, 1862-02-25
SPEECH OF HON. I. n. ARNOLD:


to:aay rejoicing over great victory. The most /
brilliant Of this war. This is no time to be
talking about Bull Run, and making Inquiries |
rather let us rejoice in this most glorious vie-
tory at Fort Donelson- ~:
Ii the midst Of the universal joy which tic |
intelligence which has Just been read gives to |
every patriotic heart, I doubt ny. ability to
committee. Every heart il thrilled and every |
ear is listening to the tick Of the telegraph to
eatch the details OF this most glorious triumph.
With au our rejo{eings We do not forget that |
our friends, our neighbors, our associates,
fee Of e9egss se %e On M 5nas Rl1ony
death who will rejoice in honorable wounds?
who come ont unscathed from dght7 are ques-
tons yet unanswered. And while these lues-
tons remain unanswered am IN no condition
to speak; but as the House hAs decided not to
adjourn, 1wM try to go on.
Nj. Chairman. let INC say to my friend from
Ohio CAr. Gurley) tails we'll that ends
"Let the dead past burE the dead,
Act, act in tho living present.
The complaints Of the inactivity Of the
army, tho Blockade Of the Potomac, Balls
Bluff, are, es believe, among the things
which arc past, and ho@eyer much to be de-
plored, arc now remedilsss. I trust that mac
tirlty is at IN end, and that hereafter events,
rapid and decisive, VIII follow each other.
tratine, ray, has penetrated, the heart
and center of this rebellion. Months ago the
President remarked that the fate Of the iusur-
reetion was to be settled in the valley Of tho
Mississippi. Let it be 30 eettled il, indeed,
It is not already settled. Give free scope to
Western courage, enterprise, and earnestness,
and it Will be settled, and speedily. ~
The national heart has long throb5cd With
in1patience:. The PEOPLE with q generosity,
history, have responded to the call OF the
Government, and placed men and money with
cut limit at its command. The six hundred
and fifty thousand gallant citizen soldiers now
beneath your flag, bare losg been stEaininss
upon the curb, and hive been eager and impa-
tient to be hurled upon the enemy. The peo-
pie hare waited long, and with patience that
is heroic, for decided action. Days, weeks.
and months have gone By; they have seen
tLeir money poured Gut Ike water, the season
passing away, and Etil they hare trusted and
continued to trust; but, thank God, they are
at length gratifed by decisive movements.
There is manhood, and yigor, and vim now
at the helm, which is using effectively the
vast means at the control Of the Government.
Tie people heretofore hare been eyerywhere
exelaimIng, let tic avengirg tEunderbolt be
sped. Let the traitors be crushed. Let the
sloYed land be replaced By the steel czzd gauat-
let, and, in Gods name, strike root, and
branch; spare not the snilty:'' How often
they 1mpaticnt1y asked: Is 1t not time that
El34lVlr slIL lut1l 5} IL t{tluZEIo HtEt GAu551t
that Government is not moral s7sastou, but
authority, armed with power, and in its own
right hand the sword Of vengeance, nay, not Of
zengeancs, but Of jastiee?" I believe, before
God, that the time has come and trust The
nan hes come to smile.
The holiday work Of war has gone. War
itself is st hand il all its stern, grim aspects,
aEd vigorous, hard blows are to be struck,
| perhaps to be received also; but the days Of
words, Of pleadings with our +" misguided
b1ethcrD,' - have passed, and tic fact is now to
| be recognized that nc arc at var, and at war
with traitors. I am willing TO place my hum
bic opinion On record, that nothing which
| stands in the way Of our success, no element
| Of rebel power, lot even their slaves, il cs-
1ihited as an ally and Us an element Of strength
come when severity to the rebels is mercy to
The loyal citizens. The rebellion must be sup
| pressed, and if slavery stands in the way, it
| 100 must be crushed out.
I wish also to express the opinion that when
the contest becomes hot aad earnest, as it
will be tolerated.
