Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1864-03-12


darker days perhaps than we have yet seen.
He knew what war was, and could not pray
for it, but only for the return ofhalycon days.
But this government and its institutions,
blood-bought and enjoyed by the humblest,
are not exclusively cur own. They are a
legacy in trust We have no right to sur
render them to a foreign or domestic foe
Noble men, heroes and martyrs, have placed
them in our hands for safe keeping. Better
that war blight the land, better that commerce
perish, than now to waver and let this star in
the heavens go out in military despotism.
In the main he endorsed cheerfully and
heartily the resolutions. Though he might
differ somewhat in the eulogiums of the last
resolution, he would never play the cur by
swapping and snarling at the heels of the.
President. applause,
The speaker then took up the plea of the
opposition that the Constitution is in danger,
and characterized its absurdity in fitting
terms. He defended the doctrine of military
necessity; vet, in the exercise of it, the
President had never, in his opinion, trans
cended his constitutional powers. The oppo-
sition we're greatly exercised because the
writ of habeas corpus had been suspended, and
some northern traitors brought to grief. Our
good President was not guilty of crime in
this, but only a mistake Instead of sus-
pending the writ of habeGs corpus. he ought to
have suspended the traitors. He spoke of
the suffering endured in the army, and what
he himself had experienced. Why, if his
own father was to avow such sentiments as
some gentlemen avow on this floor, he would
dsown him. When this war closed, the
speaker said in conclusion, be it three months
or thirty years, the world would see what it
had not seen in Athens, in Rome, or Venice,a
mighty and free Republic, within whose bor-
ders there was not single slave.
Mr.. BINGHAM said he had been greatly
surprised that any man should make such
speech as that which the gentleman from
Dane (Mr. Geo. B. Smith) had made this
afternoon. He was surprised that a man
should ignore facts and ignore history as that
gentleman had done. Why, that gentleman
knows that if this was despotic country he
could never have made such speech as he
had done. No, Mr.. Speaker, it was mere
party clap-trap. 1t was because he finds the
party which he has acted with and which has
been so long in power at length in a minori
ty, and without the power and patronage to
which it was accustomed. The speech re-
minded him of an anecdote of an Indian who
came to a white man crying abraham"
"Jesus Christ" &c. When asked what he
meant, he said cider" just so the oppo-
sition cried out Constitution" "despotism,"
"habeas corpus" when they meant place.
The speaker declared that if in the pro-
gress of this war, by proclamation or the red
right hand, the manacles were stricken from
the slave, he would applaud, and the whole
people would applaud, to the very echo
But it was not true that this war was prose-
cuted for the purpose of freeing the slave.
The speaker showed how all the great
Union victories of the war had occurred since
the proclamation of emancipation. 1t was
easy tocriticise and find fault, but the real
trouble with the other side was that they were
not in power. Such opposition was common
in all countries during wars.
Mr.. B. continued at some length, common
ting, in humorous vein occasionally, upon
the position of the opposition.
The speaker concluded by reading some
passages from Gen. Gannt's New York speech,
calling it the case of Gannt VS. Smith.
Mr.. McGARRY followed. In the course of
his remarks he said that the resolutions never
ought to have been introduced here. They
related to matters that did not belong to
the House to act upon, and for this reason
on a former occasion he voted against Tie whole
of these resolutions.
Mr.. WEBB explained the pending amend
ment, and declared himself opposed to re-
explained his understanding of the terms
propositions of peace" He thought the
language implied treating with what calls itself
the government of the Southern Confederacy,
and therefore wanted the resolution to ex-
press our opposition to any such propositions.
Mr.. w. continued at some length to criti-
else the speech of Mr.. Geo. b. Smith-his
assumption that the rebels possessed rights
under the Constitution-his tenderness for
slave property-and from that passed to a re-
view of the past history of the Democratic
party, showing that it was always pro-slavery.
The Speaker alluded to the speech of Mr..
Smith as a most signal evidence of the un-
truthfulness of the charges of despotism with
which it abounded. No such speech could
have been made here if the government was
what he asserted it to have become since he
spoke here to-day in the presence of hun
dreds, denouncing the President in the most
violent language, and no man interfered or
questioned his right to criticise the Admins
tration and give free expression to his views.
Mr.. ABRAMS said he could not be here on
Thursday, and therefore wished to submit a
few remarks. He denied that the Democrat
ic party was disloyal. No party was respon-
sible for the expressions of individuals. And
the Democratic party was just as loyal as the
Abolition or Union party. But he protested
against the passage of these resolutions. He
was opposed to the Administration, but he
recognized Mr. Lincoln as the constitutionally
elected President. He was in favor of war
against the rebellion until the old flag waved
over every inch of the soil of the United
States. (Applause.) He hoped moreover to
see the rebels of the South expiate their Of
fences where criminals pay the penalty for
their crimes. He asked the House to drop
the resolutions and leave the nomination of
President to the conventions called for that
purpose.
Mr. BARRON called for the previous ques-
tion--not demanded.
The motion to postpone was lost.
Mr.. SANBORN opposed concurring in the
Senate amendment, and spoke at some length
against the resolutions. In the course of his
remarks be admitted that the Democratic
party was in "catamose state" BE INDUCED
in a long and incoherent speech abusive of
the administration. He said that if Vallandig-
ham was traitor then Geo. b. Smith was
traitor, which remark was received with gen.
eral applause in the lobby and gallery.
Mr.. GEISSE said that he represented
Democratic district. A Union league had
been tolerated there. Its members were
armed. None of the Democrats were armed,
but if these resolutions passed he should at
once write to his constituents to arm. Laugh
ter. Mr.. G. said he understood the char
acter of this laughter. These resolutions de-
clared the Democratic party traitors, and if
they passed, Democrats in this State might
expect to be treated as if they had no rights.
He SHOULD tell his constituents to arm.