Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1862-12-25
Speech of Hon. Josspa A. Wright in
- the U. s Senate.


l the q. s Senate.
On resolution calling for information
in regard to the political arrests made by
the Government, Senator Wright, after
brief colloquy with Senator Salisbury of
Delaware, as to interference with the gov
crnment authority in that State. said:
There is another reason which governs
me. This government, think. has been
negligent in the execution Of the laws
The masses of the people have looked on
and have seen that there has been failure
to execute the laws, whether through cour-
tesy or comfy or from some ether cause.
am unable to say. l agree with The Sen
ator who said the ether day. that it was
very remarkable that only five hundred ar
rests had been made. | understand that
from the time this rebellion broke out
down to the present, the arrests made by
order OF the President have not exceeded
that number. 1t lis, indeed, an astonishing
fact, that in this entire country. with the
land full of traitors, so few have been ar
rested. 1t would be very strange if, in
some of these instances. there were not
cases of great hardship. l am willing.
however, to trust these affairs to the Presi
dent, aud. when necessary. to all in the
passage of resolution calling on him to
report to this body the facts, il he does not
deem such course inconsstenr with the
public interest. The President is the rep
resentative of the unity. the power and
the strength of-this Republic. wash my
hands Of that miserable doctrine, too often
incucated here, that an sarh time as this,
THERE is SUCH A THING AS LOYALTY TO THE
GOVERNMENT AND DIsLoYALTY TO THOSE IN
POWER. a4l rnu
Sir, there is but one true loyalty, and
thst is unconditional adherence TO, and
support Of, those who stand at the helm of
the Government, placed there by. the peo
pie to direct. whether in calm or storm,
the great affairs of State. Why. sir. you
might as well. in time OF hurricane and
tempest, when every hope is sinking. the
old ship staggering in the gale, racked and
rocked upon tremendous seas. destruction
to terrified crew and vessel all at hand,
present the miserable farce OF those imper-
lied mariners praying for the safety of the
vessel, emitting a word Of petition for
their anxious pilot. but. instead, pouring
impsecations upon him whilst contending
with wind and wave to preserve their safe
ty. The president is our pilot and at the
helm of our vessel. He is at the head of our
country; and now, when the life of the na-
ton is at stake, can trust him in the exc
cution of its laws Shall it be said that
tba of ha
ated by personal enmity toward any man
in the nation? After eighteen months Of
rebellion you can find but one or two in
stances in which men complain OF hard
ship from the Government 9 ~
But, sir. this is not all. l have he ,rd
Senators in the course o. debate allude to
the effect of these arrests. shall not dis
cuss this question at present. But since
the elections in the West. have met a
very plain man who has been all his life a
Wing, and think he expressed about as
much common sense in one remark as |
have heard lately. l asked him what
course he took in the late election. He
told me that he voted the Democratic tick
ct. 1 was astonished. why" said /,
81 have been trying to get your vote for
the last twenty years. and how does it
come now that you have voted the Demo
cratic tieket?" lie male this significant
reply-let it be written down and pre-
served: "Gov. Wright, the Government is
no: IN edrnest-the GOVERNMENT Is NOT IN
EARNEST" | dare not do this day any
one act which would tend to confirm this
man and those who think with him, in that
sentiment. Sir, l have sometime thought
it would do MS good If we conld bring Mr..
Davis to this Chamber and get him to an
swer a single question: "llow have you
such unity in the South; how have you
raised such an army against this govern
ment; how haze you obtained the means;
how have you arrayed men who are the
same people as those against whom you are
embattled. who speak the same language,
worship the same God. and have lived to-
gether for eighty years under this govern
ment?" He could give but one answer.
and it would be: ''I suffer no man in the
South to be against my government; suf-
fer no man in the South to publish pa
per against my government.
Mr.. Ssulsbury-Iwi wish to ask the Ser
ator from Indiana question. wish to
know of that Senator whether he has not
seen published, in the papers that are con-
sidered loyal to this government. the fact
that citizen of Virginia. having been ar
rested. member of what is called the
Southern Congress introduced into that
body q resolution asking the so-called
President of the Southern Confederacy to
communicate the cause Of his arrest; and
whether the same attempt was not made
in their assumed Congress to resist it, that
is made in this body; and whether that as
sumed Congress did not. by avote-of some
five to one. request the President of the
Southern Confederacy. as it is called, to
give information to their Congress2sa q
Wr. Wright know nothing about
the case that my friend from Delaware
mentions. | know certain facts which |
will mention in confirmation of what was
saying. I know that no man is suffered
to live in the South who is in sympathy
with the North. know that sll the debts
which the Southern people owed to the
North have been coniscated. know that
Jefferson Davis rules as supreme dictator.
l know that there is no such thing as an In
diyidual right recognized in the South -