St. Mary's gazette., 1866-06-21

I'm d,.f,reuce to the general desire amoh2
our natrons to read the recent speech q
our representative. Mr.. Harris, delivered
N Congress, on the | tth instant, on the
h,U n rcstorc 20 the States lately III III
.urrectiou their full political rights we
.urrendcr our columns this week t@ it>
publication. We gsve $40 speech una
brijgcd, and as 4 consequence aFe pre-
cIu.I,d. from want Of space, from acrons-
nanyin2 It this week with any comments OF
our own. We have room only to say,
that It is . speech characterized By great
strength and cloquence Of reasoning and
BY f.arlessness and fuIIne>s a attcranee
unusual among public men when deal
ing with Questions of grave eo'4ph-
Gated and Iesreasc character
Nh. HAnRrs. Mr. Speaker, having been
up to this period of the session silent
member from, choice | deem it my duty
now to declare my views upon some OF tns
political questions which are presentcdSr
the consideration Of this Heusc and this
country. Although NY sentiments were
we'll understood by my fcllow-ci,izcns who
cast their votes for me at the last election.
there has been siuce such whirl in the
political maclstrom that they might either
fear that my own position had been chang
cd or possibly they themselves might have
been unable to withstand the mighty et-
forts made to draw them into the whlrl-
pool.
In either event, it is proper and honor
able that I, as their Representative. should
make open and frank avowals in view OF
tho political movements which must soon
take place in my State and district.
should consider it most ignoblc act to
win the support or Endorsement of any
man by the least conccalment or deception
I would as lief cheat man of his money
as by hypocrisy aud fraud to cheat him
Of bis sentiments.
From this hope. Mr. Speaker, you
and this House will infer that | am but
poor politician, according to the meaning
of that word in common parlancc-a word
but the synonym for fraud, violence, and
such icnoble conduct as should deprive an
honest man of his own self-respect, and
would certainly bring about such condl-
ton but that these traits Of character are
too common.
thon, sir, declare that in principle |
now stand as stood before tho war; as |
stood after the war was declared as
stood in the last Congress, when recelv-
cd it's crown of censure; az stood III prl-
son and before that Internal instrument OF
tyranny court-martial. And as stand
in principle so will | stand IN practice
whenever occasion may require.
When I Indicate that there has been no
change in my principles, this House, and
this country possbly-for the avowal OF
them has been attended By an unexpected
notoricty-may infer what my position
now il. | am an o.d-linc Democrat. and
believe in the doctrine Of secession. be-
1icyc that the several States of this nlon
have the right to separate from 1t each
acting for itself l believe that abuses
and usurpntions had been practlced and
threatened to 50 great an extent by aSso-
ciates and partners in this governmental
compact, that the southern States were JUS
tilted in going out and, sir, [ further be-
licye by their ordinances of secession, that
they did 60 out, and thereby became to
this Union foreign States These convic-
t;ons cannot change. and do not expect
will ever be removed | will most assur-
cdly proclaim them and stand by them as
long as a single citizen of the confederate
States is in chains or subject to penalty for
asserting them. There is no political or
personal consideration which would prompt
me to such descrtion. AS the right OF
secession is the only thing that rescncs
them from the charge of treason, my voice
shall ever accord with my convictions and
never join in that verdict against them, /
should consider myself as assuming most
infamous position if it did. What, sir, |
that believed them right, | that would have
Joined them if the sovereign State of Ma
ryland had said so, to desert them now IN
their utmost need, when | caa legltlmatey
give them srch protection as is in my power
honestly to glve-ncvcr
From what | have said, Mr.. Speaker
this House will readily infer that | am ad
worse to the reconstruction policy of the
President. | confess that Andrew John
son has been, in adopting his mode of re-
construction, consistent with the views OF
the late President, with those of the Re
publican party that elected him, and with
his own declaration from the time he aban-
doncd the Democratic party and joined the
Republicans These facts do not conn
mend him to me =; but surely IT is not his
fault that he is now at issue with many of
the people who raised him to his present
station Among acts OF his Adm'nistra-
tion which receives my sternest dcnuncla-
tion, he has done and said some things
which meet with my hearty concurrence.
The vetoes he has during this session sen,
20 Congress need not merton, but there
is one declaration of his which. if enforced
by him. will cause his name To ring
throughout the civilized world, and rank
him high in the list of patriots There
was much in his speech on the 22d of Feb
rnary which disapprovcd of, bu, there