The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1866-02-27

you can have rebellion! Our struggle
was against an attempt to dissever the
Union; but almost before the smoke of
the battle field has passed away. before
our brave men bave returned to their
homes and renewed the ties of affection
| and love TO their wives and their chill.
dren, we find almost another rebellion
inaugurated We put down the for
mer rebellion in order to prevent the sep.
GRAFTON of the States, to prevent them
from flying off, aud thereby changing
the character of our government and
weakening its power but when that
struggle on our part has been successful,
and that attempt has been put dawn, we
find now an effort 70 concentrate all
power in the hands of few at the Fed
eral head, and thereby bring about a
consolidation of the government which
is equally objectionable with a separat-
ton. [Vociferous applause We find that
powers are assumed and attempted to
be exercised Of q most extraordinary
character 1t seems that governments
may be revolutionized, governments at
least may be changed, without going
through the strife of battle. believe it
is fact, attested in history, that some,
times revolutions most disastrous to the
people are effected without the shed.
| ding of blood. The substance of your
government may be taken away, while
the form and the shadow remain to you.
What is now being proposed} We find
that in point of fact nearly. all the
powers of the government are as.
sumed by an irresponsible Central
Directory, which does not even consult
the legislative or the executive depart
ment of the Government, by resolutions
reported from committee, in whom it
seems that, practically, the legislative
power of the Government is now vested,
that great principle of the constitution
which authorizes and empowers each
branch Of the legislative department of
the Senate and House ofRepresentatives
to Judge for ritselfof the election, returns
and qualifications of its own members
has been virtually taken away from the
two branches of the legislative depart.
ment of the Government and conferred
upon a committee who must report be.
fore either House can act under the con-
stitution as to accepting the members
who are to take their seats as component
parts Of the respective bodies By this,
rule it is assumed that there must be
laws passed recognizing a State as in
the Union, OF ITS practical relations to
the Union as restored, before the res
pective Houses under the constitution
can Judge Of the election, returns and
qualifications of their own members
What a position Is that' You struggled
for four years to put down rebellion
You denied in the beginning OF the strug-
gle thai any State could go out of the
Union You said that it had neither
the right nor the power to do so, The
issue was made, and it has been settled
the States had neither the right nor the
power to 60 ont Of the Union With
what consistency, after it has been set
tied by the military arm of the Govern
ment and 10y the public Judgement that
the States had no right to go out OF the
Union, can any one now turn round and
assume that they are ont that they
shall not come ih3 am free 10 say to
you, as yours Executive, that | am not
prepared to take any such position
[Great applause said in the Senate,
III the very inception Of this rebellion,
that the States hat ndright TO 60 out.
! asserted, too, that they had no power
to go out. That question has been settled
aud it being settled, cannot turn round
now aud give the lie direct to all that
l have profe5seu, ana all nrrU av"o f9'
the past five years. [Applause Even
those who rebelled comply with the con
sttutiou when they give sufficient evi'
dence of their loyalty. When they
show that they can be trusted, when they
Weld obedience to the law that you and
acknowledge oGedienceto, say extend
to them the RIGHT hand Of fellowship
and let peace ana union be restored
Tremendous arplausel | have fought
traitors and treason in the south.
opposed the Divisas, rhe IOOmbses, the
Slidells and long list OF Others which
YOU can readily I'LL without my repeat,
ing the names Now when turn round
at the other eud Of the line, Ind men,
care not by what name you call them,
who still staEd opposed to the Testora
ton of the union of these states, and
am free t. -ay 10 yuu that ! am still
in the field. lGrcat applause am
still for the preservation Of the Union
I am still iii favor of this great govern
meut Of OnTs going on and filing out
its destiny lGreat applause Voices
Give rs three names al the other end.
The President was called on to give
three at the other end Of the line am
talking to my friends aud fellow citizens
who are interested with me III thi, gov
ernmeut, and presume | am free to
mention to you the names OF those
whom look upon as being opposed to the
fundamental principles of this govern
ment, and who are laboring 10 peryert
and destroy it
Yoices-"Name them Who are they
THE PRE5IpENT-You ask me who
they are. I say Thaddeus Stevens of
PENNSYLVANIA, is one. / say Mr. Sum
ner, of the Senate, Is another, and Wen
dell Phillips is another. Long contiu-
ued applause. J
Yoices-"Giye il 10 Forney
THE PREsIDENT-In reply to that |
will simply say do not waste my am.
munitiOn upon dead ducks Great
laughter and applause ] stand for
nv country stand for the Constitution
There | have placed my feet, from my
advent into public life They NAV ira.
duce. they may slandeT or they NAV ii.
tuperate me, but let me say to you all,
this has DO influence upon me. [Great
applause. Let NE say further that do
not intend to be overawed by real or pre-
tended friends, nor DO l mean to be bul-
lied BY nv enemies Tremendous ap-
| plause Honest conviction is NV cour
ace. the Constitution is my guide |.
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