eloquence, and that it
will endure to be read with gratitude when the rising dome of this
Capitol, with the Statue of Liberty which surmounts it, has crumbled to
dust."

Mr. Sumner's great speech, however, by no means ended the debate. It
brought Mr. Powell to his feet with a long and elaborate contention
against the general proposition, in the course of which he took occasion
to sneer at Sumner's "most remarkable effort," as one of his "long
illogical rhapsodies on Slavery, like:

'--a Tale
Told by an Idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing.'"

He professed that he wanted "the Union to be restored with the
Constitution as it is;" that he verily believed the passage of this
Amendment would be "the most effective Disunion measure that could be
passed by Congress"--and, said he, "As a lover of the Union I oppose
it."

[This phrase slightly altered, in words, but not in meaning, to
"The Union as it was, and the Constitution as it is," afterward
became the Shibboleth under which the Democratic Party in the
Presidential Campaign of 1864, marched to defeat.]

He endeavored to impute the blame for the War, to the northern
Abolitionists, for, said he: "Had there been no Abolitionists, North,
there n