Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1866-02-28
QDblo Statetsrrrarr.
@ SPEECtI OF
HON. SAMUEL 8. COX,
Before the Great Meeting in Growers
Theater, Washington City, on the
22d February, Held TO IndOrse
the Presidents Veto of the
Freedmen,s Bureau Bill.

|
! Loud calls were made for Hon. s. s. Cox,
who advanced to the front of the stage and
addressed the assembly as follows:
After the remarks of Mr.. Kinney, from
Utah, on motion, Mr.. S. S. Cox was called
on to address the meeting. He was greeted
with cheers, and began by referring to the
| fact that the Delegate from Utah, who had
begun this disorder, would no doubt wish
a resolution reported against polygdnly
| ( Laughter. The one relic-"slavery"-
having been abolished, polygamy comes
next; and he hoped the barbarous institu-
tion was intended to be abolished
| [Cheers aj yg
Mr.. Cox, further continuing, said that
the Hon. Mr.. Stevens, whose age and brains
entitled him to respect, incidentally remark
| ed the other day in his seat that there were
Earthquakes aboutw Laughter.l In
volcanic regions these terrible phenomena
are preceded by strange rumblings and
eruptions of fire, ashes, and smoke! Laugh
ter The worst crime enacted on this star
was accompanied with violent quakings of
the earth. st. Matthew tells us 1.-THE vail of
the temple was rent in twain from top to
bottom, and the earth did quake, and the
rocks were rent, and the graves were open
| ed, and many bodies of saints which slept
| arose and came out of their graves after
the resurrection, and went into the holy
| city and appeared unto many" Without
wishing to arrogate any saintship, it seems
cheerful to see so many brother Democratic
saints [laughterl coming forth from their
graves and appearing unto many this day
| Laughter Salvation, we learn, came out
of the very agonies of nature. [Cheers.
| If our crucified land shall see salvation, il
will be through the rending of party walls
and party rocks [cheersl the separation of
the good from the bad, the conservative
| from the revolutionary. The signs in the
sky, after the strange cOmmotiOn, betoken
united, peaceful and happy land again
| ICheers.
What has done all this? Simply the at
| tempt of the President to see that the claws
be executed" He would execute the su-
preme law, the Constitution. He has ex-
ercised the power given him in the Consti-
tuition, and as part OF the Legislature
disapproved of one of its revolutionary
measures. This veto power was placed in
| the Constitution for wise purposes. 1t is
check from the President of the people up
on the representatives of the States and
| people. He was bound as an honest officer
| TO veto what he thought was inconsiderate
and hasty, unwise and unconstitutional. If
he has done this with respect to one of the
| least Objectionable measures OF the Radi-
Gals, what will he do, and what sort of
quakes will follow his future vetoes? "If
this be done in the green tree, what will be
| done in the dry?"
The Radicals would seem to have been a
| little negligent in this matter of amend
ments to the Constitution. They have only
proposed some thirty-seven; but notwith-
| standing ali the premonitory symptoms of
veto, no one proposed to abolish that.
| Wonderful want of sagacity! Terrible lack
| of forethought! 1t remains, and while it
remains and johnson lives, there will be
hope! Let the quaking go on-let the dry
bones in the valley shake-let the frail ten
ements tremble; we ghosts of departed
| Democracy now come forth and appear un-
to many, and while we pay our taxes are
privileged to speak. Laughter and cheers
The country is i'll the path to peace and
| Union! 1t seems to me that the very sky
is bluer, the air more blithe; the flowers
and grass are shaking. off their winter
lethargy and peeping above the earth to
veto which Jackson used for one class of
malcontents and mischief-makers his hero
| ic successor has used for another. Even
| Nature rejoices! 1t is not that [ rejoice
with nature in the coming of this better
| and brighter day because he has vetoed this
bill about the black charities. In the hands
of just Executive it might not have been
so bad, however unconstitutional and inn
polite. But it is because in his message he
has drawn the line of separation between
himself and the disunionists-not in the
question of black benevolence, but of white
| liberty and State existence and equality
| [Cheers.]
Mr.. Raymond, in his paper of the 21st,
lraf af,ro fn ha lfafi ~ ,,l,,,
see in the veto the establishment OF an ire
parable breach between the President and
the Union party" He says they will be
disappointed, as some measure on this
| freedmen's business will yet be coddled up
upon which the President and Congress
may agree. | am one OF the eXutants in
this breach, and hope no such coddling
will be accomplished. 1t will result only
in unmixed harm
1st. Because any bill about freedmen will
be impolitic and despotic, unsuited to our
system of government. The reasons against
this bill just vetoed are equally strong in
time Of war or peace against the existing
law. When the present law was first in
troduced on the 18th February, 1864, by
Mr.. Elliott (who is one of the pegs in the
national shoe for our modification and dis
cipline),I had the pleasure to give it the
| first gentle tap to test its soundness. 1t
was Objectionable then, because it was
founded on confiscation, on mistaken hui
manity, on q heresy as to our system of
governments; because it usurped powers
not belonging to the Federal Government;
because corrupting and extravaganza; be-
cause the Government should not go into
the philanthropic line of business, and be-
cause there was mo warrant in the Consti-
tuition to establish such eleemosynary sys-
tenn" If bad in time of war how utterly
senseless and ruinous to both black and
white in time of peacel This the Presi-
dent demonstrates with a practical sense
and craftsmanship that should commend
him, as. it does, to the popular favor.
Cheers 'a,.g .g-, ..a.'-r,-... ....
Its no part ofmy wish now to discuss this
vetoed measure. 1t is as full of objections
as CongresEis of malice. First. 1t is bu-
reaucracy against democracy, Second. 1t
disturbs the relations of the owners and la
borers OF the land. Third. 1t makes a class
of Government dependents for charity and
employes for greed. Fourth. 1t is war
measure. Fifth. 1t is ruinously expensive
at a time when retrenchlnent is needed
Sixth. Itaggrandizes power in the direc-
ton of the center, and to do this steals il
from the people and the States, Seventh.
1t is gratuity and premium on laziness,
shittlessness, and crime. Eighth. 1t is
system unsuited to peace or civil life.-.
Ninth. 1t is the hypocritical offspring of
''all uncharitableness," protesting to be
founded in charity; worse than Pagan hate
formalized and crystalized. E-1 e