East Saginaw courier. (East Saginaw, Mich.) 1859-18??, 1862-05-13
NUMBER Al
AN ExPosIrfoS ny REPUBLICAN SENATOR
OF THE DANGERS OF RADICAL MEAsURgs.
Speech Of Hoa JIcob Coilrmsr, Of Vrmont.
In As IT, s. Senate, April ~, 1867.

REPUBLICAN GOVERNMENT on TRIAL.
Mr.. President Our nation IL in a stage
AMI condition of it, national existence
where undoubtedly il attracts IN IRE than
il ever dill before the notice Of the ma
tions Of the world, not merely ia relation
tn the skill which il shown ia our new
projectilcs or improved ordnance or invu'-
nerable ships, or even in our battles, bat
the attention of the world il attracted To
what is t. BE- the result on this great 90.
casion of this national experiment Of ours.
they say, "Your experiment Of repub.
lican form of government succeeds we'll
enough ia time Of peace, when there is
~ occasion To try il. when there is Moth.
ing t. test IT," but they have lnokei far.
wari u some time which might bring
period, of trial aud convul-ion; snd the
question before the world IL, IL our sys.
TEN competent 10 that occasion 7 daes it
possess strength aud elements Of power
III Efficient To meet the shock Of such a
contingency? If it will not do that. they
say i, il not what we have claimed IL 90
he before the world the great and sue
ccsSiul experiment in popular govern
ment. "Now," say the world, !" "we shall
see whether you can succeed with what
appears to us feebly.formel govern
ment in period of trial" That we may
he enabled to sistain the integrity OF the
nation Il mean its entirety, not its sense
,f Justice -hy the physical force of the
nation, il but one step in it. That Is not
the point. Tie grea: Question before the
| Il L. Ill t,.,
sustain the integrity Of our government,
ani perpetuate onr institutions, and do it
according tn the limitations and provis.
ions of the constitutions? That is what
il TO show that our constitution il c0mpe-
tent to the trial, aud nothing short Of
that. If, when this occasion arises, we
are compelled to resort tn means which,
in effect, are the means used hy stronger
governments, our experiment il failure.
If we are constrained to call up, invoke,
aud put in exercise in any one deTsrt.
mrnt of the government--it is inmate.
rial in what department Of the govern
ment-more Of power, more Of force,
than the constitution provides or than Is
limited hy that constitut ution the inouent
we 10 that, ar are constrained fran our
supposed necessities to do it, we sckuowl.
edge before the world that our institu.
tiuns are insufficiently founded, aud that
we are after all comnelled. ia the period
of trial, to resort To the force whi1l,, they
say is necessary to the existence of a ma
tion, aud our experiment Is q failure. We
shouli, therefore, particularly in period
like this, carefully study and sacredly re-
gard all the linitat ons and provisions of
the constitution. 1t is vain aud idle ia
us to war against part Of our people
because they have made war upon this
government, il we at the same time have
to sap the foundations of the government
Ivy stabbing through the vitals Of the con.
stitntion.
STATE GOVERNMENTS MUST BE RESPECTED.
Mr.. President, it is quite obvious that
State legi -lation, local legislation and
government, is as essential a feature of
this government as the general govern.
ment. The system can1ot exist any
mbre without the one than the other. Ii
is failure utterly unless both exist
Then, in restoring government, it implies
that we must restore the State govern
|
we fail in our system altogether. Ia re-
latipn t. this last branch of duty, I can
conceive that there may be Legislation,
even at this period, which may possibly
tend, if well administered, in some meas
ure to secure that great end. But the
first thing to be observed is, that, how
ever Legislation may take place, nothing
can be practically done on that point
until the insurreciion as an armed insur-
rec,ion is pu; down, suppressed, for then
alone j. il that your law can really ope.
rate. The plaus-which different gentle.
men have presented all look To that
None of them ia any Of their essential
aud lealing purposes can be carried into
effect in any way until we possess tho
cnuutry. They are not means to that
eud---the end of suppressing the armed
rebcllion; they are only to take effect
after the armed rebellion is suppressed,
for that must be done in order to put
such Law into operation; and the qrcs.
tion il, can we legislate now wisely, dis.
creeily, advise'lly, in such manner that
our law may be put in operation at that
time with success to the end which have
state,Ip confess for myself l have some
misgivings abont that.
WE HAVE NOT FULFILLED ouR coNsrrTU-
TroSAL OBLIGATIONS To THE PsoPLs or
THE REBEL STATES.
The dnties Of protection by the gov.
ernment and allegiance snd loyalty by the
people are reciprocal terms AMI datics-
Neither Of them can be exscted by tho
other unless that part due by itself is
performed. This is as true now ~ il was
when il vas said and elaborated by Juige
Parsons. Now, sir, the men who have
riilen over the people in the Southern
States have established governments dc
faeto; they are operative on that people,
however mnch they may have ori .,inssed
in usnrpation. How are we to look Mt
sucl, people? What il onr duty to them
a. a nationY What IL their duty to 40
a. citizens? It j. the duty Of the gov
srnmeut of the United States, under the