The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1862-02-06
Speech of Hon. Garrett Davis
OF KENTUCKY,
On the Expulsion of Jesse d. Bright
from the u. s. Senate.


wound anybody's feelings. Our system
of government was complex--some-
thing like the solar system. Any or.
ganized attempt at resistance against
tho authority Of the government was in
fact rebellion. In regard to tho Sena
tor from Indiana, if he had understood
his course, he had always opposed any
measure to coerce the rebeIlious States
and bring them back to the Union. If
the President had pursued such
course, and refused to do anything to
reduce the rebellion, he would be liable
to impeachment, and shall Senator
pursue the same course and not be liza
BILE to expulsionP He (Mr. Davis) dep.
recated the rebellion as stupendous
wickedness, and would give the Presi-
dent every power to crush it out forever
Suppose the whole government had ia
ken the same course as the Senator
from Indiana, the Union would have
been in ruins to-day, and the experi
ment OF self.government destroyed
lie did not understand that the Sena.
tor from Indiana had ever shown any
sympathy with the government in its
life and death struggle, but had voted
against all measures to subdue the re-
bellion. While the rebellion was
threatening the Government a Senator
says, am opposed to every attempt to
subdue traitors. Yes, more, write
letters of compliment and friendship to
the chief of them; and send him aid and
comfort. That letter of the Senator of
Indiana which has boon read here. !, IN
my mind full of sympathy for the Con-
iederate Government and for its usurp
ing chief. Where Is the passage in
the legislative history of the Senator
from Indiana since this rebellion was
lnaugurated--where Is his speech. his
nope, his proposition to extricate the
Government from this great trouble by
putting down this wicked rebellion.
that shows anything like sympathy for
this Government which that letter shows
for the traitor Confederacy and its
chief2 1t will not do for men in this
death struggle Of the country to fold
their arms and do nothing. The Sena-
tor from Indiana must have heard the
m utteTings Of this coming storm for
months before the Presidential election
took place. Essays in Southern news.
papers and speeches from Southern
mem Sers, which have hardly ceased re i.
verberating through these halls, all
were Proclaiming throughout the
South: 1--WE will never submit to the
election Of a Black Republican as Presi-
dent Of the United States; if Abraham
Lincoln is elected, he shall never be
permitted to be inaugurated in Wash.
ington City" And were they not act.
ing up to that proposition2 Ifit had
not been for the energy Of the prior
Administration towards its close, when
new mombers of the Cabinet were
brought in to take the place of those
foul traitors who betrayed their govern.
ment, and for the foresight of General
Scott in providing military force here,
Notwithstanding Mr.. Lincoln had been
elected according to all forms of the
Constitution, mob, unlawfully gath
cred from the State of Virginia and
Maryland, would have defeated the in
auguration of the Chief Magistrate of
this country. Now the honorable Sen
ator boasts of his intimate relations for
many years with the so.cslled Presi-
dent of the Confederate States, and. if I
understand it Alright, those relations
were equally intimate and friendly with
the principal leaders of that rebellion
aud presume he was we'll acquainted
with their purposes and counsels.-
They proclaimed to the world by their
public speeches here, and their stumn
harangues, that they would never. in
the Southern States, submit to the eleo.
ton of Abraham Lincoln, or permit
him to be inaugurated as President of
the United States. They would secode
from the Union. They declared that
they would seize upon the government
before the 4th of March, and DESTROY
tho archives while they were yet in the
custody of the then President of the
United States. They knew he was fee
BILE. They knew he was imbecile, and
many Of them believed he was taking
sides with them, aud was ready and
willing to betray the United States gov.
ernmeut. And there is too much reason.
even now, to believe that that was once
his position. / believe myself that he
was strange compound of imbecility
and treachery, and don't know which
quality preponderated most in the man
to bring on the deplorabIe conseouen.
ces which have befallen this govern
ment. These traitors plotted secession
and destructioniof the Union. and to do
this they saw that they must divide the
old Democratic party. Therefore
Southern Democrat, whom they knew
to be supple and in favor of their plans,
was opposed to Douglas, who mustered
the strengthen the Southern Democracy.
And thus they Intended TO so weaken
and break up the Democratic party as to
lead to the very events they had so long
hoped for. The gentleman from India.
MIA must have known this, for he was
in the secrets of all these men, In ma.
ny places in the Southern States the
inquiry was mado at tho time of the
election, how shall we vote so as to secure
the election of Abraham LinoolnP As
for our chief, our tool, j. @. Breckin-
ridge, we never can hope to elect him.
and as we are determined never to sub.
NIT to the rule ofthe black republican
executive, how shall we vote so aseer-
tainly to insure the election of Lincoln.
that We thereby may be enabled to car.
ry the masses Of our States with us In
our reasonable aud internal project TO