Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1862-02-08
HOS. ANDREW JouNsoNs SPEECH.

Bright Of Indiana, went directly to the heart
Of the issue, and surpassed oil the. expecta.
tions Of bis friends and all the previous efforts
Of bis life. Such o man, Of ell others, deserves
we'll OF bis country. Scorning to occupy him.
self with the petty schemes which disgrace
the public career Of go many others around
him Of much greater pretensious 10 patriotism,
be has bis eye fixed alone on the restoration
to that end, when he does speak the country
knows that be is 10 earnest in his declara.
tons, and bis words fall, therefore, with q
power that should challenge the emulation Of
men who would gladly, and at any sacrifice,
attain TO like place 10 the public esteem
had they the honesty or the tact to accom-.
plsh it.
"Mr. johnson, said be wished 6rst TO say
that he had DO unkind feeling towards the
Senator from IudiaDa. So lar as be knew
there was no such feeling entertained against
him, aud his action and vote would be inliu
enced entirely by public considerations. On
q former occasion, when the contest was
about the Senator'S seat, be felt constrained
to vote to let him in the Senate; but, before
! bis term wss out, he felt compelled to vote to
expel him from the Senate. lie contended
that the Senate had perfect right to expel
any Senator If they thought he was not fit to
! remain iu the councils Of the nation. The
question is, do the people OF the United
| States feel confidence in the loyalty OF the
! Senator FROM Indiana? lie bad often heard
the inquiry among people, why does not
/ the Senate turu out Bright of lndiaus?" lie
then referred to the charge OF Judge Smslley,
of New York, and the acts OF the Rebels, Us
proof that actual war had commebced when
The letter to Davis was written. The Sena.
tor must have known this fact He com.
mented upon the letter and lis contents. He
claimed that it was an overt act OF treason,
| by aiding the enemy. The Senate was not
subject TO the technical rules ot o court. Sup.
pose Aaron Burr, after he was acquitted by
a court of treason, bad returned TO the Sen.
ate, would not every Senator here have voted
for his expulsion But the Senator said this
letter was un act of friendship. Would
friend send o letter 20 known traitor, giving
him the aid Of improved 6rearms2 BY seId
ing letters to the chief traitor, with aid OF
this kind, the Senator showed himself so re-.
gardless of his couutry's interest that he is
not entitled to q seat 10 The Senate. Where
was the vote or speech of the Senator from
Indiana expressing sympathy with the Con
sttuton and the Union When, year ago
NJ r.
the chamber, fighting the battle OF the Union
has the Senator forgotten the bevy OF conspi.
rators who gathered around with scoWls,
frowns aud tuuuls2 II the Senator has. be
had not aud he knew the absence Of even one
glance of approval from the Senator from
!ndiaGa. He (Mr. Jcbnson) would have been
glad OF the sympathy Of one so long 10 the
public service (; but he was as. cold Bs au ice
berg and be (Mr. Johnson) was left alone on
that side Of The chamber, and the line was
strictly drawn between those who were fight.
J ing for the Union and those against it. Where
. were those who, no longer ago than the last
session Of Congress, sang the siren song Of
peace Where was Polk, or Breckenridge
Gone to the Rebel camp. He believed there
were traitors here now on the same road, and
how loGg it will be before they land 10 the
traitors camp he could not tell. The Sena
tor from Indiana has said he was opposed to
the whole coercive policy Of the Government
. II the Government had not power to euforce
the laws, then the Government was OF al
: cod. Suppose be went to the Senator frou
Indiana, and asked him 10 insist in putting
dowr the invasion OF bis State according tC
E the Constitution. The Senator would reply
3 ii opposed the whole 2oercive policy Of thu
| Government" Such principles would utterl!
destroy the Government, aud yet the Senator
acknowledges that be entertaus them. W ha
is the use Of the Senate: protesting 10 upholC
r the Governmeut when his every act aud al
q his iutiueuce is against it. The people Of h
iMr JohDsou'sl State were down troddeI
aud oppressed beneath the heel of tyranny
They appealed for protection, and met with
the cold reply,"l opposed the whole pole.
of coercion" Yet We allow that brave peo
!, pie TO be coerced by tyranny, and have u
| bp bal Mi bnn
. are 10 dungeons. aud have no answer TO thel
appeals but the clanking chain and gratu
dungeon door. They were shot and hung
J. women and children we're murdered yet thei
b cry for protection WAS met by Senators wit
- the reply, The Government cannot enforc
the law we opposed the whole policy Of &C
erco0."
IS But the Senator from New Jersey (Mi
= Ten Eyck) claims shat the letter was peve
n delivered 10 Davis. So, in the days of tn
Revolution, Benedict Arnold gave certsi
y, papers to Audre, but Andre is arrested wit
IL The papers on his person aud they we're take
O. awey. Yet Andre was tried and hung. Doe
J. anybody suppose that Arnold was not q ira
. tor because the papers were not delivered t
% Sir Henry Clinton He referred 10 NJ
- Sauisburys speech, and contended q. som
It lepgth that the South was entirely respous
d BILE for the war, aud that the North gave q
~ the compromise that was necessary, but ID
-, Southern traitors would not accept it.
y :, the Senate has rot moral, physical and pol
~ tcal courage enough TO expel those who al
ID unsafe depositors Of the public trust al
,s power, then they were not fit to remain ber
a themselves. lie did not say these things
~ any spirit OF unkinduess, but for the sake
constitutional liberty and for the sake of h
own wife and children. By the failure of th
re q government to enforce the laws, his wife al
= children were turned into the street, and b
g. house made q barracks, and sent one Of b
70 sopsn law TO prison uud the other to ii
mountains, TO evade the tyranny, and tt
s. bell born aud hell bound spirit Of disunior
BIT and when cries came up that the laws me
y be enforced, you say, NO, am against Il
'e entire coerciye policy Of the Government"
y The only way TO settle the question no
before the Government is not TO compromis
1e bot crush out tbe leaders of the rebellion
~ We have got to show pluck. and got to fgh
n He desired peace, but the only way to get
was by the sacrifice Of blood and ;reasur
. Then let us crush out the rebellion, and ioC
H. forward to the time when We shall raise Il
g. glorious old aag beneath the cross, and G
ther round with the cry of Liberty al
Z. Union, one and inseparable, now aud 70
ye ever" Christ first, and our country next.