The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1864-04-06

some peculiar notions on this subject.
would advice them when they vote fol
clergymen hereafter to look little to
their antecedents as they do to those Of
other people.
But, Mr.. Speaker, / did not intend to
take up so much time in regard to SC
trifing a matter. 1t should not have been
noticed by nae at all, but for the fact that
while here l heard this extract iterated
and reiterated, as if there was something
very funny in it. l know that the other
side of the House enjoyed it when it was
first read by the gentleman from Illinois,
lEMr. Washburne Itseemed then to be
an arqun,entun. od hominena. 1t seemed
to come back to me as if [ were not the
man to make charges aboutt the social and
political equality which the leaders OF the
Republican party are now urging.
But even if the Interpretation given to
the extract were correct it does net refute
what 1 said as to the amalgamating ten
denotes of the abolition party. In proof
of these tendencies l quoted from the
men most honored in that party, not from
your strict partisans here In this House
or in office, but from men who made the
Republican party, who inspire its doc
trines and control its action, who now
lead it, and who being in advance drag it
along as the locomotive drags the cum
brous train. These are the men who have
helped to drag the country into ruin anl
war. They were and are seditienists and
destructives. They have been embroil-
ing South and North, and weakening the
union of these States for thirty years,
and. in connection with the bold, bad men
at the South, precipitated the terrible
calamities from which we are now suffer
ing. 1t was from these men that | drew
the evidences of the progressive spirit OF
the Republican party toward the detested
doctrine of mixing the races as the solu-
tion of the trouble which they have ecaused.
did not charge that side of the House
with being amalgamationists. | know
that gentlemen drew such differences.
What 1 did say was that it would not sur
prise me to find that party approaching
the miscegenating point. Why? Because
we have found them, in spite of all their
protestations to the contrary, within two
years coming up to the point of abolish
ing slavery in the States, of establishing
political equality between negro and
white, of advocating negro suffrage, Great
ing Negro soldiery and citizenship Of ad
mitting negroes and whites into the same
cars in this city, and all other measures
tending to equalize theraces. Two years
ago they never would shas,Ss,,c approached
sush-aoctriness. Ii areed4
then with such measures, s.vm indignant
ly would they have repudiated them
And | said that would not be surprised
to find, on the same principle, two years
from now the Republican parry marching
up, perhaps reluctantly, to the full doc
trines of miscegenotion advocated by
Phillips, Greeley, Tilton and others. l
could accumulate proofs as to the recent
progress in this direction which l have
received since 1 made my speech, but |
forbear to do so now.
Now, Mr. Chairman, l have said all
that | intended to say of personal char
acter. l have said it with good temper.
/ have not lost my goodhumor by the
slang which has been hurled against me
since Ispoke before. I dislike personal
controversy, and do not indulge in it ex-
cept when attacked There are more i'm
portant matters for our debates. am
more anxious to hold these gentlemen to
an account for their abolitionism and its
destructive tendencies. 1t is growing
worse and worse daily. Where will it
end? We should hold that side of the
House to an account for the slanders heap
ed upon the Democratic party-a proud
party, of history and OF patriotism
party which has for seventy years kept the
country together prosperously and peace
fully. Their ISLANDERS against that party
in this House and elsewhere are produe-
ing reign of terror throughout the coun-
try. and especially in the Northwest. Do
gentlemen know the effect OF their
speeches against Democrats? Are they
aware of the fact that the partisan libels
here uttered are circulated so as to pro-
duce the same ill-will in the North, be-
tween members of the two parties, which
| they produced between the sections? II
it go on will it not have the same bloody
catastrophe? Do gentlemen observe the
lsigns at home? Whenever cur furlough-
ed soldiers come home they are filed with
your ISLANDERS against Democrats, and un-
uer tHe proH-ptiuS VI HnhS "one So"aiufj
they hunt Democrats to their homes, drag
them, as they have in my district, through
the streets, and compel them to take an
oath whose sanctions they have never
soughtto dishonor. Trne and loyal men
have been thus treated all through the
West. Under the reign Of lawless mobs
printing Offices are rifed and destroyed
1our people shot. our meetings broken up
our property burned, and every personal
land political right outraged. Thus hound
ed on BIZ your infamous ISLANDERS upen
the Democratic party, its members are
compelled to band together for self-pro,
lection. and to threaten reprisal and re-
Italiation as their only safety What else
can they do when the law and its officers
llare Indifferent or powerless to save tlien
4 from insult and degradation? Before 6 ot
and the country, you who have, by youl
ilibelous speecnes, sincited such conduct
shall be held responsible for all the con
sequences.
! The reaction will come by and by In
deed it has begun already. In the lttl
! town of Rock Island, the other day. atter
boJ +orn down a Democratic news