The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1863-01-23
SPEECH OF SENATOR WILKINSON


On motion of Mr.. Wilkinson (Rep.) of
Minnesota, the bill for the discharge of
State prisoners was taken up, and he pro-
ceeded to address the Senate. He said he
proposed to notice the remarks of some
men who seemed not to be very anxious to
maintain the government. 1t seemed to
him that the speech of the Senator from
Delaware (Mr. Salisbury was made for
the sole purpose of aiding those men who
were determined to get possession of the
government, or else to destroy it. 1t would
seem that there was an arranged plan of
attack upon the President at Indianapolis,
st. Louis, Springfield, ILL.,, and Albany,
New York. Considering the time and the
circumstances, he considered the speech of
the Senator from Delaware the most out
rageOus ever uttered in the Senate of the
United States, or any other deliberative
body. When the Senator from Delaware
just came to the Senate, he acted with the
majority, with Davis, Toombs and Wigfall
Every department of this government was
under their control, and that Senator
seemed to be happy in surrendering HIM
self to their control, and he believed the
records of the Senate would show his un-
fiinching devotion to Davis Il Co. The
attack upon the President was as wanton
and unjust as it was unpatriotic. No right
minded man would have made such a
speech, and no true patriot would have
uttered it. 1t is the judgment of the coun-
try that the President is a pure and high
minded man, and the Senator from Della
ware knows it; and yet he seeks to destroy
his influence, not from any ill-will to the
President, but from ill-will to the cause of
freedom in the country The Senator in
the progress OF his attack, grows cold and
becomes utterly regardless of truth in a
statement he makes. He said the Presi-
dent after his Inauguration manifested no
further interest in the country except to
procure offices for his greedy followers,
and to try and make the seceders strike
the first blow. Was ever a more mon
strous ialsehood uttered When that
Senator expressed himself thus he uttered
and sent to the country what was untrue,
and what, if he had taken q moments re-
Election, he must have known was untrue.
The rebels had been preparing for war for
two months tefOre the Inauguration of the
President, and the Senator knew it. Then
the Senator comes to the subject of slavery,
and he charges that the object of the war
was to abolish slavery, and the proclama-
ton Of the President has pledged the
country to Il war for the negro. He (Mr
Wilkinson was perfectly willing to see
slavery abolished, and he believed, if the
policy of General Butler had been adopted
we should not have heard the Senator
from Delaware talking about our armies
being defeated. Then the Senator finally
says, 1--WE ought to declare an arinistice. -
This he believed to be the main object of
the speech The late democratic victories
had probably induced this He thought
there was I; plan originating with the DEM
ocrats of the North to break up the gov
eminent. The democrats, when the re-
bellion broke out, gathered about the
President claiming to be in favor of put
ting down the rebellion, and asked an
equal share in the offices. The President
was deceived by these men, and placed
them in high positions, and cast away ma
ny of his old and tried friends. No man
can ever succeed in this way. There are
enemies in every department of the
SoN iNliSn.: uiIu tHcSt Iici IHuSt
be removed. Who, of all the 10y
al people OF the North, would have
trusted the Quartermaster'S Department
to such a man as General Meigs, with his
antecedents Who wondered that the
pontOons were late at Falmouth, or who
would have permitted General Thomas to
heve remained at the head OF the adiutant
generals office? The friends of the Pres
ident must band together to save the gov
ernment in this, its blacklist hour, and do
their whole duty, or the government would
fall, and they would fall with it.
Mr.. Salisbury, opp of Del.-ThiS,
sir, is in the Senate Of the United States {;
and it is not my province here TO reply to
the low blackguardism and sc,rrility of
the feion.
Mr.. Hale, rep ofN. HI call the Sen"
ator to orde:.
Mr.. Saulsbury-I was saying--
The Chair (Mr. Sherman in the chair
The Senator from Delaware will resume
his seat. He is out of order.
Mr. Salisbury (again rising)-It may be
in order for the senator from New Hamp-
shire to listen q mean no disrespect to the
Chair) to what he has listened for the last
hour, and it may not be in order to hear
it characterized as it should be. | did not
intend to pursue any extended remarks. I
Was assigning the reasons why should
not. ] made a speech expressing my hon
est sentiments, and it did not occur to me
that it should go for instructions to some
adventurer who had sought the wilds Of
Minnesota, perhaps for -
Mr. Hale call the Senator to order.
The Chair (Mr. Sherman)-The duty of
the Chair is to preserve the rules of the
Senate, and lie hopes no infraction of its
order will be made
Mr.. Saulsbury-I will simply say, as my
remarks seem distasteful to the Senator
from New Hampshire, what hope will be
in order. When made few remarks on
Friday last, | said if any one questioned
my loyalty to the Constitution and the
Government of the United Statesmen to
this administration or the Republican par
ty, but to the Constitution and Govern
ment Of the United States-he lied before
! men and in the presence of high heaven.
AS the Senator from Minnesota has brought
himself within that clause thus leave
him.