Cleveland daily leader. [volume] ([Cleveland, Ohio]) 1865-1873, 1866-02-12

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meetings to infame the passions and
develop all the power of their people;
through township, county, and city cor
porations; through State conventions
which framed new constitutions in order
the more perfectly to sever the bonds
which held them to the Union; and to
make a more powerful and efectual instru-
ment with which to establish their rebel
sovereigntyj through State Legisla-
lures, by laws levying taxes for the pur-
chase of arms, ammunition, and all the
naterieL of wal, by resolutions denounc-
ing the pains and penalties of treason
against all citizens who refused to join
their conspiracy; and finally, by a con-
federation of eleven States, consolidated
into a central sovereign government de
faeto, which became the most absolute
military despotism in modern history-a
despotism whick inundated with its deluge
of tyranny all State guarantees, all NUM-
cipal privileges, and assumed absolute con-
troll of all persons and property within
the limits Of its territory. There was not
a conceivable calamity which could have
befallen US as nation that they did not at
tempt, with all their power and in every
available way, Ito bring upon US. lndi-
viduals fought us as individuals, States as
States fought us, and if a State can com
nit treason each of the sinful eleven Gem
mitted it again and again. They utterly
subverted the governments of their States
they broke every oath by which they had
bound themselves to the Union, they let
go their hold upon the Union and at
tempted to destroy it.
What was the tie that bound them to
the Unien7 For example, what made
Alabama q State of the Union Read
she had formed a constitution for
herself in obedience to the law of Con-
gress, when Congress had approved that
constitution as republican in form, the
following act was passed by the Congress
of the United States, approved by the
President, December IA, 1919:
Resolved By the Senate and House Of Rep
reSentatices Of the United States IN Congress
assembled, That tn. State of Alabama shall
be one, and is hereby declared to be one, Of
the United States of America, and admit.
ted into the Union on an equal footing with
the original States in all respects whatso-
ever"
Now, Alabama may violate a law Of
Congress, but she cannot aDnul it. She
may break it, but she cannot make it vSid,
except by successful revolution.
By another law Of Congress, approved
April 20, 1920, it was declared
"That all the laws of the United States
not locally inapplicable shall be extended
TO the State of Alabama, and shall have tbs
same force aud effect within the same as
elsewhere in the United States"
Congress extended our Judiciary system
over Alabama, dividing the State into
judicial districts; and since that time,
year by year, Congress has been covering
Alabama with Federal legislation as with
a network of steel. Has Alabama broken
all these bonds? She has done all she
could to break away from the Union, but
she has not been able to destroy or render
invalid one law of the Republic. Ala
bama let go of the Union, but the Union
did not let go of Alabama. We have held
her through four years of war, and we
hold her still. When she tried to break
the Federal bonds we called out millions
of men in order that not one jot or title
should pass from these laws, but that all
should be fulfilled.
Let the stars of heaven illustrate our
constellation of States. When God
launched the planets upon their celestial
pathway He bound them all by the resist
less power of attraction to the central sun,
around which they revolved in their ap-
pointed orbits. Each may be swept by
storms, may be riyen by lightnings, may
be rocked by earthquakes, may be devas-
tated by all the terrestrial forces and over
whelmed in ruin, but far away in the ever
lasting depths, the sovereign sun holds
the turbulent planet in its place. This
earth may be overwhelmed until the high
hills are covered by the sea; it may trem-
bic with earthquakes miles below the soil,
but it must still revolve in its appointed
orbit. So Alabama may overwbelm all
her municipal institutions in ruin, but she
cannot snnul the omnipotent DEGREES of
the sovereign people of the Union. She
must be held forever in her orbit of obedi-
enee and duty.
Mr. STEVENS. If the gentleman from
Ohio [Mr. Garfield will permit me, 1
will ask him a question. Some of the
undertook to dethrone the Al
mighty, but they could not do it. And
were turned out of heaven because
were unable to break its laws. Are
those deyilish angels in or out of heaven?
Laughter.
Mr.. GARFIELD. THANK the gentleman
from Pennsylvania Mr.. Stevens for his
Interruption. The angels that kept not
their first estate What was their fate?
1t was the Almighty who opened the
gates of heaven and hurled them
down to eternal ruin. They did not 60
without his permission and help. And if
.hese States are cut of the Union it must
be because the sovereign people of the
Republic hurled them out because they
TO let them go. l am glad the
gentleman interrupted me; it happily il
.ustraues my position.
1 will, not discuss what we might do
with Alabama, but simply what was AL
lbama herself able to do, and what she
not able to do, toward breaking up
Union. Two years ago, when / had
he honor for the first time to address this
the same question that is now be-
ore us was under discussion. l main
aimed then, as l hold to-day, that the reb-
j States are not, in any legitimate sense
If the words, out of the Union. I then
declared, as 1 declare now, that by their
,wn act of treason and rebellion they. had
orfeited all their rights in the Union, but
hey had released themselves from none
# their obligations. 1t rests with the
people of the Republic to enforce the per-
ormanee of these obligations, and, so soon
IS the national safety will permit, restore
hem to their rights.
Iagree with my distinguished colleague,
Mr.. Bingham, that for Federal purpoees
he rebel States are in the Union, but, if
he expression be allowable, they are out
f the Union for State and municipal pur-
loses.
Mr. BINGHAM. l beg to correct the
Gentleman. IneVer used the expression that
hry were Estates out of the Union" but
hat, by reason of thelrrebellion, they had
to be States, for municipal purpo-
in the Union.
MI. GARFIELD. Ofcourse 1 desire to
uote my colleague correctly, for l agree
nth him, and quote him to strengthen my
%osition, that the rebel States have not sew
reu the rederaI pond, but have utterly
emolished their municipal governments.
Now, let US inquire how the surrender
{ the military power of the rebellion
fected the legal condition ofthose States.
When the rebellion collapsed, and the last
man Of the c~onfederacy surrendered
our forces, l affirm that there was not
| n of those States a single government
lat we did or could recognize. There
not in One of those States, from Gov
nor down to constable, a single Rman
HON we could recognize as authorized
, eYarcisa any official function ubo+avar