Indiana State sentinel. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1864-04-25
Debates nm Cosgrsss-mr. Longs Re-
i0inder 90 Genaral GarlIaIa

utes 70 reply 70 my colleague, who has seen pro-
per 70 call in question very seriously what have
said this afternoon. stated. sir, very distinctly
when l commenced, that | spoke for myself
and that alone would be responsible for what
said l am well aware of ALI that | did say. |
have said il deliberately; have said il because
my conscience told me it was right. aud my
judgment approved il. have said it; because,
when I walked down with my colleague to the
front Of that desk. 10 take the oath required of
me in beeom ming a member of this House. held
up my hand, be raised his before Heaven,
aud took upon myself solemn oath to support
the Constitution OF the United States; and so
help me God, fearless Of al the charges that can
be made against me by that gentleman any
other, OF by all the mini0ns of power in the land
l never will violate that oath, OF shrink from the
responsibility which then assumed
have never, sir, belonged to party which
took that oath with a mental reservation. |
never took the oath with determination not to
obey part OF the laws Of the land. remember
the district Of country from which my colleague
halls, the conventions thai have been held there.
and the fOrcioe resistance TO the enforcement of
the law that has been made there. / remember
when the party now in power undertook to set
aside a solemn act of Congress aud appealed to
the Supreme Court of our State to override the
Constitution of the United States Sir. have
never been guilty OF that crime have never, /
repent, belonged to party that take this oath
with mental reservation. Ii seems to me that,
if my colleague had desired to stand right before
this House and before the country, before he
sumed the responsibility of charging me individ-
ually with being dsloyal, he should have re
membered the authorities that brought before
the House; and when be had branded me as dis
loyal, he would have recollected that the leaders
of bis own party aud the organs Of his own party,
from the New York Tribune down to the Colum
bus Journahof the State in which he and live
have advocated the doctrines that have promul-
gated here to day, and that the Secretary of the
Treasury, hailing from our State too, advocates
this identical doctrine.
Then, sir, if that be treason. all these men
are traitors. | preferred to get my authority
from the party 10 which my colleague belongs
when | put myself before the House and coun-
try as / have done to-day. then say, Elf
that be treason, make the most of it-make
the most of t." / have brought here the au-
ti.orities Inssfny judgment they are correct
and sound | have not. perhaps, had the op-
pOrtuniiies of some other gentlemen on this
floor; but my earliest inspirations were those of
love and admiration for my country, and-fo
the distinguished statesmen who have adorned
the pages Of her history. | have not been an
uncoucerned spectator of what has taken place
When Tread the eloquent appeals of Clay sahd
Webster when | read the eloquent Grafton of
John Quincy Adams. when read the report
whiel! have produced to-day of Thomas H.
Benioa. Martin Van Buren, and William H.
HsrIison, when / referred. as have. to what
the Secretary of State said three days before the
Sunday when the proclamation for seventy five
thousand men issued. and TO what Edward
Everett said before coercion had commenced,
when | referred 10 what was said BY a Senator
from Ohio b b. Wadel and the present occu
pant of the Presidential chair. when referred to
all these. knew that they were all leaders of
the party to which gentlemen on the other side
of the Chamber belong. Then, sir. if | am a
traitor, equally so are theyl All that ask is
that / may be credited with honesty and sincerity
of CONVICTIONS and for independence in declaring
them in this house and before the country. | am
willing to abide the consequences and take the
responsibility
Now, sir, AS to the charge in respect to Knights
OF the Golden Circle. | have DO knowledge of
any such thing So help me God | never had,
and with Gods help never wi II have-neverl
/ am u member of no political secret organizt-
ton / have never been a member of any ex-
cept one which was known as the Miami Tribe
in the county where live. defy the world to
point to single instance in nv life where
have ever had any connection with or any
knewledge Of any other secret political organi-
cation. SO much for the genteman's charge
against me on that score
Mr.. Garfield: Mr.. Chairman, / did not charge
the gentleman as belonging TO the Knights of the
Golden Circle. If were so understood | here
distinctly disavow any such intention. think
did not say so. l only said that such an or
ganizatiOn existed; and l regarded it as under
the protection and direction of the Democratic
party.
Mr.. Long: Such an organization may exist. for
aught know but have no knowledge of It,
and no communication with it. do not know
that any such organization exists; trust in God
that it has no existence. L carry no banner;
sound key note; | speak for no party.
know that utter sentiments which those on this
side of the House disapprove; but / say what /
believe TO be true, and what my judgment die
tates 70 be right. have said il because il meets
the approval of NV own judgment. / stand upon
it. believe there is no power under the Con
stituIiou 70 eOerce sovereign States in the Onion.
Following the eid of the distinguished gentle
man from nnsyvania, Mr. Stevens, am OPP
posed 10 cOercing them out of the Union.
referred TO authorities sustaining me in that DO
sition, and if the gentleman Mr. Garfield were
so quick in his response to the doctrine. ask
him why he did not rise in his place aud make
the same denunciaiOn against the leader of his
own party Mr.. Stevens when he made his
speech early day of the session in reference
to the position Of the Southern Sta,esl
Mr. Garfield: Will the gentleman allow me to
interrupt him2
I. =
Mr.. Garfield Ii the gentleman will refer to
the speech on con6scation which had the
hOHOF.tO deliver, he will see that disSenied
from the doetrine OF the gentcmrn rom Penn
sylvanii ia very pointed and precise terms
Mr. Lang: That Is all very true | have
read the gentleman's speech. think | also
heard him say upon another occasion that he
would leap the barriers of the Constitu
ton 70 put down this rebellion | think | heard
thara 49,
Mr.. Garfield: said what | did say upon that
occasion with great circumspecton and care.
and all ask is that the gentleman will fairly
quote me, as | presume he intended 10 do In
reply 10 the gentleman from the central district
of Ohio NJ. Cox !. who is now ia his seat
when he asked me If L would break the Consti-
tuition, answered that would not break the
Constitution at all unless il should become ne
cessary TO overlap its barriers to the Union
did not say then, as do say now, that Oh such
an occasion would overlap the barriers of the
Constitution, butt would leap into the arms of
willing people who made the Constitution.
Mr.. Long: Then / give my colleague credit
for honesty and frankness. The difference be-.
tween him and me to-day is, that while be would
violate that oath which he took before that desk
the first day of the session, and would overIeap
the barriers Of the Constitution which he has
sworn 20 support. choose rather to stand on this
floor and be denounced traitor for keeping
my obligation to nv country, to my own con-
science. aud to NV God. That l. the diifes ence
between my colleague and myself on that point
l know my colleague replied in his speech to
the distinguished gentleman from Pennsylvania
Mr.. Stevens1. but he did not reply in the tone
the manner. in the style. nor with the force with
which he has replied to me to day He made a
regular common. plain, set speech. dissenting
from the views of the gentleman from Pennsyi,
VanIa, but he nowhere. ia aDy part of his sDeech