Daily Davenport Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1864-1874, 1866-09-28

uuo6s U2AUUolAUs DN10u oOANs
A contemporary sxhunss the following
statement of Thad Stevens made in Con-
gscss Of 1884 vii~
II will not atulfy myself hy suppos;ng
that wc have any warrant in the Constitu.
ton for this proceeding. This talk of veslor
ing the Union ~ il vas. and under the
Constitution o. |, 10, ID one Of the absurd
ties that have heard repcated until hsvo
become sick of il. There arc many things
which mako such 81 event impossible. The
Union never shall. with my consent be re-
stored under the Constitution a. Il is
The DrnocRAr in common with many Of
our cotcsnponries, pointed to this dcchra.
ton At tho time 40 expressing tho ointment
of the leaders Of the "Rcpublicss" party.
aud foreahadowing the position they woald
take when the time came We were met
BY the indignant dcnisls Of nearly tho ~ho,s
Republican press. They denied that Mr..
stevens was in any way che exponent Of
their views They assured tho people that
he represented hut rail- and insignificant
minority in their party. and that Ne ssnti<
"ent above quoted WAS utterly repudia,sd
end condemned by shsis leaders rnd The
great mass Of tlseif eblleWsm. They con.
denned it IS wrong - uawershy Of being
sustained BY tho Amssicaa people. Those
Republicans who were siseoge = eond emna.
ing il thcn, should pause and ask them
selves where does their party stand now p
Has II not cspouscd the very doc,rius pro-
claimed by Mr.. Stevens three years agos-
Controlled and dictated TO b Mr. Stevens
and his associates, doss Il not oppose the
complete restoration Of the Union unless
the Constitution 10 tirs. changed according
10 the terms laid down by the very men who
they assur. I'd their followers were in An in
significant minority: Every convention u
this party that is "ow held d.c'a es tia, the
Union shall not un cr their consent b. 70.
stored under thu Constitution as IL il. The
official declarations, a. well as the utteranccs
Of the speakers aud press of the party fully
COMM, ito position which hey thcn-
selves as first denounced % wrong and I'M
Unsuitable.
In word, the doctrine announced by
Mr.. Stevens in the above extract is the &C.
ceP'cd doctrine OF the Radical party. Il
makcs . different Constitution o that under
which the Government vas organized con
dtion precedent 70 The Union II saws to
the people Of tho United States. make your |
Constitution apartixan document, suitable |
70 the views and notions o( a party, or you
shall have no Union. II undertakes to pres
Constitution or no Union. This was Mr.
Stevens position three years ago. This
Republican party,as We have said ,profsssod
to ropudatc and condemn 4. Mr.. Stevens
has not changed, Cor he stands where hc
stood then. But have not the Republican
lecdcrs changed in ee,tiag on Mr.. ssevenS
platform. snd uniting with HIM in placing
conditions upon the restoration Of The Union
they are on the record as having rronounc.
ell unwsrranted. They were then pretend.
ing 10 "be unconditional Union men," and
- such found Il necessary to profess dislikc
for Mr.. Stevens conditional Unionism. -
They knew il would not be tolerated BY the
men they had deludsd into their support
BY protesting to place the Union above ev.
erything. How can they expect 70 retain
that support now that they i've abandoned
these professions and mske the Union Sec
oniary 10 p,rty schemes, How can they
ssk the support Of consistcss, thinking men
when they adopt doctrines they have con
demned and . leader they have heretofore
repudiaseds It would BE- strange, indeed,
il in making the party the inslruneut Of
sAdicalsm, tho leaders did MOI ALLEVIATE those
Who were induced 70 act With them only be.
cause they proissssd 70 oppose mdieaiism.
Fxfs SrgEcn .--ls IT or Axv vALux,--
General Banks addressed public meeting
at Faneuil Hall in Bssnn "a the 18th inst.
and The burden Of his speech was in favor
q free speech at the North. Gen. Banks
eaid
The living soldiers end saiiors si,aN hare
the right OF c9ress and ingrcss, scieA freedom,
to erpfess their opinion upon oil subjects con
corning the eovernmnens suhedever the
An. ricsn isg aosts" (Applaass.) =.
We then say, here in fassuil Hall. h
The midst q the soldiers and sailoss e6 Mo.
sachusstts these can b ~ pseos n this
country until the soldiers and sailors can
pass and repass over every foot Of soil. ritk
Freedom 70 e<press their opinion wHssolssfe5
and Wndistnrbed." ur &
Would it not be veil f,r Mr.. Ranks aud
his friends to apply this test also to the
North and Wsst, Would 10 not b vel
for them to assert that there shall BE- free
dom ofapecch and of the press oil over this
Uni ns-tbat the President may address
his fsllo~-cit'zens without being modified :
That his fricn Is shn | not he shot d.ed in