Council Bluffs bugle. [volume] (Council Bluffs, Iowa) 1860-1868, 1863-02-11
Usurpstieas of siss Presidsnt.
srgEca or
gFt sEaH 80 sss6t 5a4aaEa s0g ID
HON. WILLARD SAUL SBlfRY


10 Mr. sAULsBUEY.--Mr. President, wh
the injustice and intolerance OF the Britt
ministery were forcing an issue bstwe
> the parent country and the colonies
y reference to the power of Pasliament
impose taxes upon the latter withoat the
y consent, the rsnonstsances OF the able
: English statesmen wegs treated By ii
J ! advocates of power as the astsvsuos
sedition- l. vas then thar the mob
. Chatham thus spoke ..
Sorry am 70 hear the liberty {
speech in this House imputed as Grim.
bus ma iapasasioa shall NOT discourse
me- II laa ibeEsyI msa.a to exercise
No gentlegnsn ought TO be afraid to exer
eissit. Il Is liberty By which the gen
siesaf who ealumnfates Ii naizht hay
pge6ssI. y frrrg- ., = -
/ IL has been frequently said apoa thi
door, since the commencement Of this un
natural war, that we are making history
Bar, we ase bus repeating 1t. Repeatfn.
lts follaess its madnsss, its wicksgfueas
instead Of avoiding them, heing instraet.
"a hy its examples They who would
admonish Us By those examples, and whc
~eaaa Aave as preht by them, are, By tht
sdvoessss of power and tbs tools ot
factson. charged, Like Chatham, With be-
Ing seditioas, disloyal, and as being
sympathiEers With rebellion. Wen, sir.
this 10 not strange. Great poguiar com
motions, great civil PsvoiutioFs, RIwaRs
bring % the sarfacs Of seSiesy class OF
men TO wise in their own ceueaits but
really TOO ignerant and to dehased-t to be
instructed by the lessons Of history
TAsown oy revolutionary forcs into an,
natural Paaasens, sad true 10 their native
instincts, they crawl around the feet of
temporary power and seak their own
greatneas IN the deEraction Of those who
weaid haEe wisdom in coansei and
moderation in action. Saeh nen glory
10 nothing SO much as 10 wsiting khe
name Of Aristides on the she'll.
La This annual message transmitted 70
Congress on the first day of shs session
the President thus speaks
We OF this Congress aad this Admin.
Istration win be remembered in spite of
ourselves. No personal Significance or
insagnifBxues aan spare one or another
OF as. The 6ery trial through which We
pass will light Us dewn in honor or dis
honor to the latest generation."
A moments fanacy after eighteen
months Of madness 4 fash of reason
at the eouelasion Of al hours incSherent
raving What viii the future think Of
me How shall and my Administra-
tfcu live in history II such questions
had constantly presented themselves 10 |
the Execatiye, and had hs hanss:ly and
aaifnEuly acted in rsfexeuae DO ahe iudg- |
ment Of impartial history, hsw different |
would have been his and our aisuation |
noE- bats sir, Partys Ae& country, xgns
gsancss not justices, have been ths offsets |
most dear 10 the Administration and |
the evidence of this fact which they have
and viii coasians 70 furnish, wil light
him down la s'dishonor 10 the last genera
tioa." know this ianguage may be con-
sIdeFed harsh. The question may be
asked, as it has ofaen been asked hereto-
fore, Why denounse the Administration /?
W by not uenognce the rebels ! answer,
sir, that the rebels, as they are called,
are not to be affected by denunciation or
praise from you or me- They have gonet
out from among as, and are not 10 be
brought back by senunsitafion, bat bv
wisdom in council rather than by bravery
in the heid. That there may be wisdom
in council, both for the purpose of re-
uniting dissev cred country, and for the
'siIl greater and nobler purpose of pre-.
serving civil constitutional liberty. | have
! right to speak my honest convictions
IN reference to the executive action; aud.
having she right, shall be governed in
is exereiae by no other consideration ,
han that of the public good.
At the commencement of the pew year, ,
t may be we'll to review the political +,
,haYt by which our action has been
governed, thai thereby we may in future
void the errors of the past.
"We or this Congress and this Admin
stratiou (says the President) will be re- I
nembered il spite of ourselves. No per-
ona4 significance or insigni6eanes can
pare one or aaother Of us.n
Since, then, sir, We are each TO bel
lighted DOWN in honor or dishouor to .
be latest generation" ii is but right that i
ach make his own appeal 70 ths awful .
of history, aad viadieate his d
ction in this national catastrophe, even 9
efore the ''latest generation" Bat ?
there is the necessity, In making ones a
wn defenee, Of eondemning sho action g
I others Why find fault With thai o
'hich you cannot control, and for which !,
ou are rot responsible ? My answer u
plain. Some of us here can only act "
pom measures Of publie policy submitted n
D 10 by others No efforts of ours to q
i've proper direction to public affairs <
J propositions of legislation or tender "
adyies can avail. An Administrations o
olicy, supported bv majority Of this e e
cngress, is submitted for approval or !,
sjeetiens II We approve, well. If VIC "
.ject, then, as the dogma sought to be 3
lforced ia that she Administration is the o.
tovernment and the Government il the a.
dEainistsa atioa, we ase to be charged g
ith being opposed to the Government q
nd in favor Of rebellion. The questions, 81
len, upou which HISTORY is to decade are OF
IMPLY these Is this Administration n'
ght or wrong Are the measures. as a
cans for she restoration Of the Union 81
I'D the preservation OF che ConaIisution, se
iss or uuwise, proper Or improper Aaa u
'ould they or should they not receive m
10 support Of the representatives Of the o
ssses and Of the people ? 2
RgvIEW or TIE FART. :,
Rightly TO determine these questions d,
G mast raTiew to SONS extent the past, 9,
ad consider the situation of the prsasna. 81
fe are and for eighteen months have hi
cen in the midst Of the greatest political o,
,volation the World has ever seen. We 8,
eiads ourselves when ws say, and ws tr
anEaos deceive the judgment OF hissnry By NJ
10 asclarasioa, shas aach revelation ct
A. no eas4ss. appeal % the history OF a
- pass for the truth of this assertion, b
iat there never has been sny great moral, ID