Daily union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1865-1866, 1866-04-11
RLAsPHEMY RERrKED.

On the day before the final vote on the
Civil Rights Bill in the Senate, the discus
sion having closed, a motion was made to
postpone the vote until the next day, in
order to enable Senators Dixon and WRIGHT
to be present, who were then absent by
reason Of sickness. The motion was agreed
TO, but while it was pending, Senator WADE
took the floor, and in one of his peculiarly
bitter and denunciatory speeches, urged an
immediate vote, upon the ground lnieren-
tally that as the Senate then stood the Rad
icals could pass the bill. This speech was
full Of acrimonious illusions TO the Presi-
dent; and in the course of his remarks Mr..
WADE said, substantially, that it was
blessing that the absent Senators were too
i'll to be present. He was for taking every
advantage which the Almighty had put in
their hands, and he thanked God, &c, &c.
To these remarks, listened to with surprise
and regret by many of the Senators, Mr..
MCDoUGAL rose and administered most eff
fective rebuke, which was pronounced by
Republican members as most fit and just.
The scene was most impressive. The whole
assembly seemed to be in full sympathy
with Mr.. MCDoUGAL's brief speech, and the
countenances of all, save Mr.. WADE, plainly
responded Gmen to all he uttered. Mr.. Nc
DoUGAL said:
~
habit of appealing 10 his God in vndcatiOn of his
judgment and conduct. 1t is common thing for
him 20 do so; but in view of the present demon
stratiOn it may well be asked who and what is his
God? In the old Persian mythology there was
Oromasdes and an .Ahriman-a God of light
and beauty, and God Of darkness and death.
The God of light sent the sun to shine, and gen
tie showers to fructify the fields. The God Of
darkness sent the tornado and the tempest and
the thunder, seathng with pestilence the nations.
And in old Chaldean times. men came to worship
Ahriman, the God Of Darkness. the God of Pesti-
lence and Famine. and his priests became multi
tudinOus; they Swarmed the land; and when
men prayed then their offerings were: We will
not sow Il held OF grain; we will not dig well
we will not plant tree These were the offerings
to the dark spirit of evil until prophet came
who redeemed that ancient land. But Q did it
after crucifxion, like our great master. The fol-
lowers of Ahriman always appealed to the same
spirit manifested by the Senator from Ohio.
Death is to be one Of his angels nOw to redeem
the Constitution and the laws, and to establish
liberty. Sickness, suffering evils are to be his
angels, and he thanks the Almighty, hts Almighty,
that sickness, danger and evils are about 1t may
be a good God for him in this world but if there
is any truth in what we learn about the orders Ofre
ligiOn in this Christian world his faith will not
help him when he shall ascend up and ask entrance
at the crystal doors If there be evil expressed
in high places that communicates evil thoughts
that communicates evil teachings that democrat
ICES the youth who receive impressions as does
the wax. it is by such lessons the Senator from
Ohio now teaches byword Of mouth as Senator in
this Senate hall.
Sir the President of the United States is a con-
stitutiOnal officer clothed with high power, and
clothed with the very power which he has exer
cised in this instance and those who conferred
upon him these powers were men such rs Madison
and Jay and Hamilton and Morris and Washing |
ton and host of WORTHLESS, men who, think, |
knew as much about the laws of government and |
how they should be rightly balanced. as any Of |
the wiseSt who now sit here in council. 1t is |
the duty of the President of the United |
States TO stand the defender of the Con- /
sttutiOn in his place as cOnservatOr of the rights
of the people tribune of the people, as it was
in old Rome when the people did choose their tri
Dunes TO go into the Senate Chamber among the |
nristocracy of Rome, and when they passed laws |
injurious to the Roman people to stand out and /
say. Il forbid it." That is the veto power incor- |
pOrated wisely by our fathers in the Constitution
conferred upon the President of the United States
and to be treated with consideration; and no APP
peal OF the Senator to his God can change the |
Constitution or the rights of the President Of the
United States, or can prevent just consideration
of the dignity of the Senate body by persons who
have just consideration, who feel that they are
Senators. 1t is strange thing an exceedingly |
strange thing that when few Senators in the city
of Washington, ill at their houses, give assurance
that they can be present to act upon u great pub
lie question on the day following, that we should
hear a piece of defamation from the Senator ap-
pealing to his God, and saying with an Il triumph
air" well or i'll, God has made them i'll. Sir the
God of DesOlation, the God of Darkness. the God
of Evil, is his God. | never expected to hear
such objections raised among honorable men. l
never expected to hear such things in this Hall, |
and | rose simply to say that such sentiments
were to be condemned and must receive my con-
demnation now and here, and if it amounts to a
rebuke, | trust it may be rebuke."