The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1864-02-25


gentlemen IN this House, passed the follow
ing resolution by unanimous vote:
Resolved, That the thanks of Congress
are hereby rendered to all the brigades and
other troops in service who have taken the
patriotic and gallant resolution to re-enlist
for the war. .f.fag, - % sr T :.
"Resolved, That the manifestation Of such
q spirit in our armies is happy omen of the
ultimate triumph of our struggle for inde.
pendence, indicative, as it Is, of the fixed
dissemination of oar people never to lay
down their arms while our, soil is exposed to
the host tread and barbarous ravages Of
our malignant enemies" iai-ts;g E,-g,z
Y This is the emphatic answer which comes
back from Richmond to the peace resolu-
tions of the gentleman from new York, Fer
nsndo Wood, the kind words of his col
league. Herman, the imploring tones Of the
gentleman from Ohio, Cox and to the. fine
spun arguments in behalf ,of the 'constitu-
tionap rights Of bloody handed rebels sub
mitted by the gentleman from New Jersey,
Mr.. Rogers the gentlemen from Ohio,
Messrs. Flnck and Bliss. and others, who
haYedabored to argue away the powers up.
on which the government must depend for
Its safety and its life. When these marvel.
ously kind-hearted gentlemen can stay the
fury of tornado by singing to il a lullaby,
they may expect to put down . rebellion
such as is now expressing this nation by the
course they are pursuing in this House.
Their chances of success would be just about
equal in either case. cq 7fE ag ga.srabga
Sir, until we can disperse the armies of the
rebellion, crush out its military power, and
thus destroy the hopes of its leaders, it is
idle to talk Of sbstaining from the use Of
any proper means which will aid us in the
accomplishment of the great work we have
in hand. We have enough to do now with
out wasting any of our precious time in try
ing to administer soothing sirups to men
whose bloody handsare feeling for the throat
Of the Republic. So long az tho banner Of
armed revolt is thrust in the face of the ma
ton we must use power and exercise justice
Mercy will have its pro,er work to perform
in due season. When justice has subdued
these armed rebels it may introduce all Of
them but the leaders to mercy. But the
time for this ceremony has not vet arrived,
nor will it ever come for the lead ers of this
rebellion. 5'i
Mr.. Speaker, has it never occurred to the
minds of the gentlemen who object to the
passage of this joint resolution that Il will
have no effect on the great mass of the peo.
pie Of the Southern States The property In
those States is owned by comparatively few
persons. Property is not distributed among
the people there as it is in tho Northern
States. A sale and division Of the large
landed estates in the South would be of in
calculable benefit to the mass of the people
after the rebellion passes into history. The
people can then become landholders, and no
longer be subject to the despotism with
which privileged class has heretofore ruled
that whole country. Thus We see that the
anguish which some gentlemen have expert
enced has all resulted from the danger in
which the leaders Of the'rebellion are placed.
The great mass of the people will not be af-
fected by the passage of this joint resolu tion
otherwise than fsvorably. The leaders. the
great lordly iandholders who have almos
crushed humanity out of thepoor people
who are squatted on their princely estates,
are the men who are to be injuriously affect-
ed by the passage of the resolution. aF
I am amazed at the position which these
gentlemen have elected to occupy. Why
they should Join hands with an aristocrat!c
class which has used the immense slave and
land power in its hands for the purpose Of
crushing and grinding the common people
into an intellectual darkness. almost as dense
as barbarism itself, is something which re.
qnires an explanation different from any we
have yet receivsd. wtt their strange pos
ition unexplained, and. may say, unex-
plsinable, they stand before the country as
the defenders Of the leaders Of the rebellion,
and not as the advocates Of the crushed and
bruised and misguided mass Of the South
ern people; for they stand here objecting to
the passage Of a law admitted by themselves
to be constitutional, which, II passed and
properly executed, WIN open up afuture to
the poor non-landholders Of the Southern
States as bright - the sunbeams which tint
the roses Of that sunny land. This is their
love for the people. This is their idea Of
mercy. With the lordly few they stand op-
posed to the poor, the oppressed, the be-
trayed mass Of the Southern people. They
seem to regard tie aristocratic few who ruled
their present defenders and the people ofthe
South with q rod Of iron which pierced and
scared every subject conscience before the
rebellion, and now rule it, as embracing all
the human family to be found in the South.
ern States worthy of our consideration and
mercy. While such views are sustained by
gentlemen. who can wonder at the bitterness
they have manifested toward this joint reso.
luton? They are hoping for the return of
power through the hands of leading rebels
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