Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1863-05-06

Iaboreu long ana patiently 10 compromise
and adjust the different wrongs, or suppo>
sed wrongs, which were comp lained of by
the different States, growing out Of the
confederation.
Mr.. Speaker. had we, had Abraham
Lincoln and his party. rested upon this
great landmark of our fathers, we would
not to-day have been considering these
resolutions on the state of the country
we would not now have men from every
household cold in death,
BY the same voluntary consent eleven
of the States put the new government in
to effect in the year 1889, Rhode Island,
breaking the continuity OF the territory Of
the new confederation in the east North
Carolina and Virginia breaking in the
south between the States OF Georgia and
South Carolina New York. the Empire
State, breaking the same continuity and
dividing the States of Connecticut, Massa
chusetts and New Hampshire from Penn
sylvania. During all these years did the
confederation attempt coercion? Sir,
force was not spoken Of. In those days
Cancellation and love, harmony and chari~
ty, were the links which which bound and
the landmarks which guided, and which
those wise men planted all over the pages
+ Of our country's history fol future genera~
tions TO refer TO as their only chart by
which to navigate our precious ship
Who doubts but that this was a wise and
Just policy? BY Cancellation great ma,
tion was mrde-by Cancellation maintain
ed.
Sir, have we departed from the land
l. "a -,
departed from this all l-wise and christian
policy two years since. And what have
we2 We have Just exactly what our fa.h~
ers wosd have had had they adopted the
policy of force and coercion we have tried
it against six millions of brave people. and
have the fruit held up to our eyes of thous-
ands of homes, made desoate-mournng
is in every farmhouse, and desola:ion
stands like giant despair
Sir, our whole country is reeking in
blood, our good old State stained all over
and, sir, we may still send and pile up
the bones of our brave sons mountain
high, and the result will only be more
sure separation, the inevitable result,
unless we return to our old landmarks
and conciliate. The day is h ere
when men must speak their solemn
convictions-when .hey must tell the
truth-atd as stand here fayoring these
resolutions do what believe 10 be my
duty.
BY the same voluntary consent eleven
Of the States put the new government in
operation, and Rhode Island and North
Carolina entered in 1870. By this same
policv, voluntary consent, State after
State joined the more perfect Union,
until the number of the States was nearly
doubled, and they were thus kept togeth>
er until there was elected to the executive
office of the common government, by a
minority of the people, President npon
sectional principles, and the principles oi
oppression, force and coercion.
The second great principle of our gov
ernment is the right of the sovereignty Of
the States. /: was for this principle that
the States waged war during the revolu
ton. 1t was upon this principle they
formed the old Confederacy, and upon
this they formed q second and more per.
feet Union. 1t delegated to the sw gov,
ernmen: few strictly defined and closely
guarded powers, those only which related
to the management of foreign affairs, and
to intercourse and commerce among the
citizens of all the States. They 1.-THE
States) reserved tn themselves respective
ly all the essential powers of government
viz: regulation of marriage, the tenure
and descent of properly, the deiHition
and punishment OF crime, the regula lior
ofthe right of suffrage, and all others not
expressly delegated and distinctly grant
ed, these were held by their State Execu'
tive, Legislature and judicial officers
guarding so carefully these rights of emf
nent domain and their sovereignty that
the Confederate government, by the ex-
press article in the Constitution, could not
enter or serd any troops upon one inch Of
soil of any state not even TO suppress in>
surreClion, except by the invitation of the
legally elected authority of the State. But
Mr.. Speaker, in utter disregard OF all
Stale laws aud sovereignty, land without
sovereignty there is not and cannot be any
State) we have in its place person called
Abraham Lincoln. SIR, the white man
has been pushed away; the poor man
made TO fight the rich man to pay his
three hundred dollars and walk free the
poor man ground down by taxation, day
/ by day growing poorer, day after day less
able to school his children, who grow up
I in ignorance and are at last driven into
! the army, with crackers and salt pork as
( their daily food This is not all. All
ready we have growing up in our midst
and sustained by the hard labor aud hons
est sweat of our working men, a class of
men (if may be permitted to call such
things men) who talk about a monarchy
and more stable government. Sir, my
blood courses With quicker beat when |
think of such doctrine. Had Elm those
dreamy days Of peace, walked along and
looked at our reckoning and asked for
the landmarks Of our fathers, we would
not have been in this death grapple.
For the sake Of the negro, and never
knowing or neglecting our fathers wis>
dom, the President, with the aid OF Con
gress like himself, has dismembered the
State of Virginia, and now at this mo.
ment has his soldiers all over it to make
the people vote as he desires. Sir, let me
call to your attention that nearly cen,
tury ago the despotic allies in n similar