Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1863-03-16
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We make the folowing cspital extract from e
late speech Of Senator Powell, of Ksasueky, in
reply to ssna,or Faszsadeo. of Maine:
Nov, Mr. President, allow me 70 say few
words on the sut Jet Of loyalty I en- eztsinr
tired Of having thas charge continually thrust
in here in lieu Of answers TO Arguments I HiII
say to the honorable senator from Hsiue. thas
when the whole history through which this caun-
Try has passed for the llst two years shall BE- i'm
partially written I have 20 fears that ny low
atty viii suffer when contested with his It is
true I hsve opposed tne war he has advocated
the war. ] dgSe say he thought be e0uld recon
sTuet this Union by force Of arms. I thought
otherwise. Loving the Union, I opposed the
war, because I believed war would he eternal
dissolution. I believe it is now a demonstrated
fact that you cannot rsunite these States by force
of arms l sdveestsd every peacaeble measure
Of adjustmsnt that was proposed and I shall
continue 10 advoeals then. The senator sto8d
in favor Of the war; IagaiDstit. / dare say be-
honestly believed be could bring the seeded
States back and restore the Union 5y arms. I
honestly though. otherwise.
But there are some other matters TO which I
viii invite the senator's attention. The senstor
has sat in biz seat in this hall and seen tie Presi
dent of the United States overthrow the Consti
tuition in every vital point He has seen HIN
army and navy WishOut warrant Of law Ha
has seen him arrest citizens n violz.i0u Of sHe
G institution and laws Of the land. He has seen
him drag eiEzsns from distant Ststes in Tiolaff1u
Of tha Constitution aud laws Of the Stats ard
OF the United States, which latter Constitution
and laws the President has sworn to see sifh
fully executed, and incsTcersts IN loathsors
dungeons, many Of taem for as long ss seven
teen mo0ihs, and then turn thsm ont wiihou.
9 ID
power overthrow the freedom Of The press. Hs
has seen them overthrow the liberty Of speech
He has seen them strike down the rights Of The
States, and vote large sums Of money 0r
purposes wholly without the Constitution
He has seen the President suspend the writ Of
bsbees corpus and declare marfiz' law thrnugb
out al ths loysl States Of the Union dfrsct'rg
that citizens shall b. ,ned by drum head courts
martial, when the Constitution Cf his cou1.rv
SAYS they shall be tried by the courts end ju-isz
Of the country. I, in my place, Eavs obiscts7
to these usurPstioHs Of power The senator
from Maine has sat still ald has uevsr, never
objected to one Of these usurpadons I sn
willing to leave it 10 the impartial h5f0rsn who
NAV come after Us whether be is m0ra loyal 10
the government Of cur fathers % constitutional
and civil liberty. than I-he who sat- in tbs
senate chamber and saw the Cons titati0n of ~
country overthr0wn, the rights Of the people
elOven down and they deprived OF sheir dearest
liberties, aud sustsinei he power thss did Is
and uttered no word Of complaint against is or
I. who. IA my place, protested against st an7
opposed it with all the power / could command.
| The senator may think, aud othsrs NAV
I think, that an dis'oyal because I oppose the
war I will rot ssy that others are disi0ysl 10
| the Constitution and AVS of their country Be-
cause they tamely submit to these ouGageous
usarpations Of power; 11t viii say they are
not faithful OF truo friend Of the eonsi utional
or civil liberty. am vi. ing TO letmy country
men of the present day, sid thOsa who ars to
come after US, form their Judgments upon thss
subject But let me remind the honorable
senator that the chief, whom be now supports.
opposed the war with Mexico, and made Phil
i6pics, in The other end Of the capitol, against
Mr. Polk Did anybody doUbt the loyalty Of
Representative Lincoln in thss day never
heard 1t doubted Others did the same thing
But, sir, because choose to aet in obedisnes
to the convictions Of my Judgment that this
war never, never can reetOre the UHi0n, but Il
persisted in, must destroy It, and advocate q
line Of policy that believe will restore it, I an
twitted every day with the charge Of disioyalty.
I trust that, IN the future senators viii meet the
arguments that present on these fnancial bills,
or at least meet plain statement Of facts for
that is about ST I attempted 20 make.