The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1863-05-15
Sflisteuaneolrs.
Extracts from Wilson's Speech.

We give below the closing part OF Hon.
Henry Wilson's speech delivered in the Sem
ate last February:
have no disposition Mr.. President, to re-
proach loyul men of Democratic faith who
have stood by their country with unfaltcring
fidelity. thank God that there arc Demo-
crafts in public lilo and in private life whose
every word and every act has been given to
the cause of their country. Tens of thou
sands of men who voted in 1860 for Douglas,
many who voted for the apostate Bell and
Breckenridge tho traitor, are now periling
their lives for their country. am, sir, for
my country, and for my whole country. l
am for constitutional government and Tor re-
publican institutions and am Tor tho man,
no matter with what party he may have acted,
who is ready now by word or by deed to sup
port the country and its free institutions,
now menaccd by this Democratic slayehol-
ders' rebellion.
We are told, sir, that VIC have departed
from the doctrines Of the resolutions intro
duced into the House of Representatives by
Mr. Crittcnden Of Kentucky. Sir, voted
for that resolution in good faith, and stand
by il to-day in good faith. believed then
the sole purpose of the Government to be the
suppression of tho rebellion and tho cstab.
lishment of the constitutional authority OF
the Government OF tho United States and
now believe that purpose to be the suppress.
ion of tho rebellion and the establishment of
the constitutional authority of tho Govern
ment of the United States. But, sir, this re-
bellion was born of slavery, and the expert
cnce OF nearly two years teaches us that
slavery is source Of power to tho rebellion.
The breaking down of slavery insures the
triumph OF the country, and saves tho pre-
cious blood of its brave defenders. Patriot
ism and humanity alike demand that we
should strike down system that plunged the
nation into the abyss Of revolution and civil
war-a system that has been potent instru-
ment in the hands of tho rebel leaders. II
is the physical power Of the rebellion; it has
sown and reaped, planted and gathered, two
crops to feed tho rebel armies. Sir, would
strike down slavery because slavery is the
source and power Of tho rebellion, and thus
insure tho enduring triumph Of the country.
| would take the slave and would use him
to save the labor. the blood and the lives OF
my countrymcn in the field. You can take
the father from the children that bear his
name and inherit his blood; you can take
tho son from his parents, from the father
that begat him and the mother that bore
him; you can take tho brother from the bro
theirs and sisters who love him; you can take
tho husband from tho wife Of his bosom, and
send those fathers and husbands, sons and
brothers, to the battlefield, to be torn and
maincd by shot and shell, or to perish by dis.
case; but Democratic Senator'S tell us that
We must not, shall not, take the slaves OF
rebel masters to tighten the tolls of our sold.
icrs or to fight the battles of the republic.
The slaves of rebels, or rather tho rights of
rebels in slaves, arc more sacred in the eyes
of Democratic Senator's than are the lives OF
the fathers, tho husbands and the sons OF our
ever loyal countrymcn. Senator's would not
use the slave for military purposes. lwould.
| would use every man in America to put
down this unhallowcd rebellion. and to secure
peace and repose to our now distracted and
bleeding country.
Tho Constitution of the United States en-.
powers the Government to suspend the writ
of haJeds corpus in times OF insurrccton Dr
rebellion. My Judgement tells mo that tho
President of tho United States has the power
in time of insurrection or rebellion to suspend
the writ of habods corpus. The power by tho
Constitution is coniidcd to the Government,
to the President or Congress, or both. II
there is no law upon the statute book, and
instruction or revolution is sweeping over
the land. and Congress is not in session, has
not the President of the United States, in an
hour like that, the power to suspend tho writ
Of habeds corpus? IL he has not that power, ho
ought to have it. The Executive should be
clothed with that power: and | am among
those who believe that our fathers made a
Constitution and endowed it with power
enough to carry the country through sunshine
or storm, victory or defeat, peace or war.
When this insurrection swept over tho
land, when men were plotting everywhere to
destroy their country, the President assumed
that he possessed this power, and in obcdi-
cnce to the voice of patriotism and the de-
mands of a loyal people ho exercised that
power. The exercise Of that power saved
Maryland in the carly days of tho rebellion.
Plottcrs and spies and smugglcrs, and men
ready to give aid and comfort to treason,
were arrested. Mistakes may have been made,
were made, hut they were unintentional and
accidental. know that the President and his
Cabinet made these arrests with reluctance +;
that they never desired to punish the limo.
cent or opprcss even the guilty. Whenever
these men were willing to cease plotting
against their country, whenever they were viii.
ling to take the oath OF allegiance and fdcli-
ty, or whenever the occasion for their arrest
had passed, they have been discharged from
arrest, and some of them who personally re-
fused to take the oath of fidelity to. their
country were discharged without even giving
that pledge. Some of these men, like CAL
houn Bcnham, after their release consumma-
tod their treason by joining the armies of tho
rebellion.
assure Senator's that when tho evidence
now in tho Departments of the plottings and
troasons of men who have been arrested, aye,
sir, and of men who have not been arrested,
goes before tho world, the country will be MS.
founded at the dark plottings and unpatriot-
ic and disloyal words and deeds of men in
the loyal sections of the Union. 1t will DO
amazed to find that the deadly poison Of So
ccssion is in tho very veins Of our society !;
that here in the capital arc men and women
who furnish information to tho enemies of
their country that our cities arc filed with
men swift to give evidence against tho coun.
try that protects them, and to furnish wcap.
ons and tho munitions Of war to rebels In
arms. We have men ready to discourage
cnlistmcnts. to counsel men to desert their
flag in the face Of its enemies, to conceal and
protect men who have turned their hacks up.
on their comrades in the field. We have
men who weep over our success and rcioico
over our miSlortuncs. Within few miles