Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1863-01-22
SPEECH
Hon. JOHN A. BINGHAM

IxUus OOxlV IA DIN Uxl3ux
'tN or ouIO
~ -,
sENra ~ aTE aTiyrs = IAN noSsE or REPRE-
Mr.. BINGHAM. Mr.. Chairman. 7 do
not deem il nv duty to sit here and allow
remarks such as those to which we have
lust listened to go TO the country unan,wer.
ed. / am as willing as anv gentleman in
this House or out of il can be that every
man in this country shall be entitled to his
convictions, and shall on ali proper occasions
be free to exercise bisrieht of utterine them.
/ concede the utmost freedom of on;nion
and the utmost freedom of speech tere and
everywhere else in this country. holding
that myseK. and ali others. should be l;able
only for its abuse. There is. in INV iudR.
mcnt. no duty more incumbent mon the
Ienresentative of the neonje than that of
keening watch and ward over the safety of
the Renublc when il is ENDANGERED and as. %
sailed even in the bonse ofits 3r;enJs The
speech. sir. to which we have inst listened
dispuise II ss Won NAV. sanction Il bv what
marty name vou will. l. n lame and most i'm.
potent apolopv for The most wicked ;nfa.
nous. and inexcusable rebellion aver wit.
messed among tbe children of men We
are not, / trust, expected to sit silent here
under utterances oPth,s sort II thev had
sprunp hot from tbe brain of the gentleman
by reason of anv sudden excitement of mas.
sion T could nossiblv find some nall;at;nn
for them. though sudden excitement could
not nossiblv furnish occasion or excnse for
his speecb: but when he has canned il ali
over in the privacy of his chamber, when he
has reduced il deliberatelv 70 mnnuscrint
and comes here and reads L dcliberatelv in
the hearing of the renresentatives Of the
people. il Is fit that IL shonld he denounced
as unfit to be uttered by a REPRESENTATIVE of
the people in their CAPITOL.
The gentleman starts out by saving that
those to whom the people have intrusted.
for the time being, the executive department
of the Government. are. all of them. more
intent upon saving party than upon saving
the country. | would like TO know who
constituted the gentleman from Missouri
Judge in that behalf, and especially by what
law is he authorized to condemn first and
hear afterwards? How does it come to PASS
that he assumes the right to arrive suddenly
at the conclusion by him so oracularly an
nounced? If the gentleman thinks so, how.
ever, he has the right to utter that ooinion:
but trust the gentleman will allow me to
say that, in nv Judgment, his official acts
should bear witness to the fact that such is
his honest conviction. IF the gentleman
believes the charge which he makes. | sub.
init that it is his duty to present articles of
impeachment, for the consideration of this
House. against the civil officers to whom be
refers in the executive department of the
Government, cannot better characterize
the gentleman speech than by calling it a
speech in favor Of the rebellion, much more
appropriatu for the Congress in Richmond
than for the Congress of the Republic. The
gentleman. in his remarkable speech. delib.
erately wrote and read to the House the sa.
gacious remark, by way of apology for the
rebellion, as if there could be- any possible
apology for it, that, in his Judgment, if the
Republican party had never organized itself
there would never have been any rebellion.
think / have truly quoted the gentleman:
certainly have stated the substance of his
words III have mis,rndsrstood. or mis-
stated him. beg him to correct me now
I understand the peDtlsmsn's silence to as.
sent to what | have said He undertake
to saw, when the land is stained ali over
with blood. that these madmen would NOT
have Committed this murder hut for tho
fact that n very great portion ofthe Ameri.
can neonle chose To exercise A right pnaran
tied to them under the Constitution of the
United States. Does he suppose that ne
rArty has the right to exist in The countr,
unless that party frst comes humblv TO him
and to these rebels in arms, and asks of hin
and them what shall be their utteranees
and what their line of policy?
Mr.. BIDDLE Lei me saw a word.
Mr.. BINGHAM, / have but A shor
time.
Mr.. BIDDLE. only want to saw tba
the warning against the evils and dangers O
a sectional party did not originate with tn,
Gentleman from Missouri. fMr. NoRroN
bnt il originated with a higher authoritv
that Of General washington in his solem,
warning to the American neonle. foresbad
ow;ne and foreseeino what we now exner;
ence
' NJ RJNGUAM lam ohl;oed to tb
csn,i:man M from pennsvlvan;s a. The ;nfar
nat;on T have M donbt General Wash
;naton u said aIi that. but tb a nuest;on "'.. =
usr wSst IA Ii he mesn bv as sect;oo,1 nar,v9 :
mar,v mnv .hat would nai;onsl;ga sa rorvaD a.,
po ppat;oonaI;ze % l;bertvS I might refer in on m
swar us 70 The ouest;on whsi be meant bv
ssc,;ona, " NJ Marty tn that ensctment 70 wI;c III
ha % afE~sd his bis mama M nnder tba ronct;tnt;o
o%f % the 1In;tod States as the frst Pres;isn