Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1862-05-20


tial law. There he must prescribe rules
while be does hold II; but the moment he
moves his camp, that moment Ell bis rules
and regulations are gone With bis removal.
That is All there ia Of Il; and that ghost Of
an authority the other side have endeaVored
to magnify into plenary despotic power, I
denouuoe ss utterly slaVish, anomalous, end
ct war with our frea Institutions. But
enugh upon that subject.
Sir, there is no man In this Senete who
needs less sBleoturing upon constitutional obli-
CATION than myself / believe lam as much
impressed with the full Importance Of
maintaining that great instrument as any
man In this or the other House Of Congress.
20 further, and say that not only are the
American people interested In maintaining
our free, glorious institutions intact, but Il
interests the whole oiViliGed world, yea, and
the unoiViliEed world; for the great and
just principles induced from the Law Of na-
ture Of man, and woven By our wise fore.
fathers into our Constitution, are the polit-
ical hope Of the world. Destroy them, and
the world Is again ct ses without Q CON-
pass. Il Is because ! sm Eealous 10 main
tain them that l trample under my feet
these slaYish doctrines Of to-day, that the
Congress Of the United States have not the
power to Omsintain that Constitution against
all violations from any quarter.
Talk to me, sir, about violating the Con-
stitution. l have heard too much Of IT,
Every man who was here q year or two
sgo kaoWs that this same idea Was inoul-
GATED then BY those who are now open
traitors. They sought to tle and fetter
our limbs by the cry Of 9 violated Con-
stitutiOn, that Its enemies might stab
It to the death. There ia not
a man now In what are called the confede-
rate States leVying war, coercinR men into
this accuFsed rebellion TO overthrow this
glorious Constitution of ours, bat haFped
upon the same string that senator's have harped
upon in this debate. The arm Of the Oonsti-
tuition was too short to defend itself frsm ag-
gression. These were the doctrines that they
announced, and then they went of and form
cd an organization, and impl0red foreign na-
tions, yea, and agreed to become the Vassals
of foreign despsts, If they would only aid
and assist them in oVerthroWing this Oonsti-
tuition Of ours. First they claimed that We
had no constitutional power TO defend the
Constitution very cheap way If they could
succeed In It to get along with their rebel
lion. We must lie down IN our tracks, be-
Cause If we undertook TO raise an army to 20
forth TO conquer the rebellion, we were act
ing without constitutional authority Was
not that what they all insisted upon2 Did
they not say Of the Administration what
Senators on the other aide of the Chamber
are saying every morning noW2 Did not
the former colleague Of the Senator from
Kentucky TMr. POWELL accuse the Admins
trstion of tyranny and despotism2 tits the
old tune that was harped upon BY every trail
tor who Is RoW an open enemy to the Oonsti-
tntion of the United States. They under
took to show that the Constitution was
somshSE, t6Eo De Ie; that Il did not contain
any power, or It restricted rs from using any
power for its preservation. Sir, these ar
yuments will notdo.
Senators are very tender Of forfeiture and (
of conhscation. How Is it with the open en-
Bmies Of the Constitution Of the United |
5tates2 Have they any seFuples to maintain /
hat infamous counterfeit called the Oonfed- |
srate constitutional The man who fails to
,ome up to all of lis acquisitions, If be e.
APES with the loss of all his property, with /
doctrine that Senators preach, is
1nly for the qualification Of thoss who are
Ieeking the destruction Of the Constitution
Let me say in passing, that you compel
Oyal men in the Confederate States 10 become
he abettors of treason because you are 80
enient that you will not raise your hand
lgainst their murderers and robbers. In
ruth, up to this hour, the men In the Con-
ederate States who have raised their unhal-
owed arms to strike down the Contribution
# the United States, are more favored by
bis Government than are the true and much
,ersecuted loyal men there. Il is blemish
lpon our Administration, and hope to God
IItII IL y Hn0rt F.ss- -us7-elJ- -fsrop 49,
Senators regret the scope of this bill for
sitin the property Of traitors In these
confederate States If my will could pre-
all, the men whose unhalloWed and
smning ambition has melted them to
ring all this misery upon the coun-
~ through this rebellion, who have
TIRED 1t up without cause, should be held
lstly guilty Of all the consequences Of their
liernal acts-murder, treason, perjury, rob
cry. They are guilty Of ALL You are very
snder footed towards these men; your Con-
titution will not let you take their property.
'ou may rob your own citizens, you may
ankruPt your Treasury, to defend yonF-
elves against them; but their property must
OF be tonched to indemnify loyal men and /
slieve them from taxation.
IF you defeat this bill, If you fail to take
Il the property Of rebels who are seeking Z
le destruction of the Government, and con.
scate it to relieve the burdens of loyal
len, and to indemnify Us for the lust debts q
. have incurred il defending ourselves q
yainst these traitors, / say to you, and 1
lrough you TO the people, for want It to Q
D TO them, am not the man who has pre- b
ented it l go for the largest forfeiture. IL
n in favor Of visiting just punishment on q
Iery man who has raised his sccursed hand q
strike down the Institutions of our fathers. n
will take their property, and viii relieve b
10 loyal North, and the loyal men of the q
Duth, and Indemnify them with this con. Il
lcated property yes, 70 the last dollar of D
ese scOundrels. he who will not do It q
ay meet me before our master, the people. 1
pom this subject. If am wrong, they wili d
ldOubtsdly remind me of it. Ifit Is right. I.
it is just II It is equitable, If It is demand Il
by the high exieiencie5 Of the times in q
hich We live, trust shall stand justified. n
ut sir, wish to stats distinctly that viii fe
|, for the utmost scope Of your bill. would 81
axe il stronger if could. When have g
ought traitor who is seeking my life and IN
, property to terms, and when become el
nkruPt in ny sndesToFs to put him down u
ID defend myself, have no scrupleg abo1t Il
9 property of bis that shall be taken to in Ii
mnify me. ri
/ do not like the argument Of some Of my Y
ends here who haTe risen and prefacsd "
cir remarks BY saying they did NOT EXPECT til
get much to indemnify the losses By this n
u ont Of this cOn6scation. Sir do expect fo
II We ara true to ourselves, II we 70 on
th that patriotism, that regard to the Con- Of
tution, that hatred Of treason snd all its Ii
that ought to govern Is, We "a
al And property sufficient 70 indemnify St
7sl men for the expenses of this unholY pu
- II V1fiIl nn lnTfk r,noy n = - =