The weekly union record., 1864-04-02
Extract from a Speech of Hon. c. Cole.

The following are the closing paragraphs Of
8 speech of Hoa. Cornelius Cole, Member Of
Congress from this State, OF tbe bill TO
establish Bureau Of Freedmen's Affairs:
No parallel for this rebellion can be found
in history. The conspiracy Of Cataliue approx
imales il most closely; but the Guvernmen.
against which he plotted possessed few Of the
excelleucies Of cur own IL ore particular
have cur American traitors faithfully copied
after their Roman exemplar They sought to
deStEoy the Republic while vet iutrusted with
its affairs and IS with Caialiue. so with our
modern conspiratoEs, ing-ati!ude IS conspicuous
among their crimes.
While history furnishes no parallel to the
rebellion of JEFF. Davis and his coadiutors. We
are no; without picture Of thelf perddy for
which We are Indebted 10 the gsnias Of that
great English republican and poet. Milton. He
mas shown Us how Satan and his followers-a
motley crew-Eebelied agaiuS; the authority of
Heaven, and for precisely the reason that they
were not permitted TO c0ntro there. They
preferred TO rule in he'll rather than serve in
heaven. And so with our late ex President
ex-Nlce President, ex-heads Of Departments,
( Senators, members OF Congress. ministers 10
NN-G ttllsi1SSGED-S. COl>.lS. ana Gi-Dl
tarleS 10 large number. who hover about the
slave pens of Richmond, and make their head
quarters there. Forgetting entirely the source
whence was derived all the authority they ever
had, they discard the verdict Of their masters.
the people, and set up for themselves an empire
founded upon slavery even upon slavery pos
sessed Of all the mos. repusive and forbidding
features OF that heatheuish practice; a slavery
that ever drips with human blood. and fills the
whole air with the groans of It's victims.
Such is the acknowledged cornerstone Of
that empire; aud are there any that would not
relieve these victims from such masters? Ours
is the home of the oppressed of all lands. and
shall 1t afford no relief to the oppressed of our
own? A shame that We have So long belied
our professionsi A shame aud disgrace that
the great American Republic should suffer its
free Constitution TO be made the bulwark OF
tyranny. We have tolerated this faacy of
one mau owning another too long. 1, is utterly
indeeusible on any ground, ard will bring
trouble upon any people shat adopt it. There
is principle OF compensation running through
all nature that will not permit the violation Of
a law with impunity. The reverse tide may
be slow, but it is sure to come. | doubt not
the next generation of People in Kentucky will
wonder that their distinguished Representative
on this floor Mr.. Clay in the third year of
this Shareholders rebellion, should talk so con
fdently about property in man. Why. it is
self evident that liberty is an inalienable right,
no matter what custom may happen to prevail
in the border States or in the Barbary States
or in any other States.
Gentlemen are constantly re7erting to some
Old condition of things, and claiming that we
should shape our conduct by what some others
have said or done here or elsewhere. under other
circumstances As for me, sir, | have no more
regard for precedents 10 these times than had
our colonial ancestors hen they declared the
great truth that AL men are created equal"
/ / hey had the courage thus 10 strike down the
ancient theoretical distinctions OF blood. All
the notions of all the nations ln all the centuries
touching royalty and nobility were swept from
the New World on the 4h of July. l116. and
the Old W orld is learning the lesson slowly.
! Precedent is only respectable when it accords
with right reason. No matter how many ex-
ampleS may be cited to sustain slavery. men are
now looking al it in the light Of reason. Its
pangS are not at all aeviaied because OF the
mutitudes that have suffered them.
slavery, thou art a bitter draught;
And though thousands in all ages
Have been made to drink of thee
Thou art no less bitter on that account.
/ In the United States of America. slavery
/ has forfeited every semblance of right TO
recognition; and | regret that our worthy
! President has seen fit since this war began 10
/ give ii any couutenance in his public acs. The
proclamation would have been still more
! pllatable had it contained only the words,
Slavery has undertaken to destroy the
Republic, therefore slavery shall be destroyed.
Done: Abraham Lincoln"
Mr. Speaker if You would put an end to
this cruel war. be sure in good faith 10 take
good care of these oppressed people. Arm the
men. Put sharp Weapons in every brawny
hand among them; and then soon will the
ex Secretary of War cry out to his followers,
in the language of his great prototype:
Long i the way,