The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1865-12-30
LEGISLATIVE SUMMARY.
[canlinnea fron onr lnst -

Abolition majority to House resolution in
regard to the death Of President Lincoln.
Mr. Cox (Democra0 Of Josephine county,
spoke as follows:
/ am opposed TO the amendment from
the fact that tits in The spirit Of persecution
| If we vote for this, we believe that five or
six millions of American citizens nre as
sassins, and as We wish to pacily them. |
don think we should DO anything to keep
alive their hatred for rs. In passing such
thing as this we viii be letting down
our dignity.
Can any one believe that stoncwall
jackson is worthy Of condemnation
would Ike to receive all these individuals
back into eur ceamus5,y again. Would
you be willing to accuse Stoneyall Jack
son Of being an assassin if he was present
on this oceasioug Are not the gentlemen
capahle oI hcioe honest ahou. il? Have
they ~ generosity to extend to fallen
ice Waen wc have beaten our enemf.
is there nos nableaes5 enough about u.
TO tred them with courtesy Stonewall
Jackson's name is known and revere1
throughout The world Stonewali jack
son sent terror into he hearts of our sol
diers wherever they went lie an assas-
SIN No brave man i an assassin Was
Robert L. Lee an aseassiu Aun might
just as well charge George Washington
with being an assassin ii the English
Government had adopted sueh resola-
tion, il would have been rs woll founded.
Had the soldiers Of tie Revolution failed,
they would have been just in the same
condition that the Southern people are
now. Do you expect to resiore the Tn
ion hy such a policy as this! No! but
you want TO make il IS tvranncal as You
can You viii Mt reflect any credit on
yourselves by such n course. | claim
here, then, that | respect the memory oi
Stonewall Jackson. | manifest some
spirit, and why Because / would like
to see American citizens divest themselves
OF that contemplate spirit of eternally
prosecuting five or six millions of their
fellow citizens. | will not support such
thing. and when my hand takes up a
pen to east such stigma upon my coun-
try,nen, | hope il viii wither.
Mr. Mccartney said he did not expect
when he offered the amendment. to stir
up the gentleman from josephine lie
had never expected TO hear any man so
! far North as that gentleman, compare the
great aud good Washington with such
men as the gentleman had mentioned; had
never expected TO hear any man On the
floer ii this House speak 50 high ia praise
Of such men as the gentleman had men
toned According 70 the gentleman
Stonewall jackson and Robert t. Lee.
we're not rebels, but patriots But, SIR.
the leaders Of the rehellioR-ihe men who
Iseduced the Southern people into treason
such men as Jefferson Davis and Robt.
e. Lee-are guilty Of being accessories 10
the death of President Lincoln. As the
amendment declares. the assassination was
he legitimate result Of their teachings
aud example. The gentleman has said a
good deal about the bravery ol the South
ern people. If such acts Of cruelty and
murder as were perpetratcd upon our
brave but captive soldiers at Anderson
vile are proofs of bravery, then, indeed,
the Southern people are brave, but it is
the kind of bravery that Satan has III hell.
The people of tho South are not all of
them responsible for such barbarism but
the leaders Of the rebellion-Jeif Davis
and the men whom the gentleman prizes
50 highly-werc guilty, for they were in
power and knew Of the crimes committed
under their orders, or at least their sane
ton. He would not conlcmn all the South
ern people. Some of them we're forced in
to treason by just such pinks Of patriotism
and bravery as the gentleman seemed TO
admire and respect 50 much. Such pinks
of bravery deserve TO be in hell, instead
of being held up as patterns Of warriors
to be respected. Under their orders our
prisoners were murdered at Andersonville
Such men are not brave--the coward only
could be guilty of such acts.
Mr. Fay said that the minority of Dom
ocrats here regret not only the manner
but the fact q Ir. Lineoln's DEATH His
death was unfortunate for his political
friends. to tho Democrats aud to the South,
for his successor is less lenient to his po-
litical enemies The majority had passed
resolutions expressive of their grief. The
Democratic minority had not agreed with
all the sentiments therein expressed, and
had ked to put on record their own ex-
pressions of grief, in their own laus !;
they had done So But now the majority,
because the small Democratic minority
here would not submit. to be abused and
trampled upon, rake up this matter
again. We are charged with laboring to
make record for political capital. The
minority are trying to make political cap
ital out Of the dead body and the bones Of
Lincoln, and some of them would, he pre-
sumcd, if they had an opportunity, dig up
his bones to make jack handles of
This resolution was ours. We desired to
put ourselves upon the record in our
own language. The majority had no right
to alter it., so as to make it say what we
do not believe He did not believe that
the people .afthe South were responsible
for the acts Of j. Wilkes Booth They
were not engaged in it. Tho leaders and
armies of the rebellion did not prompt it.
It did not result from the rebellion. Itwas
the act of an individual, for whom the
leaders could not be responsible. The
trial Of the conspirators had not developed
any evidence to show that Jefferson Da-
yis was concerned in it or knew Of it. IF
It had, the court which tried them, and
President johnson, who had approved the
sentence, had violated their oaths in not
hanging him. They had him in custody,
and could try and hang him, if there were
any evidence to convict him of murder or
of assassination There had been some
murders charged against the keepers Of