The Lansing state Republican. [volume] (Lansing, Mich.) 1855-1874, 1866-03-14
Speech Of Senator Wade.


Speech Of Senator Wade.
The following remarks were made II the
Unitel States Senate on the 10th ult-,
by Senator Wade, after the Introduction by
him Of = Joint Resolution to amend the
Constitution a. to render ineligible for
reelection any person once holding the
position Of President Of The United Safes.
These remarks become all the more foCcible
if il be remembered that they were made
after tie reception Of the message 0t the
President ye,oing the Freedmen's bureau
Bill.
Nj wade ia Offering this resolution. said:
viii state that this resolution Is 10 new
idea OF mine. for have been an ADVOCATE
Of il Tor many years, and | have derised the
very strong Impressions have on tie sub
Ject, by very careful observation of the
workings Of our Government through such
period US | have been an observer 0' l., and
believe IL has been very rare that We have
been able 10 elect President who has not
been tempted 10 use the vast powers lntrus-
ted 10 him. according 10 his own opinion,
tO advance his reelection. And when ]
ccled rs / say IL in no attempt 10 depreci-
ate ,ne merits of those men, because tie
Constitution places before them temptations
which we can hardly expect that human
nature wall resist, aud IN the LONG run t
Will never resist, as has been clearely de-
mOnsirlted IN the history Of our Govern
meut Washington himself who was eI-
ceediugly sagaciOus in the working Of tie
Government informed Us that il was his
opinion that there was a weakness that
ought 10 be remedied. He saw il early
lie saw that i man entrusted with these
more tnau real powers during the period
he was President. might be tempted TO Use
them FOR his advancement afterwards, and
almost all the Presidents since have felt the
necessity OF some check upon personal
ambition. Il j the Injunction Of more
than human wisdom 10 be relieved from
these temptations We might trace this
had we time, through preceding admins
tratiOus aud we should lind that this iudu-
ence weighed like graviIatiOn upon the
mind OF almost every President We ever
had. How IS IL, sir i'm the present case? l
have no doubt that the present Chief Mag
istrate came into Office while be was per
iectly single IA his mind, sincere andr truthful
in bis opinions What were some Of these
opinions. Why, sir, he spoke, and relter-
ated II every day for TWO months, that trea-
son WAS great crime, that II ought TO be
punished that II must be rendered OdiOus
and tn4t he was the man 10 10 this. lie
said 10 10 every delegation that waited on
him, until the words became StereOtyped
on tue minds OF the whole people. How
has he performed that pledge. Has he
punished anybody? Why, sir, We have the
unheard OF spectacle OF one of the greatest
rebellions that ever cursed mankind, inVOl-
wing more people. more lives, more expense
than all the reOelliOns that have occurred
in history, and yet, sir, no man has been
punished in consequence OF 1t. Something
is wrong Ii this Is all right, then the
whole system OF penitentiaries throughout
the Union ought 10 be abolished. Sir, the
President was right when be said that trea
son war great crime and ought to be ren-
dered oiiOus. Why did he not carry ont
his declaration? What has occurred 10
change his position on this question? l
will not say that this ambition, which has
tempted all who have gone before him,
weighed on his mind 10 tempt him, but II is
singular that 50 lar from rendering treason
OdlOuS by punishment, he has hOsted into
the most exalted positions many of the
leading traitors IN the South. Who else, at
any period OF the worlds history, ever
thought OF taking a rebel, red with the
blood of his cOuntrymen, aud placing him
in the position of Governor of a State who
has sought TO overthrow the Government
OF the Union and who invoked despOtsm
To aid him in doing itg Is that the way YOU
make treason OdIOus TO mankind? Is that
the policy about which we have heard so
much? Nobody has been able to tell US
heretofore exactly what that policy was.
We all, however, saw that it was policy
that suits every rebel, every eOpperhead,
and every enemy OF the Government. both
foreign aud domestic. Well, sir that pol
icy has become envelOped. We all now
see precisely what it Is, and why it was so
grateful 10 the ears and hearts of every
enemy of his country. II was no less than
this, that these States should suffer nothing
nor forfeit nothing by rebellion, but THAI
they should be admitted unwashed and red
with the blood Of their countrymen, into
full communion with honest, loyal men, and
into the councils Of the nation. What has
brought this changer 1t all points TO this
fact, that IL viii HOt DO tempt mon in
this way. This policy OF bringing these
States into the Union with all their rebell-
ion, aud treason il their hearts, IS no bet
ter than treason. | lay down the rule here,
AMI defy contradiction, that if there IS
any man, be he high or low, who Is an ad-
vOcate OF bringing traitors into the cOun-
ellis OF the nation, that man is a traitor at
heart He is an enemy to the Government,
and the nation, and nothing can make it
appear different. He who invOkes the aid
OF unrepentant rebels 10 come into the
councils OF the nation TO participate IN the
/ deliberations, Is no better than rebel, and
is u rebel at heart. How does the policy
that Is now devolved upon Us differ from
/ that policy that would be announced from
the same place by JEFF. Davis were he to-
morrow, placed in the same position.
/ Would he ask any more, would he ask any
/ less, than that his cO-cOnspiratOrs should
be restored to the same positions that they
had when they left these halls