North Branch democrat. [volume] (Tunkhannock, Pa.) 1854-1867, 1866-09-05

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ed up. refer to Mr.. Raymond. He has
been harshly criticised by his own friends
but will not copy their dispraise, as he is
my Congressman. Though elected by the
opposite party, will do him the justice to
say he is half light all the time; for he
has given some votes in vindication of a
patriotic President and democratic policy
although he voted for the Directory and
negro Suffrage qualified. We will discuss
him hereafter.
The patty ascendant were led by men OF
the French revolutionary type, like Robes
pierre and Camille Desmoulins, the attor-
ney general of the lamp post They were
full off fine theories, which they illustrated
in "bloody instructions" They lacked the
courage of Marat, Danton and Mirabeau,
and the purity of the Girondists Chiefs
Sumner, ,Fessenden and Wade furnish types
of the dominant Radical, while Stevens,
Boutwell,, Bingham, Washburn, Wilson,
| Davis, Colfax and Wentworth furnish sam
Piles of the unconsionabe, vindictive, incon-
gruous, s,pietistic parliamentarians who, with
out needing the warnings of history, the
sanctions of law, or the interests of Uuion
pursued their course regardless of their
country's need Cheers.
But the ruling spirit of these Jacobins
was Thaddeus Stevens. -. He is man of
iron will, strong convictions, unfailing sar-
casm, and vindictive feeling. His familiar
speeches consist in references to the abodes
of the damned, as if familiar with their ru-
le,. lie has been likened to that prince.
But he resembles not the Satan of Milton,
whose sublime courage We respect, and
whose intellect we admire-nor the Mephis
topheles of Goethe, whose insidious disgui
ses and tempting lure led German scholars
like Faust and lovely Gretchens, like Mar
garet to ruin. Rather he resembles the
devil of Dante, who is represented as a
three-faced dcvll-one red with anger, one
pale with envy, and the third black with
vengeance having three mouths
And at every mouth sinner champed
After which he swallowed his colleagues
il diaboiaal glee. Laughter. This
was the geniuswho presided over the junta
of fifteen, and gave impression to the mis-
deeds fthe Thirty-ninth Congress.
The minority, led by such constitutional
statesmen as Reverdy johnson and Hen
bricks, had but little opportunity to chal-
lenge these champions to debate. BY lung
force, by previous questions, by expulsion
ofthe minority members, VOORHEES,, Cof
roth, Baldwin aud Brooks--folowing the
sad and bad example of the Senate in ex
pelllng the truly honorable Senator from
| tD hip1-
to cripple and thwart the President--this
majority illustrated the cowardlce of the
bully, and made its legislation the counter
part of that generous spirit which strikes
the fallen foe.
2. From the composition of the body,
you might well infer its legislation. Rev
cling in the spirit of war after peace had
come, breathing bitterness instead of broth
erhood, giving reproaches for reconciliation,
and penalties for pardon, (cheers,) it at
once, before its session began, crossed swords
with the humane and generous policy of
the President.
This body began its wicked career in
hidden caucus OF obligarchis to foil the
Presidents good work and circumvent his
plans. Determined to keep out the eleven
States, it rocked not of TIE commerce, in
dustry, and happiness Of the people. BY
its fruits let it be judged! Men do not
gather grapes of thorns or figs of thistIes.
Patriotism is not born of sectional aspcri-
ties, nor does healing come from the
poignaid's point in the brigand's
hands! Let me pluck some of the
fruit of this Congress; whether 1t suit
your taste or not, you have to pay for the
planting and nurture. :;
From the 4th of December to the last of
July, there has been offered by the Radi-
Gals constitutional amendments, forty-fve
bills and resolutions for keeping up disunion
eventy-three; bills and resolutions as to
the negro exclusively, forty-Dine. That
these were not all passed Is no credit of the
Congress, but proceeds from the feeble
ness of intellect, which could not frame CO.
herent parts to the system of destruction
and vengeance they designed. More than
two thousand pages of the Globe are taken
up with discussions about the negro ques-
ton of suffrage and representation alone
So common became this negromania that
the galleries were thronged with ignorant
Africans, hoping for the most impossible
utopias from these $oi diStant,les anis des
noirs; and member from Illinois moved
to set apart one day of the week as ''white
mans day." (Laughter)
When the Congress met it was under
secret and caucus control and with hypo-
critical pretenses. On the 5th of Decem-
ber last, the Senate was called to order
Its chaplain, the Rev. Mr.. Gray, gave glo-
ry to God that the republic survived; that
the desolation of war had ceased, and the
ground no longer shook beneath the tread
of armies; that the statue of freedom--a
colored female, by the bye laughter)-
looked down from the Capitol upon the
entire nation Of freemen, and that this was
the acceptable year of our God
V1L;r rrovar bad scarca haan uttoroJ bo