Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1862-05-17

tor mean to say that the men of Kentucky will
oppose what we have done to the extent of
testing cases in the judicial tribunals of the
country? If he means only that he means
nothing at ALL for the people of any
section Of the country can do that,
and are continually doing it. Does he
mean that they will resist by wordy
warfare? The senator from Kentucky has
been waging that warfare all this session.
Does he mean that the people of Kentucky
shall, with arms in their hands, resist the leg
islation of this government? Is that what
they will do, and is that what he will counsel
them to do? If so, he goes beyond the posi-
ton he assumed last summer. Then when
the government asked for the men of Ken
lucky to stand by the country, that senator
advised them to do no such thing, but to MAIN
tain neutrality towards their country. Last
summer, he could advise the men of Ken
lucky to be neutral when the question was
whether this nation should live or die, whether
this government should survive or perish
Now he is going to advise them to resist
They are to be more than neutral now. When
the country called on the men of Kentucky to
stand by it, to stand by the old constitution
and the old flag, and to defend the menaced
capital of the country, governor Magoffin,
speaking for Kentucky telegraphed back to
the president the indignant refusal of Ken
lucky to furnish man to stand by the periled
Union When armed traitors resisted the au-
thority of the government and fired upon the
emblem of its sovereignty Kentucky, speak
ing by her governor, scornfully refused to re-
spond to the appeal Of the president for vol
unteers to protect the national capital and pre-
serve the national life. After the men of Mas
sachusetts, fastening to the defense of the
capital, were smtten down in the streets of
Baltimore, the senator from Kentucky wrote
from that city to the men of Kentucky to 'slet
Kentucky look to herself and her own self
preservation" ''let her roll back the red
waves Of war from north or SOUTH "and
when the contending parties become worn
and wasted by a prolonged and bloody war;
she can then effectively Interfere to command
a general peace" Yes, sir, last spring
the senator from Kentucky counseled neu-
trality between patriotism and treason.
He is progressive, one of your progressive
conservatives. He will not advise Kentucky
to be neutral now. He vauntingly tells us
that her white people will resist. Yes,
sir, he will advise them to resist by all the
means they can devise. Is this the language
of patriotism? Is this fit language for an
American senator to utter in this chamber?
Is it language that any man who has an Amer
lean heart in his BOSOM and who loves his
country can utter? Sir, it is the language
that ought to be rebuked, and will be rebuked
by every man who loves tie country and who
upholds its institutions.
The senator talks about our measures, and
the time we have spent. He has spent more
hours than any other senator in discussing
these measures; and must say, too, that he
has discussed them in manner more often
sive than any other senator since the traitors
took their leave of this BODY
Sir, | am the last man to complain of any
one for freedom of speech on this floor, or
anywhere else; but | give notice now to the
senator, and to anybody who chooses to fol-
low his example, that while have a seat here
no senator shall ever threaten to resist by all
the means he can devise the legislation Of the
country, that | will not call him to order;
that | will not denounce such language as the
language not of patriotism, but language wor-
thy only Of men who are ready to lift their
hands to overthrow the institutions of their
country. Sir, it was the language borrowed
from the Davises, the Toombses, the Breck-
inridges, and the men who stood here year af-
ter year threatening the destruction Of their
country, and then turned their backs to us,
and took arms and raised the banner of revolt
against the nation.
Now, sir, | maintain that this congress has
passed no measure in violation of the consti-
tuition of the country; and | do not know
senator who would vote for measure in yio-
lation Of the constitution. Sir, when we come
out of this bloody contest which has been fore
ed upon us without cause, desire that it may
be said that we have come out of it with the
constitution of the United States indicated
and maintained, and that it shall be seen that
the constitution was ample to carry this nation
through rebellion, as it had carried it through
peace and through foreign wars.
Now, sir, what have we done that the SEN
ator can complain Of? We have passed an
act that everybody who has had the character
of statesman in all the past history OF this
country has maintained our power to do:
refer to the abolition OF slavery in the District
of Columbia. Will the senator advise Ken
,'I - = 49, 49,