I was gratiicd to hear the honorable gentle
man from, Kentucky Mr.. Mallory declare the
other day, that if the issue came between the
Union and constitutional liberty on the one
hand AID slavery On the Other, aud both could
not stand, he should not hesitate ssto vip.
| cut thnt institntion.h These arc his words:
ST VIII say, while am up, in response to the
question p1opounded to My venerable colleague,
Dit, Wieklae,] that, so Ter as understand the
feelings Ct the people OF that State-t least can
give, without hesitation. my OWE opinion on the
snl!ject-that if they ever come to regard the in-
or & hi &
| heEitate 10 wipe out that institution
It WIS nchle declaration, worthy Of the
earlier and p1ouder days of Kentucky, worthy
Of the State Of Henry Clay, It was q senti,
1nent which Clay would have echoed had he
}1nc Tfufr E*r1 f11rEa 4f1SY
member from Kentucky viii, trust, respond
TO that sentiment. We shall hare no threats
that il TIC DO this Or that Kentucky will leave
us. No; Kentucky, through all her represent
atiyes, and from every battlefield in the val
ley Ct the Missi:sippi, will declare TINT she ha:
nailed the old stars and stripes to the m.st
and come what may, she will cling to the old
Gag.
The crime OF this rebellion has Jet to be
fully appseciatcd. One year ago our country
py. We had just passed through the election
OF President, and, Tor the first time in out
history, party organized to check the att
vance and arrest the dcspotis;n OF slavery,
had elected President. A generous and
Iaw-abiding people, conscious Of their own
integrity, aEd trustfnl and coDfdIng il
that Of Others, never dreamed Of the existence
of this widespread, treacherous, most barbar
ous conspiracy. Long were they incredulou:
Of its existence: The slaFc power still helt
I
and, indeed, Of every Department Of the Gov
eznment, except the Executive. While tht
people were waiting the Inauguration Of tht
President theT had elected, they were slow tt
believe that the Government was in the con
troll Of a band Of perjured conspirators, who a.
that moment we're robbing the Treasury, steel
ing the public arms, plundering tho pubi
property, bctrayins us to foreign nations, AMI
! stealikilT preparing to deliver the country
: bound hand and foot, to the traitors. Tier
is no doubt now but that the chief conEpira
, tors-Dayis, Floyd, Slidel1, Mason, and other
} intended 10 add to the crimes Of larceny
Tctjury, conspiracy, and treason, the crime q
) ! ASSASSINATION. It was intended to assasinat
President Lincoln!
, These great criminals, tho instruments c
the s1aye power, are responsible for all til
, evils now coming upon our country. Ever
, life which has been sacrificed, every dollar CT
: pended, every outrage committed, is th
direct result OF this blackcst conspiracy know
!. in modern history
Sir, you hang man for murder How ca
you adequately punish these conspirators IN
: traitors: Go, Sir, into the camps and til
i hospitals Of your soldiers around this capital
$ go TO the barracks at Cairo; go to the priso
At Richmond, where our soldiers were latel
= Of rebel soldiers; 50 to tie blood-staine
7 fields Of Missouri and Kentucky; 60 to Be
t mont and Eal1's Bluff, to the glorious field
: Fert Dcnelson; go to the cabin Of the frantst
# settler, to the farmhouse and cottage OF the Ne
G England volunteer; find the widows and the o
; pllans whose husbands and fathers have bee
Z Slain in battle or destroyed By disease in til
war; sec industry paraly yzcd and general dcpEc
|, sion Of commerce; look forward little aud al
, ticipatc the day when the list COW Of the fauii
+ may be taken TO pay the enormous taxes
G this war; then look at haushty, arrogant En-.
l. lard chuck1ing 1t our divisions, insulting
with impunity: our glory obscured; our 1a
= aishonored; and remembering the proud pos
l. ton VIC once occupied !, tell NC, if you ca1
:. | what is IN adequate punishment for tho;
h | traitors who have BROUGHT all these evils upo
It ! our country?
5 wish to impress upon the American poop
y this truth elaFery has done all this. Slayei
, is the traitor. Slavery is the rebellion.
:, you had not had slavery, you would hare hs
& no rebellion. But for slavery, to-day all won
r hare been peace, harmony, aud fratcrnit
ID But for slavery, our flag would have wave
D. over all our territory but for slavery that t.
il would have been respected and honor
i | Eix hundred and ffty thousand gallant SC
d | eiers now In the field would have been
If home around their own fteside=-
I. I wish every soldier in the ranks to feel til
% slavery has called him from his family, b
&c &c home aud peaceful pursuits. I wish eve
a. MANNED and wounded man in every hospit
ii to feel that it WIS slavery that caused his 81
a. ferings- + wish every widow and orphan
or made such by this war-in every loyal HON
y to feel that it was slavery that struck down Il
ls husband and the father.
u u When, for the enormous debts Of this ws
" The ta4gatherer wrings the hard-esr1cd p:
:. tanee Of honest industry, let it be ever
il memhered that every dollar which is pa