Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1866-03-09

specimen Of Democratic Eloquence.
Perhaps We have not ,iyon due allowance
. space in our columns to the democratic
el9qacncc which is daily AIRED in Congress.
Oar limited space comrel- US to omit so
many even Of the good Union speeches de-
iivcrel there. that We have felt compelled to
give tine Democratic orators the go-by. To
make some amends. we copy below recent
speech Of tie spokesman Of the Democratic
party in the House, and to be perfectly fair,
we take tie report from the New York
Word. rac gentleman seems to have been
considerably interrupted, but succeeded new
er.heless 10 defining bis position, including
very distinct announcement in favor Of the
payment Of the rebel debt:
The amendment TO the Constitution proposed
by the select committee o. teen, that Congress
shall have power to make all laws which shall
he necessary and proper 20 secure TO the citizens
VI each State all the privileges and immunities
of the citizens IN the several States, and 10 the
several States equal protection in the rights Of
LIE liberty, and property, being before the
House
Mr. Rogers (ien. Y j said he had hoped from
what lad Jrluspirei within the last few days
that TIE tine hal come when the Constitution
was % be secured from invasion. When he had
read the words Of the President Of the United
States in commem0rauon Of that immortal in
strumeut, he had believed that no more amend
,euts 10 il would be proposed by Congress. lie
lad believed that the agitation which had been
kept Up here against that Instrument unil las
the President saiil there would be no more re-
spect entertained for it than for the resolution
Ct q town meeting, was about TO cease
Nr Kelley PENN desired to ask the gentle
man, IN connection with his alusion to the
President, whether he was not the same Andrew
johnson who. when q representative, submitted
n0 less than nine amendments 10 the sacred
Instrument in one session
Mr. Eog5rs-Ihat may all he so. | am not
here as IN advocate of Andrew Johnson, but as
the aiyocate OF the great doctrines OF constitu-
ti1ual liberty which be lays down.
Tins Is another attempt to concentrate the
powers of tile general government; another step
towards imperial usurIaton; another step to-
wards hl1tfing from the national flag the stars
emblematic Ct the States, and 70 concentrate in
the federal government greater powers than are
claimed by the Car Of Russia or the Emp eror
ratified, Congress could enact under it law es-
tablishing miscegeHation in South Carolina, com
pclinE the people Of that State to be degraded
by marrying with persons Of negro blood. The
right Of marriage came under the general mean
ing Of privileges and immunities. and black
man could. under the proposed measure, go into
a State and claim the privilege Of marrying
white woman under the proposed amendment
An act Of Congress might be passed, compelling
the State of South Carolina to allow negroes 10
marry white women.
This amendment proposed to take away the
rights Of the States, and compel, by act Of Con-
gross, the abroEation Of all the statutes Of the
States which make 4 discrimination between
crimes committed by black men and those COM
mitted by white men, instsncing the State Of
Kentucky, where the crime of rape committed
by a black man is punished with death, and in
the case Of a white man with imprisonment. He
also referred 20 the laws in several Of the free
States, making distinctions between schools for
white and schools for cclored children, which
would also be abrogated under the proposed
amendment.
He spoke Of Mr. Seward as the hero of liberty,
whom he was pleased to see standing up recent
IL in the city Of New York defending those prin-
ciples without which popular rights were a
mere myth, He was willing to sink all parties
N ODlhllA. n4ALllE 70 Jury AuNA4 ~ INV AAoN
the trumpet Of Gabriel would never be heard by
them.
He denounced the committee on reconstruc-
tlon as the COMMITTEE Of despotism." The
liberties of France were never more invaded by
Napoleon than the liberties Of this country we're
now invaded by that committee.
At this stage Of his remarks, Mr. Rogers, car
ried away by the heat Of defamation, hsd turn
cd his back to the Speaker, when Mr. Washburn
(of Ind, y made the point of order that the gen
tlernan should address the Chair and not the
galleries. i
Mr. Rogers apologzed for the unintentional
discourtesy.
Mr. Kelley proposed to give the gentleman
time to recover his exhausted energie: to occupy
a moment to show that we are not oppressed or
likely to be oppressed by any Of the dangers to
which the French people were subjected under
Bonaparte or any reyOlutionist.
Mr. Rogers yielded to the gentleman
Mr. Kelley read from Thiers' History page,
illustrating the manner Of Bonaparte after his
return from Egypt, describing him as a quiet,
reticent, thoughtful, listening and observing,
but opening his mouth to no one, which was all
deep policy.
Alter the reading of the extract he remarked,
"0ur Bonaparte does not wait.
Mr.. Rogers-Mr. Speaker, We have no Bona
parte We have pious man.
I'VE have man who has come up from
the humblest walks of life. We have man
who has never allowed himself to be put down
by the aristocracy. We have man who is the
embodiment Of civil liberty. We have man
who believes that the government was made for
the benefit Of the white men and the white
women fthe country, and not at all for the ben
eft of negroes or negro venches-
Here there was some applause in the gal
leries, which was promptly suppressed by the
Speaker.l