The Plymouth weekly Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1860-1869, 1861-08-15
The Present State of the Nation.
= p T. T. G. IL
HON. G.. l.. VALLiNDlGHAM Nj
OF OHIO,
In the House Of Representatives,
JULY 10, 1861.
OF O II 10,

Mr.. vALLANDIGHAM-M Chairman, in
the Constitution of the United States. which the
other day to support. and by the authori-
ty of which We are assembled here day, it is
written
"All legislative powers herein granted shall be
vested in Congress of the United States.''
II is further written also that the Congress to
which all Legislative powers granted are thus com
Tuitted
'Shall make no law abridging the freedom Of
speech or of the press
And it is vet further written, in protection of
Senators and Representatives in that freedom OF
debate here, without which there can be no lber-
ty:
''That for any speech or debate in either
Heuse they snail not be questioned in any other
place.
Holdiag up the shield Of the Constitution. and
standlr e here in the place and with the manhood
of Representative Of the people, propose to
myself. to-day, the ancen. free lom of speech
used within these walls; though with somewhat
more. trust. Of dccency and discretion than have
sometimes been exhibited here. Sir. | do not
propose to discuss the direct que ton of this civil
-iin which we are engaged. Its present prose-
on is foresone conclusion; and wise maI.
er wastes his strength on frutless enterprise
position shall at present, for the most part
De indicated by my votes, ard by the resolutions
md motions which may submit. But there are
many questions incident to the war ami to is
prosecution, about which l have somewhat to say
now.
Mr.. Chairman. the President, in the MESA oe
before us, demands the extraordinary loan OF
SFJ3,OOO. Julian amount nearly ten times greater
than the entire public debt, State and Federal a,
the close of the Revolution in 1883. and four
fines as much as the total expenditures during,
the three years war With Great Britain, in 1912.
Sir. that same Cor ittution which | again hold
up. and to which gvc my whole heart and nv
utmost loyalty, commits to Congress alone the
fower to borrow money and to fix the purposes Il
which it shall be applied, and expressly limits any
appropriations to thc term OF two years Elch
Senator and Representative, therefore, must iudee
for himself upon his conscience and o ,th, and be.
fore God and the country, of the Justice and wis
'iom and policy of the Presidents demand; and
whenever this House shall have become but a mere
Office wherein to register TIE decree of the Execu
live, it will be high time to abolish il. But have
right, believe, sir. 20 say that, however gen
tlenen upon Es side of the Chamber may differ
finally as To- the war. we yet firmly and inexo.
rably united in thing, least. and that is the
determination that our own rights and dicniti es
and privileges as the Representatives of the peo-
ple, shall be miintainei IN their spirit and to the
Iatto. Al
that there are some here present who are re-
solved 10 assert and to exercise those rights
With becoming decency and moderation. certain
ly. but at the same time fully, freely. and at ev.
ry hazard.
Sir, it Is ancient and wise practice of the
English Commons, TO pfecede all votes of suppie,
by an inquiry into abuses and grievances, and es
Fecialiy into any iafractlons OF the Constitution
and the laws Of the executive. Let us follow this
safe practice. We ARE now in the Committee o
the Whole on the side Of the Union; and IN the ex
ercise of my right and my duty as a representa-
tive, and availng myself OF the latitude of debate
allowed here, propose to consider the PRESENT
STATE OF THE NATION, and supply also some few
OF the many omissions of the President in the
message before us. Sir, he has undertaken tn
give us informal on of the state of the Union nc
the Constitution requires him to do and it was
his duty, as an honest Executive to make that in
formation full, impartial and complete instead OF
spreading before us a labored ard lawyerly yiIdi
cation of his own course of policy-a policy
which has preciptatsd into horrible and
bloody revolution. lie admits the fact he adj
mts that, to-day. we are IN the midst of general
CIVIL WAR, not now mere petty insure ction, to
b. suppressed in twenty days by n proclamation
and posse eomitatvs of three months raw mill
tia.
ir. it has been the misfortune Of the President
fro.. the beginning thH he has totally and wholly
underestimated the magnitude and character OF
the revolution with which he had to DEAL or surely
he never woula have rentS npon the v picked
and hazardous experiment calling thirty mill
ian people to arms aTpns> iemselves without tho
counsel AMI authority of CohGrcss. But when at
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