The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1862-07-22
THE NEW CONSPIRACY.
SPEECH OF HON. 8. EDGERTON
Dsiipsred IN the House Of Representatives.,
Nay %, 1869. .,f q .a-t

The House being 10 Committee Of the
Whole on the state Of the Union, Mr.. EDeER'
TON said:
Mr. CHAIRMAN: It is seldom that l troub' g
the House with any views Of mine. am
generally content to 'xpress my views hy re-
cordipg my vote on measures that are brought
before this body. Aud indeed an il'-pre
pared to day to discuss any question, owing
10 the condition Of my health; but the difii
Guilty If obtaining the floor is usually SO great
that cannot forego this opportunity.
1t will be apparent, Mr.. Chairman. from
what we have seen for The last few weeks, and
more especially from what Wa witnessed on
this floor Yesterday, that while the Govern
ment of the United States is engaged with n
powerful enemy 10 the field, it has also here
an organized foe TO contend with. While this
Goveinm is exerting all its powers to crush
out this rebellion, attacks are to be male up
on il at hom- TO weaken its power and par
ak ze its arn in crushing out the treason that
stalks abroad in the land. Tha, effmt has
taken form aud organization. / find It in the
form of an address issued by certain men In
4 is House. l have 10 y haul the address
Issued by certain Demo, ratio members upon
this floor, which is certainly very sugg stive
document. Il is suggestive not only from the
names signed to il, but very suggest We " ID
the names that are not signed to il. IL Is
snooestiye from what il contains. and far more
suoo.stive from what it does not contain. |
sh ali not at this time undertake to discuss the
modesty Of these gentlem en- in us addressing
the people Of the country. may not .qu's,.
ton their right to issue this address, but
see that il has not appended 10 It the names
OF a maiority of the Democratic members of
this House. find the name Of no New En-
GLAND Democrat attached TO il. fud not
The name of that loyal Democrat from Indi-
ana (Mr. Holman) affixed to it. fail to DIS
cover the name Of my loyal Democratic col
league from the district adjoining my own
fMr. Nrgen) attached to it. Nor do find
the influential member of the war committee
(Mr. OdelD there. I7ssd that m@jprity ol
The Democraiic members Of this b )dy had iall
ed to sign it, though l do not know low
many have responded 10 the invitation which
/ see appended to the address in the shape oi
a note. The paper is left open, liks n sub
scripion book, for any one to take stock IN tie
concern who wishes. From all the n rtheru
S,a,es there are Democrats who have not
ioinf,l in issuing this address
If am corr, city informed, may state
ton. that the meeting at which this address
was sdopted, was not of tie IN lst harmonou
character. If reports have not been Incorrect
10 sent forth. there was discord and contention
there. But will proceed to the character o
tie address.
There is nothing very peculiar IN the ad
dress itself. The substance of it might have
been called from the speech Of any traitor on
the floor the last two years. There l.
no,bino new in it. | see in it no complaint o
even disapproba,ion Of the Southern rebellion
A person reading it would little suspect tina
il was written at the capitol OF nation in The
throes of revolution, that this nation had oi
that day more than half million Of men il
the field struggling for the maintenance OF 'h'
Constitution aud the laws. No, sir, there !
no word of condemnation of treason, in thi
so called Democratic Address. For augh
that appears in il, jeff. Davis and all his trait
or cabinet might have signed it with prcprie
ty. The summing up Of the address is !
these words:
"The grea, immediate issue is-to main
tain the COnstltutloh 40 ~ -, """ w '~''S'
the Union as il was.
maintain the Constitution as it is!' VIII
has proposed TO change the Constitution =
Not the Republicans. Who, / repeat, ha
nroposed to change the Constitution Ih
rebels now in aims against the Constitution
and the very men who signed this paper
Why. Mr.. Chairman, for years past there ha
been au effort made by a certain class OF tn
Democrats party 10 change the fuudamen''
law of this land. Two years ago IL Is we
known to members here, how violent, heres
and untiriug those men were 20 change IN
Constitution Of onr country. On the l6'
dav If January, 1861, Garnett, noted reh
I, m Virginia, used the following words q
this floor:
s.What the minority section need< is pow
mower to secure it's rights against msjor
~ section. diff;ring in opinions aud instltutio
aud animated by fixed hostility to those OF u
minority. The danger TO the minority IS N
ouly in hosti legislati N, hut IN hostile u
Of Federal patronage and influence, and IN u
absence of srch positive protection as its !
teres.s may require. Whether in our foreg
relations, in expansion by territorial aclui'
ton, or in forming new States by colonizatl'
in such ACQUISITION. To secure all this Il
South must have an absolute veto in every d
partmept of the government"
"The South must have an absolute veto
every department of tb- Government" sa
Mr.. r. IL. Garpett. Well, sir, on the z
day of February, of the same year, nv c.
league from the Dayton district, (Mr. Valla
digham.) who, by The way, is the author
this address and the fsther Of this move'neI
the leader in this assault upon the Cover
ment, my colleague fiom the Dayton distr
brought in the following proposition:
JOINT RESOLUTION, PRoposISa AMENDMENTS
THE CONSTITUTION.
WHEREAS, The Constitution OF the Uoit
States is a grant Of specific powers d'leg"'
TO the Federal Government by The people.
the several States, all MOWERS not delegated
Il nor prohibited to States being reser'
10 the States respectively, or TO the peep
anu WHEREAS, it IL the tendency OF siro' |
governments to enlarge their powers and
sisdictiou at the expense OF weaker gove
ments. and Of majorities TO usurp and abb
power and orpress minorities, to arrest 9
bod 10 check which tendency compac's