Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1863-02-16


loyal States "a this Union. In vain then vii
popular elections t,ke pace. IN VAIN viii popular
measures be inaueursied your President can
DEFY them p
II soB ialter upon he course which the recon-
mendasion OF rsse Committse 0n Elections invites
Us to pursue. this day You place tie Liberties Of
the people in the hands OF the President A ma
ioTitt isl this House nav adopt tins resolution,
bur tina, majority no longer expresses the will OF
maior'ty OF the people No, sir the people Of
the country are listening with joyful anxiety tor
the sound OF the retiring footsteps OF the majority
oi this House AS they 40 out to retsrn no more
TO these Halls ! declare before the country that
within the last twenty months tae Thirty Seventh
Congress has sanctioned greater strides toward
despOtlsm than has ever been made in any other
Government protesting constitutional limits
within period OF twO hundred years. And ii
had not thought this was a part and parcel of
grand gigantic system OF executive domination
would not have raised NV voice 10 day Ii is not
my custom nor my pleasure 10 minele much in
debate. But ] ask the people 10 watch the pro-
ceedIngs on this question.
1t the army can 20 forth and bring representa-
tives with voices equal To ours: with no constitu-
ents TO trammel them at their back with 10 one
to represent except the President, then we might
a we'll know il AT once Then our seats here
become worse than vaueless They will be en-
blems of our vassaage do not say, and do
not wish TO be understood saying, that the gen
temen from New Orleans would in any sense
he The tools and the implements OF usurped pow
er here. | know nothing OF il. | care to know
moth ng of il. The principle ho~ ever, is wrought
with disaster and absolute overthrow To republi-
can liberty. Ii * also frausht with the absolute
overthrow OF the Independence of this legislative
body You may sanction it if you please.
wash my hands of IT,
SIR VI tho tpla f.f
tins report of the committee. where will it siopg
Under this military rule members of "A Leg isla-
tnre may be elected, aud they can return Sena-
tors TO the other branch of Congress- aud soon
the aDbroken waves of an absolute deSpoiism
will sweep over every State in the Union. The
proud turrets of State sovereignty will sink be
meath the stagnant uniformity o: Executive u>ur-
patton, hOpeeSsly submerged as the cities
which persisted in the dismal depths of the Dead
Sea. Ay. sir, the Dead Sea OF absolute despot
i'm will pervade the face of the whole country
tor If this thing take place in Instance, it
can take place in all
Mr. Harrison: Ii the people of Louisiana can
not reconstruct their State govern ment, by put
ing IT. organization into active, practical operation
aud thereby FULLY restore the constitutional reia
tuns between it and the General Government in
the manner which have suggested, would they
not be compelled, il the rebellion could he totally
suppressed in that State to morrow, still to
main for a long period of time unrepresented Ia
Congress. and continue substantially IN a state of
anarchyl
Mr Voorhees,: The sentleman'S argument pro-
ceeds upon "a ground | have never recognized,
aud which | never will recognize, the ground OF
expectancy. They must 20 remain rather than
call upon PROSTATE and stab the Liberties OF
the country They must so remain Father than
ask u to establish upon the ruins ot the country
the uuquestioned TYRANNY OF Executive power.
One word further They must remain unrep-
resented according to the theory of our Govern
ment peace being kept in their borders by military
power until the people establish then civil
government not in violation OF law, but by virtue
OF ana in strict conformity TO law, as | have al
ready indicated If the military power cannot
project the people IN asserting their rights accord-
ng 10 law, II is not worth maintaining. lt> mis-
sion, in that case. is failure What are YOU ex-
erci>ing ii for2 To give the people a chance 10
violate law No, sir; vii never give my sane
ton that the military power shall become en-
CINE with which the Executive may oy erthrow the
laws and make his will supreme.
The gentleman says that Louisiana may remain
a long Time in this condition Suppose she does.
we 90 nO violence to our own liberties. Ii mill
tary power is to win back single State to the
Union, ei me say that il Will have TO be welded
in all instances to give the people opportunity
To obey the laws OF their own making, and not
tor the purpose of usuiping their laws and sup
planning them with another system
Mr. Harrison: " i'll the gentleman yield to ME
once more?
Mr. Voorhees,: yield to the gentleman. al
though | am not the recipient of any like favor
from that side of the House.
Mr. Harrison: | nave never refused the gentle
man like courtesy.
Mr. VOORHEES,: The remark was not intended
for nv clever friend from Ohio, bat for the ma
iuritv on that side of the House who. by parla-
Hlentary ttctics, have kept me off the floor
Mr. HarriSon: | have. since became "A member
of this House. been ia favor oi freedom OF debate
by gentlemen on both sides of the House, and
haze studously enteavored to observe tnat
esy toward every member which becomes the
place d. not intend now To be troublesome.
MIR Voorhees,: You
Mr. II lrrison: | desire to inquire of the gentle
man what provision of the Constitution of the
United States will be violated by allowing the
people of the State of louisiana 10 obtain rep
resentation in this House. to Danish from their
midst the evils oi anarchy, aud secure the protec-
ton afored bs the execution OF the laws by civil
ma ei>trates. which they Vastly needg
Mir VOORHEES,: a representation according to
law would he III violation of no prlnciule that |
know OF. \ representation against contrary 10
Jaw would be in violation OF the Constitution.
which requires Us to uphold law.
Mr. HARRISON: | omitted to limit my PROPOSE
lion With the words: obtaining representation in
this House in the mode | have suggested.
Ne VOORHEES,: | have been trying now three
quarters OF an hour euci,iate that very point
whether these gentlemen come here by virtue OF
the sanction OF lie CONSTITUTIONS by virtue oi au-
tlior.ty We can hold TO be legal and proper |
think have shown TO the House that their cleo
tior j. FUN ell upon a principle that i. totally
>ubverSve cot the freedom ami Independence oi
this BODY and in contravention of the Culsutu-
ton and laws oi Louisiana and the Constitution
of the United States.
Let me hasten on. have talked much longer
than | expected | would. This Governor Shep-
lev - he styles himself, has not even trIei TO
obe, the laws concerning the details of these cleo
tious Nv friend from Kentucky has asked
whether the people have not dOne vel. az they
could expect they have do not blame
then They we're threatened with the Pres
dents PROCLAMATION TO lie robbed of then proper
" it they not represented. They were
surrounded by military power, exercised by a
man who never SAW the tsce OF his enemy in the
field, but who reserved his military powers Tor
non-comb,tants. captives, prisoners OF war,
women and children. They oppressed an
der General Butter with the most stroc'ous tyr
amy, in my Judgment, which has ever disgraced
the annals OF civilized warfare. They came for
ward aud voted, perhaps thinking that they
ere doing something which might mitigate the
severity OF The military despotsm which ruled
over them. Under these circumstances. the >ui
/ Traces OF the people of New Orleans ana vicinity
" ere taken on the 81 day of December. But, a.
/ | have said there attempt To obey the
! laws The laws of Louisiana require regi-irA