The Lansing state Republican. [volume] (Lansing, Mich.) 1855-1874, 1864-02-10
VOL. 8. NO. WHOLE NO. 459.

dom and compromise which the gentleman msn
lions in another resolution as having been hand
ed down to US By Washington and bis associates
Washington and his associates resorted to d
popular violence. They made no invecstions &
unorganized popular Assemblsgss. They ver,
law abiding statesmen. They we're fathers o
the Constitution. Nobody was more sensibll
thar Washington Of the necessity Of preserving
order under the shield OF law. But here th,
Senator from Kentucky, forgetting, as il SEEM
TO me, that be is acting under Government o
lsw, utters an appeal for the future, and says Il
TIE defeated party, after tie election Of 1865
shallhAve taken place "if you are defeated, anC
II you declare that thar defeat was in conse
Quence of he interference of military force, il
uii be yoEr duty as freenen 20 interfere by vi
olence and to prevent the installation Of the
President and totally disregard the election" II
that be not a revolutionary sentiment, an uDcOn.
stitutional sentiment, | sm not able 10 perceive
that viii be. Il is because the Senator from
Kentucky 70 sees, or processes 10 torses, ths in.
reference, that ne calls upon the people North
and South 10 revolt against their war leaders and
take this matter into their own hands.
Again, sir, as further proof OF she Asimus and
/ purpose OF the Senator in presenting these reso-
lutions, he goes on to tell US what are the RAJ
objects Of the class or party be calls the de-
struc;ives," including Abraham Lincoln, the
President Of the United States:
Their real objects are 30 perpetuate their
party power, and 70 bold possession Of the Gov
ernment to continue the grandizement of their
leaders, great and small, or almost countless Off
,es and employments, by myriAds OF plundsring
contracts, and by putting up te sale the largest
amount Of spoils that were ever offered to mar
ket by adv Government on earth Their object
is not to eradicate slavery"
will sag at this point, so far as | am con-
cerned IN this supposition, the Senator from
Kentucky is entirely mis-. ken 90 far relates to
the iusurrcctionary districts. l desire 70 cay in
all frsnkno., a. to those States and those dis.
tricts which are declared TO be in insurrection,
hat for me / am in favor of sbolishing slavery
brewer. because think is, not perhaps the only
cause, but one great predominating, leading
cause Of this bloody and wasting war; and | eX-
press j; as my opinion that the loyal people Of
/ the UniCed States will never have permanent
peace and tranquility, never be able 10 enjoy
that peace which was once theirs, II they permit
this great cause Of disturbance 10 survive the
struggle. For one, say that AM in favor of
the absolute, total and eternal exurpatiOn OF
slavery, at least within the limits OF the insur-
rectiousry States; and think the people OF the
United States will be very unwise if they DO not
take vigorous and efectual measures for attaining
that great object But the Senator proceeds:
"1heir object is not to eradicate slavery, but
only to abolish its form and the mastery; to sub
jugate wholly the rebel States, sna utterly 10 rev
Olutionize their political and social organization.
Sir, we have heard a great deal about Sub
jugation," aud the word is flung in our faces
very frequently. Il would seem TO be implied
by frequent use of the word that there is, or
ought TO be, something in it extremely inhuman
and odious. 1t is held up as q sort of scarecrow
by the sympsthizers with the rebellion to fright
en- OF all effort on the part of, the loyal people to
restore she authority Of the Government. have
no hesitation in proclaiming that l sm in favor
of the subjugation of the rebel States but when
l use the word l use it solely in the ordinary
sense of conquest The subjugation of peo-
pie is the conquest Of a people. The conquest
Of people is the deprivation Of all their militia
~ power. To conquer them is to deprive them
OF the power Of military resistance but it by no
means implies those acts Of atrocty, cruelty,
and wRnton barbsrity which persons who use
this word subjugate mean when they use it
as a scarecror. Subjugatiou is conquest no
more, no less.
ask the Senator from Keutucky, l ask every
Senator here, what is it that we are now doing
in the rebel States? Are we not subjugating
AIe VIC uOt DfcdAluG up CisPSltluk
their military forces prostrsting their military
strength And what is this but the subjuga-
ton OF the peepley The subjagation Of the peo-
pie is the occupancy Of their territory by mill.
tary force sent there for the purpose Of over
throwing the hostile power. Although | have
read pretty carefully the Law Of nations aud the
law of war Oh the subject Of our present diff
culties, have not been able TO 6nd any distnc
/ tiOn between tie conquest or the sublugation OF
q rebellOus territory and rebellious people and
the subjugaton and conquest Of foreign terri
tory or foreign people; and | tell you, sir,
that your modern scholiasts will search in vain
or any distinction between the two cases.
| Sir, what ia wary II implies violence, the use
of the highest degree Of force competent for a
people acting ss a nation 10 employ u is q
question Of superior strength ; and l know of nc
boundary, 10 limit 10 the exeFtion Of the power
OF carrying On war but the ordinary sentiments
o. humanity. And | know Of no Law but the law
Of war to govern us in our conflict with the reb-
els. These men have gone out from among u
HithOa; having suffered wrong They never
felt the weight Of the government except as il
bore upon them with gentleneEs, impsrting bes
sings and breathing encouragement and sense
of security into their souls. Never has the Gov
ernment Of this country injured the hair Of Ih'
head Of rebel They have gone out from
among Us under the false pretenCe that theJ
foressw in the future that they should lose tbe
just polticel power and Influence in the Union
/ They have drawn the sword Wsnt0nly aud will
fully upon the government and loysl people o
the United States. Carried away with the vail
idea, the gross and childish conceit, that CD,
southern man was equal 70 FIVE northern men
they have advanced boldly into the arena anG
thrown down the gago Of combat They hav'
thrown es their gage Of battle their cherished
institution Of slavery. I say here boldly, &C
cept the challenge; Ipick up the glove; rec
ogaize the Issue. Let us see who will win sn'
who viii lose. | would 6ght this battle out s.
long as there is man, woman, or child at th
north capable Of lifting musket or pushing
bayonetl (Applause 10 the galleries.)
The Presiding Officer, (Mr Howe, in th
chair,) Order
Mr.. Howard. ! would make this 10 child
play; and let NE say to gentlemen Oh the othe
side, that the rebels in this va. from the begin
ming have been fully in earnest. They hsv
ssked from you no favor. They esk no favor c
you low. They meet Us with a steady. proUd
and naughty defiance, defiance which on ID
side Of justice would be most msgnsninoss an
praiseworthy. snd honor them, not for thei
cause not for their vickedness, but for To
, proud and indomitsble spirit with which tbe
have carried on tie war. They mean 70 hgh
: Us still They in. snd TO destroy Us and our gov
{ eminent; or if they fail in this, they expect t
: be destroyed; aud believe me, there viii be fer
: of them that will meet their fac grumblingl
: or with whine. They are men ike o1rselFe:
: prsud Of their position, proud OF their honor
{ proud even of the wicked clgse in which the
2 are engaged. You are not 70 subdue such me
{ by soft persussious and defeats rose scented b.
: lets-doux. You must meet them with the bayo