Columbia Democrat and Bloomsburg general advertiser. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1850-1866, 1861-08-10

ocen prescribed by law to the subversion
IN part at least of Maryland of her own
State government and of the authorities
under it: to the censorship over the tcle-
graph, and the Infringement repeatedly, in
one or more of the States, of the right of
the people to keep and to bear arms for
their defense But if all these things, |
ask, have been done in the first two months
after the commencement of this war, and
by men not military chieftains and unused
to arbitrary power, what may we not cx-
poct to see in three years, and by the sue
cessful heroes Of the fight? Sir the power
and rights of the States and the people,
and of their Representatives, have been
usurped tho sanctity of the private house
and of private property has been invaded;
and the liberty of the person wantonly
and wickedly stricken down; free speech,
too, has been repeatedly denied; and all
this under the plea of necessity. Sir, the
right of petition will follow nezs-nay, it
has already been shaken the freedom of
the press will soon fall after it; and let me
whisper in your ear, that there will be few
to mourn over its loss, until, indeed, its
ancient high and honorable character shall
be rescued and redeemed from its present
reckless mendacity and degradation
Freedom of religion will yield too, at last,
amid the oxultant shouts of millions, who
have seen its holy temples defled and its
white robes of a former innoccncy tramp
led now under the polluting hoofs of an
ambitious and faithless or fanatical clergy.
Meantime national banks, bankrupt laws,
vast and permanent public debt, high
tariffs, heavy direct taxation, enormous
expenditure, gigantic and stupendous pccu-
lation, anarchy first and a strong govern
ment afterwards, no more State lines, no
more State governments, and q consolida-
ted monarchy or vast centralized military
dcspo'ism, must all follow in the history of
the future as in the history of the
past they have, centuries ago, been
written. Sir, have said nothing, and
have time to say nothing now, Of the i'm
mcnso Indebtedness and the vast expendi-
lures which have already accrued, nor of
the folly and mismanagcmcnt Of the war
SO far, nor of the atrocious and shameless
peculations and frauds which have disgra-
ccd it in the State governments and the
Federal Government from the beginning.
The avcnging hour tor all these will come
hereafter, and 1 pass them by now.
l have finished now, Mr.. Chairman,
what proposed to say at this time upon
the message of the President. As to my
own position in regard to this most unhappy
civil war, have only to say that | stand
to-day just where | stood on the fourth of
March last; where the whole Democratic
party, and the whole Constitutional Union
party, aud vast majority, as | believe,
of the people of the United States stood
too. am for oeace, speedy, immediate,
honorable PEACE, with all its blessings
Others may have changed: I have not. I
question not their motives nor quarrel with
their course. 1t is vain and futile for them
to question or to quarrel with mine. My
duty shall be discharged: calmly, firmly,
quietly, and regardless Of consequences.
The approving voice of q conscience void
of ohense, and the approving judgment
which shall follow Cater some time be
past" these, God help me, are my trust
and my support.
Sir, l have spoken freely and fearlcssly
Today, as became all American Rcprcsen-
tatiyo and an American citizen one firm
ly resolved, come what may, not to lose
his own constitutional liberties, nor to sur
render his own constitutional rights in the
vain effort to impose these rights and lib
critics upon ten millions Of unwilling people.
have spoken earnestly, too but yet not as
one unmindful of the solcmnity of the
scenes which surround us upon every side
to-day. Sir, when the Congress Of the
United States assembled here on the 3D. OF
December, 1860, just seven months ago,
the Senate was composed Of sixty six Sen
ators, representing the thirty three States
of the Union, and this House of two hun.
drod and thirty seven membcrs-evcry
State being present. 1t was grand and
solemn spectacle; the ambassadors of three
and thirty soveregntcs and of thirty-one
million people, the mighticst republic on
earth, in general Congress assembled. In
the Senate, too, and this House, were somo
of the ablest and most distinguished states
men of the country; men whose names
were familiar to the whole country--some
of them destined to pass into history. The
new wings of the Capitol had then but just
recently been finished, in all their gorgeous
magnifcence, and except hundred mari.
nes at the navy-yard, not soldier was
within forty miles of Washington,
Sir, the Congress of the United States
meets here again to-day; but how changed
the scene. Instead Of thirty-four States,
twonty-three only, one less than the num-
Der forty years ago, arc here or in the
of tla No,,to1 Eortu civ Gan