Daily Democrat and news. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1859-1864, 1862-05-03
APATRIOTlC SPEECH.

aAruRpAY MORNING. ........hAf !. Isss.
APATRIOrlc SPEECH.
Il i. indeed, very agreeable to the
sense Of the true adherents Of the Con-
stitutiop, to find now and then man in
the Republican party who has the moral
courage and high sense Of honesty TO
stand up and defend that Constitution.
There are such men. The fiery trial
now going on in Congress is bringing
them out. They stand aloof from the
froth and scum of fanaticism, and with
all the vigor Of full grown men, defend
the magma charta Of our liberties. We
admire their greatness. They are
s,atesmen in the true sense of the word.
Discarding all feelings which the pas
sions Of the hour induce, leaving baser
minds to grovel in the mire, they stand
erect upon their feet to point the way to
national safety and national honor.
More particularly, At this time, do We
allude to the noble speech recently de-
livered by Senator Collamer, of Vermont.
While bis fellows in Congress are madly
endeavoring to foist upon the country
a law for which there is no constitutional
guaranty whatever, be comes forth to
deuounce the scheme, and admonish its
adherents and the county Of the awful
consequences. All honor to such pa
triotism, and such noble statesma nship.
It il tho counsels Of such that the
country needs to entertain at this time /;
and unless they prevail, our laws-nay'
our Constitution, is not worth the paper
it is written upon.
We append synopsis OF the Sena'
tors speech, ana most cordially recon.
mend its thorough perusal:
Mr.. Collsmer, Of w., spoke at length,
taking the ground that free institutions
we're on trial, and that the question was
whether the Government could be sus-
tanned without resort to despotic appli.
auces Of stronger forms of Government.
II it could not, the system was failure,
which he was not prepared to acknowl-
edge. lie dwelt upon the supposed
rights derived from the fact of existing
war. Plausible as this might seem, he
thought it uuwarrantabIe to derive such
rights from our present condition.
Though other nations might recognize
rebels as belligcrants, he did not see
how we could, or any attempt be made
to lcgi,a!e against them as bclligerants
and enemies, with any propriety and
consistency.
lie did not believe we could legislate
ourselves out Of the war any more than
we could legis,atc ourselves into a mil.
leuum. 1t is true, legislation might be
necessary for a restoration Of the U MON.
The machinery Of State Governments
was again to be put into operation, or
their condition would not be restored as
before.
Mr.. G. held that he had two branches
Of duty in connection with the war
first, to put down armed resistance by
force Of arms, and then to bring back
the rebcllious States to loyalty. Such a
bill as this was not calculated to effect
the latter. Tho people in tho rebellious
States were subject to the influences OF
the circumstances by which they were
surrounded, as were other people-a
de facto government had been set up
by certain class among them, and now
they had TO be protected and rescued
from its power. That was the duty of
the Government, and not the attempting
Of wholesale confiscatlons, involving
whole communities.
lie cited the provisions Of tho Consti-
tuition, declaring that no one shall be
deprived of his property except by pro-
cess oflaw, etc. That was prohibition
against every one-against Congress
itself, and was put in the Constitution
especially to prevent our doing such a
thing when We might want to do it. A
good deal Of hocns pocus was displayed
in talking about proceedings IN rem, in
this Connection. The Constitution, i
man is guilty Of treason, says it is
crime, and you may punish him in per-
son. That's all. 1t provides rothin,
about his property, which is the pro
ceeding IN rem. But this bill propose
first to punish him in one way and thcr
in the other, which tho provisions o
the Constitution are intended to gusr(
against.
lie denied that it was proper rul
to do whatever you have the physica
means to do, and declared that it mad
very little difference what department
Of the Government all these usul pation
go to. II Congress assumes to coDtro
the army, conduct the war, and send it
committees out into the field to inspec
the acts OF our generals, ETC., he did no
see that it was any better than the &C
of the British Parliament in the DAYS 0
Cromwell. 1t was tyranny aud usurp
alton.
He discussed the idea so freely cx
pressed of conquering the rebellion
States, repudiating it as unsound. w
had conquered Tennessee, it was said
but did we pretend to own anythin
there-the capital Of tho State, the Stat
institutions, etc.? No. Therefore v
had only done the duty Of affording pro
lection. He discussed also the ,nilitar
power, and as contis:ation was c,aime
- military necessity" it Of course be
lOnUed to that denartmoc% Il I.