The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1864-03-03
Speech of a War Democrat.


TO BE CONTINUED.
- o.
Speech of a War Democrat.
Remarks Of Hon. LEVI HUBBELL, of Mil
,caukee, made IN Tie Wisconsin assembly, i1eb>
ruory l8lh, 1864.
MIR SPEAKER THE motion before the
House IS to strike out from the bill that
clause which gives five dollars month to
the family OF soldier who shall marry, or
shall have married, after having been mus
tered into the service of the United States.
The ayes and noes have been called, and we
are notified by the opposition, that respon-
slblllty is to be assumed. Sir, as one Of the
Union men of this House, am ready to go
upon the record. | see the opposition eager
to take their chances upon whichever course
we persue. If we vote for the measure it
will be spread abroad in their newspapers !;
1t will be proclaimed at the hastings and
upon the stump, through the coming politi-
cal campaign that the Union party are eat .
ing out the substance Of the people with tax
es; that this unnecessary war is loading
them with an overwhelming debt II We
vote against the measure. the soldiers will
be told See how treacherous this Union
party IS to your interests; you vote for
them, they vote against you" BE it So, |
have no explanations to make. The gen
tleman from Dane, who is the leader of the
so-called Democrats i'll the Assembly, spent
a long time, the other day, in defining his
position III reference to the army, the rebel
lion and all that. | trust he was success
full, so far as to satisfy himself. if not bis
party If he is correct, they have suddenly
turned about and taken a new tack. They
are now going for most vigorous prosecu-
tick OF the war, and ready to rush, with the
boldest, for taxation and debt. They have
left the narrow limits of their last falls plat
FORM. where they resolved to fight the rebels
only wittjn the pate Of the Constitution. The
honorable member fairly bantered us, aud
us to follow his lead in legalizing
debt and taxation until the war should be
ended; lntlmatlng, at the same time, that
1t was not his war, and that as the war was
conducted by the President, it would never
end
When the country is bleeding at every
pore, 1t may be very natural for some per-
sons to say, ''let the CALLED jade vince, our
Wlthers are unWrung." But that is not the
position Of the UNION PARTY of this State,
and OF this House; nor is their position like
that OF the Honorable member in another
respect. They have no need to define their
position here or elsewhere. Their record is
before the army and the country From the
of this wicked attempt to destroy
the constitutions, the Government, the Union,
and all the rights and liberties secured there
by, by armed forces and war, the loyal men
If he bcI =,
have known but one duty, and that was to
make war upon the Rebellion; to give it
blows-Wlth pike and spear, sword and
bayonct, musket and cannon, tongue, pen
and type; to hit it when they could, where
they could, as they could; Gripping 1t by
every means recognized in civilized warfare !
Nay, more, they have endeavored, every
where and always, to cheer, sustain and re- /
lieve our gallant troops in the field This is |
what Union men have done; and it has
been seen and known of all men. There are I
some things they have not done When |
traitor troops, to the number Of one hundred !
were marching into the heart of |
Pennsylvania when traitor cannon lined the |
bank Of the Mississippi, closing the great
river to the commerce of the northwest /; |
when the threats Of foreign intervention
seemed most imminent, and the national
heart grew pulseless with anxiety, the Tn
ion men did not go about shouting 'VaIlan-
Northumberland and stirring up
civil strife in our midst.
And when again the tocsin of victory rang
the land, when the gallant Gen.
Meade had conquered at Gettysburg; the
still nobler Grant had planted his victorious
flag on the highest tower Of ViCksburg, and
the brave Banks had marched his heroic
troops into the fOrtresses Of Port Hudson,
they did not then drown the nations shout
of triumph by hoarse howlings against the
President of the United States Nor, sir,
did they do another thing. When the ma
Lightly, perseverance and power OF the re |
beIion, manifested through year and six
months of bloody strife, satisfied the Com
mandcr-in-Chief of our armies, that, in or
der to save the Government he must lay
his hand upon the corner stone of their Con
federacy-wheu he touched the zone of bon
dage with the point Of his pen, and caused
it to fly assunder, Union men did not go IN
to spasms, and cry out, ''Constitution VIC
lated" Lincoln guilty Of treason" They
knew that slavery formed no part OF the
Constitution Of the United States. Nor does
1t. llETC Is tlOL u WOItl, VI 5cuGCliCC, VI I'll
ticle, in that immortal instrument that ere
ates slavery, or that will perish if slavery
ceases to exist. Five great purposes are
enumerated in the preamble, as the objects
of it's creation and adoption. The first is,
ito form more PERFECT UNION;" the last,
'to preserve the BLESSINGS OF LIBERTY, to
ourselves and our posterity;" and the 9th
ers are kindred to these in their character.
1t was not made to preserve 'the blessings
of human bondage. 1t recognized, -unwil-
lingly-without naming it, the existence of
slavery in the States provided. that States
should not interfere with States in reclaim
ing fugitives; and gave to States where it
might exist, a representation in Congress,
founded upon it. Beyond this it ignored
the institution. That, as part Of the war
power the President or the Congress might
control it, or sweep it away, was declared
by one of its authors, the illustnous MADI-
son. during the first or second Congress under
the Constitution. His emphatic declaration
10 that effect, will be found among the pro
ceedings Of one Of the early Congresses.
But, sir, it required no provision OF that
instrument comforting that power no decla-
ration Of its author or expounder, to invest
the President Herewith. The President is
the constitutional and executive head Of the