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tain　the　power　of　settling　that　question　of　boundary；　the　abandonment　of　those　Southern　States　will　be　a　success；　even　though　the　privilege　of　retaining　them　be　the　very　point　for　which　the　North　is　now　in　arms。　The　first　clause　of　the　Constitution　declares　that　all　the　legislative　powers　granted　by　the　Constitution　shall　be　vested　in　a　Congress；　which　shall　consist　of　a　Senate　and　of　a　House　of　Representatives。　　The　House　of　Representatives　is　to　be　rechosen　every　two　years；　and　shall　be　elected　by　the　people；　such　persons　in　each　State　having　votes　for　the　national　Congress　as　have　votes　for　the　legislature　of　their　own　States。　　If；　therefore；　South　Carolina　should　chooseas　she　has　chosento　declare　that　the　electors　of　her　own　legislature　shall　possess　a　property　qualification；　the　electors　of　members　of　Congress　from　South　Carolina　must　also　have　that　qualification。　　In　Massachusetts　universal　suffrage　now　prevails；　although　it　is　not　long　since　a　low　property　qualification　prevailed　even　in　Massachusetts。　　It　therefore　follows　that　members　of　the　House　of　Representatives　in　Congress　need　by　no　means　be　all　chosen　on　the　same　principle。　　As　a　fact；　universal　suffrage*　and　vote　by　ballot；　that　is　by　open　voting　papers；　prevail　in　the　States；　but　they　do　not　so　prevail　by　virtue　of　any　enactment　of　the　Constitution。　　The　laws　of　the　States；　however；　require　that　the　voter　shall　have　been　a　resident　in　the　State　for　some　period；　and　generally　either　deny　the　right　of　voting　to　negroes；　or　so　hamper　that　privilege　that　practically　it　amounts　to　the　same　thing。

*　Perhaps　the　better　word　would　have　been　manhood　suffrage；　and　even　that　word　should　be　taken　with　certain　restrictions。　　Aliens；　minors；　convicts；　and　men　who　pay　no　taxes　cannot　vote。　　In　some　States　none　can　vote　unless　they　can　read　and　write。　　In　some　there　is　a　property　qualification。　　In　all　there　are　special　restrictions　against　negroes。　　There　is　in　none　an　absolutely　universal　suffrage。　But　I　keep　the　name　as　it　best　expresses　to　us　in　England　the　system　of　franchise　which　has　practically　come　to　prevail　in　the　United　States。

The　Senate　of　the　United　States　is　composed　of　two　Senators　from　each　State。　　These　Senators　are　chosen　for　six　years；　and　are　elected　in　a　manner　which　shows　the　conservative　tendency　of　the　Constitution　with　more　signification　than　perhaps　any　other　rule　which　it　contains。　　This　branch　of　Congress；　which；　as　I　shall　presently　endeavor　to　show；　is　by　far　the　more　influential　of　the　two；　is　not　in　any　way　elected　by　the　people。　　〃The　Senate　of　the　United　States　shall　be　composed　of　two　Senators　from　each　State；　CHOSEN　BY　THE　LEGISLATURE　THEREOF；　for　six　years；　and　each　senator　shall　have　one　voice。〃　　The　Senate　sent　to　Congress　is　therefore　elected　by　the　State　legislatures。　　Each　State　legislature　has　two　Houses　and　the　Senators　sent　from　that　State　to　Congress　are　either　chosen　by　vote　of　the　two　Houses　voting　togetherwhich　is；　I　believe；　the　mode　adopted　in　most　States；　or　are　voted　for　in　the　two　Houses　separatelyin　which　cases；　when　different　candidates　have　been　nominated；　the　two　Houses　confer　by　committees　and　settle　the　matter　between　them。　　The　conservative　purpose　of　the　Constitution　is　here　sufficiently　evident。　　The　intention　has　been　to　take　the　election　of　the　Senators　away　from　the　people；　and　to　confide　it　to　that　body　in　each　State　which　may　be　regarded　as　containing　its　best　trusted　citizens。　　It　removes　the　Senators　far　away　from　the　democratic　element；　and　renders　them　liable　to　the　necessity　of　no　popular　canvass。　　Nor　am　I　aware　that　the　Constitution　has　failed　in　keeping　the　ground　which　it　intended　to　hold　in　this　matter。　　On　some　points　its　selected　rocks　and　chosen　standing　ground　have　slipped　from　beneath　its　feet；　owing　to　the　weakness　of　words　in　defining　and　making　solid　the　intended　prohibitions　against　democracy。　　The　wording　of　the　Constitution　has　been　regarded　by　the　people　as　sacred；　but　the　people　has　considered　itself　justified　in　opposing　the　spirit　as　long　as　it　revered　the　letter　of　the　Constitution。　　And　this　was　natural。　　For　the　letter　of　the　Constitution　can　be　read　by　all　men；　but　its　spirit　can　be　understood　comparatively　but　by　few。　　As　regards　the　election　of　the　Senators；　I　believe　that　it　has　been　fairly　made　by　the　legislatures　of　the　different　States。　　I　have　not　heard　it　alleged　that　members　of　the　State　legislatures　have　been　frequently　constrained　by　the　outside　popular　voice　to　send　this　or　that　man　as　Senator　to　Washington。　　It　was　clearly　not　the　intention　of　those　who　wrote　the　Constitution　that　they　should　be　so　constrained。　　