Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1863-03-12
SPEECH

HON. HENRY WILSON, OF Mass,
DELIVERED IN THE U. SENATE, FEB 81, 1868
Mr., WILSON, Of Massachusetts,. Mr..
President, II is hard, indeed, to sit here in
silence, and listen, day after day, to such
speeches as have Just fallen from the lips Of
the Senator from Kentucky, fMr POWELL.
That Senator rises here to-day, aud, before
the Senate and the country, pronounces a
high wrought eulogium upon body Of men
calling themselves Kentucky Democrats,
who have put forth an address in this hour
OF public danger, which the loyal hearts Of
Americans instinctively pronounce treason.
able to the nation. Sir, the clear vision of
loyal patriotism, which strips pretension Of
its disguises, sees that this address was in.
spired by the swetered venom of represscd
treason. Yes, sir, the unclouded reasons of
mon whose hearts throb with emotions OF
patriotism, men whose souls are unstainod,
see, and feel, and realize that an address
which now demands an ''armigtice'' with
treason, which ''instructs Senators and Rep
resentatives TO oppose any aid in the further
prosecution Of this war" for the existence
Of the nation, by furnishing either men or
money" was conceived by traitor brains and
penned by traitor hands. The Senator from
Kentucky desires that this treasonable ad-
ate, as an honor to the men who penned it,
Government of the United States. l, too,
desire to have it 90 upon the enduring re-
cords Of my country, for those records will
haa ali al L..
evidence that the men who conceived that
address, the men who penned that address,
the men who signed that address, the men
who issued that address, aud the nen who
applaud that address. are traitors to their
country aud its democratic institutions. -
Applause in the galleries.
Yes, sir, desire that this disloyal address
shall 20 upon the records of the Senate OF
the United States. Let those enduring re.
cords carry down to the coming ages the in
famous fact that the Democracy of Ken
lucky, whose hearts are sweltering with the
poisoned venom Of baffled treason, arragn
and denounce the gallant sons Of the North
west, who rushed to save that State from
traitor hordes, for ''overrunning the State, -
destroying houses, and fencing Of farms
and lots, "sacking houses OF peaceful cit
izens," and "robbing them Of their silver
ware, stock, aud provisions. Lss those
records. too, transmit to after times the sy.
idence that these Kentucky Democrats de.
nounce the Chief Magistrate of the Repub.
lie for permitting his wagon masters and
Others. with armed soldiers, - ssise the
corn, oats, and ha2 Of our citizens tor ths
1 use Of his armies. Yes, sir, let those
! records bear evidence that the Senator from
| Kentucky causes to be inscribed upon th,
archives of the nation this wicked arraign
ment of the President Of the United States
this bitter and slsnderOus denuucisIiou O
the brave men of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois
of the great Northwest, who for many weary
months have traversed that Commonwealth
to protect her loyal sons from the sabsrs
aud bayonets of her apostate sons-hel
Buckner, her Breckinridge, her Marsh all
her Morgan, and their compeers in treason
Let this evidence Of the gratitude, ay, aut
the justice, too, of the Democracy of Ken
lucky and their Senator, for the tolls, SUI
isrings, aud deaths of the brave soldiers
who have borne the cause of United Amer
lea upon their bayouets over the hills an,
I fields Of 'the dark and bloody ground" &,
upon the record lot the e1logium pro
nounced to day by the Senator from Ken
tucky 20 also upon the record, aud let tn
loyal heart Of America decide whether tina
address il loyal to the Union aud the right
of msn, and whether that eulogium i
worthy of loyal Amer can Senator.
, Mr.. President, when rebel batteries oper
ed their consuming fires upon Fort Sumter
n and its few heroic but starving defender;
till the glorious old flag OF United Amerio
came down and the banner Of armed trea
son waved in naughty triumph over its bal
tered walls and its SCARED and smokin
ruins, patriotism summoned the loyal me
, Of the Republic to forget party obligation:
, and remember only that they had a countr
) to serve and to save. Loving my country
r my whole country, with intense, vehemen
a and passionate affection, as the land
. which were garhered up the highest hop,
n OF the present and Of the coming generation
!. of toiling millions, | resolved to do all
could by word and by deed to unite Ii
a loyal people of America in one mighty 9
fort to preserve the unity OF the Republi
a maintain the authority Of the G0vsrnmen
and perpetuats the national life. And, 81
= amid dstraction, obloquy, and reproach,
have striven to keep that vow made TO N
: country and my God, when armed treasC
!. plunged the nation into the fire and blo1
. Of civil war, to eternize human slavery, al
4 perpetuate the ascendancy of man owne
r in the councils of this Christian and dem
r. cratic Republic Today twenty-three col
q paDies OF volunteers are 10 the field, battlil
for their country, organized mainly by u
efforts, and oficered chiefly by my selectio
D, and never did think of the political sen
!" ineuts Of the gsllan: men commissioned up
my recommendation. More than two hu
/. dred gallsnt soldiers have entered the fe
)" bearing commissions in the volunteer
regular Army, secured to them by my
y forts Never have paused to ask wh
= were the party relations Of men who we
Is ready to bare their bosoms to shot, she
~ aud steel of armed traitors, Some of the
= now sleep in their bloody shrouds on strick
3 Aelds; others lie MANNED in hospitals, q
u bending beneath the diseases of the camI
~ are away among kindred and friends, VIII
?. their comrades still live to battle for thi
- country. But Republican and Dsmoer
u alike, among them, will ever bear witne
that their party relations never commend
IT them to my regard or to my support. Hel
OF in this Chamber, | have ever striven to ke
"a the vow Of patriotism imposed upon loy
men of every creed, when the storm Of v
o swept over the land. Measures of trai
~ cendant importance have engaged the
+ tentien off, and nearly four thousand Gig
"a huadraJ ua,nes of militaru nf4, nara g..