But　the　Senators　themselves　in　Washington　have　submitted　to　restraint。　　On　subjects　in　which　the　people　are　directly　interested；　they　submit　to　instructions　from　the　legislatures　which　have　sent　them　as　to　the　side　on　which　they　shall　vote；　and　justify　themselves　in　voting　against　their　convictions　by　the　fact　that　they　have　received　such　instructions。　　Such　a　practice；　even　with　the　members　of　a　House　which　has　been　directly　returned　by　popular　election；　is；　I　think；　false　to　the　intention　of　the　system。　　It　has　clearly　been　intended　that　confidence　should　be　put　in　the　chosen　candidate　for　the　term　of　his　duty；　and　that　the　electors　are　to　be　bound　in　the　expression　of　their　opinion　by　his　sagacity　and　patriotism　for　that　term。　　A　member　of　a　representative　House　so　chosen；　who　votes　at　the　bidding　of　his　constituency　in　opposition　to　his　convictions；　is　manifestly　false　to　his　charge；　and　may　be　presumed　to　be　thus　false　in　deference　to　his　own　personal　interests；　and　with　a　view　to　his　own　future　standing　with　his　constituents。　　Pledges　before　election　may　be　fair；　because　a　pledge　given　is　after　all　but　the　answer　to　a　question　asked。　　A　voter　may　reasonably　desire　to　know　a　candidate's　opinion　on　any　matter　of　political　interest　before　he　votes　for　or　against　him。　　The　representative　when　returned　should　be　free　from　the　necessity　of　further　pledges。　　But　if　this　be　true　with　a　House　elected　by　popular　suffrage；　how　much　more　than　true　must　it　be　with　a　chamber　collected　together　as　the　Senate　of　the　United　States　is　collected！　　Nevertheless；　it　is　the　fact　that　many　Senators；　especially　those　who　have　been　sent　to　the　House　as　Democrats；　do　allow　the　State　legislatures　to　dictate　to　them　their　votes；　and　that　they　do　hold　themselves　absolved　from　the　personal　responsibility　of　their　votes　by　such　dictation。　　This　is　one　place　in　which　the　rock　which　was　thought　to　have　been　firm　has　slipped　away；　and　the　sands　of　democracy　have　made　their　way　through。　　But　with　reference　to　this　it　is　always　in　the　power　of　the　Senate　to　recover　its　own　ground；　and　re…establish　its　own　dignity；　to　the　people　in　this　matter　the　words　of　the　Constitution　give　no　authority；　and　all　that　is　necessary　for　the　recovery　of　the　old　practice　is　a　more　conservative　tendency　throughout　the　country　generally。　　That　there　is　such　a　conservative　tendency；　no　one　can　doubt；　the　fear　is　whether　it　may　not　work　too　quickly　and　go　too　far。　In　speaking　of　these　instructions　given　to　Senators　at　Washington；　I　should　explain　that　such　instructions　are　not　given　by　all　States；　nor　are　they　obeyed　by　all　Senators。　　Occasionally　they　are　made　in　the　form　of　requests；　the　word　〃instruct〃　being　purposely　laid　aside。　　Requests　of　the　same　kind　are　also　made　to　Representatives；　who；　as　they　are　not　returned　by　the　State　legislatures；　are　not　considered　to　be　subject　to　such　instructions。　　The　form　used　is　as　follows：　〃we　instruct　our　Senators　and　request　our　representatives；〃　etc。　etc。　The　Senators　are　elected　for　six　years；　but　the　same　Senate　does　not　sit　entire　throughout　that　term。　　The　whole　chamber　is　divided　into　three　equal　portions　or　classes；　and　a　portion　goes　out　at　the　end　of　every　second　year；　so　that　a　third　of　the　Senate　comes　in　afresh　with　every　new　House　of　Representatives。　　The　Vice…President　of　the　United　States；　who　is　elected　with　the　President；　and　who　is　not　a　Senator　by　election　from　any　State；　is　the　ex…officio　President　of　the　Senate。　　Should　the　President　of　the　United　States　vacate　his　seat　by　death　or　otherwise；　the　Vice…President　becomes　President　of　the　United　States；　and　in　such　case　the　Senate　elects　its　own　President　pro　tempore。　In　speaking　of　the　Senate；　I　must　point　out　a　matter　to　which　the　Constitution　does　not　allude；　but　which　is　of　the　gravest　moment　in　the　political　fabric　of　the　nation。　　Each　State　sends　two　Senators　to　Congress。　　These　two　are　sent　altogether　independently　of　the　population　which　they　represent；　or　of　the　number　of　members　which　the　same　State　supplies　to　the　Lower　House。　　When　the　Constitution　was　framed；　Delaware　was　to　send　one　member　to　the　House　of　Representatives；　and　Pennsylvania　eight；　nevertheless；　each　of　these　States　sent　two　Senators。　　It　would　seem　strange　that　a　young　people；　commencing　business　as　a　nation　on　a　basis　intended　to　be　democratic；　should　consent　to　a　system　so　directly　at　variance　with　the　theory　of　popular　representation。　　It　reminds　one　of　the　old　days　when　Yorkshire　returned　two　members；　and　Rutlandshire　two　also。　And　the　discrepancy　has　greatly　increased　as　young　States　have　been　added　to　the　Union；　while