The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1866-09-26

view. He says the states have not gone out
of the Union, and that they were in the In
ion all the time. won't misrepresent him
but he holds that the people in these states,
having committed treason, have forfeited
their right to representation. He said yes
terday, on this stand, that he was all through
the war with the soldiers who fought under
that starry flag. and bore it where bullets
whistled thick and shells were bursting, and
did it upon the understanding that these reb-
els had forfeited their rights and their lives,
had no right TO representation in congress
Now, desire to show you, my friends, that
General Logan was mistaken in that state
meBt; want to ask you what is the history |
of this subject. 1t these people lost the right |
Of representation, sclen did they lose it?
take it, as soon as they passed the ordinance |
Of secession and the rebels were in possession |
of the state governments In these excluoeo
states, and as soon as they caused their ar
mics to commit the first overt acts OF war
against the United States; l take it, their
rights, civil and political if they were ever
forfeited, were forfeited then. If any gentle
man understands Genl Logan's position. and
thinks it different from what state il, want
him to set me right. They forfeited them, by
his theory, when they passed the ordinance
of secession and seized the state governments
and put them in concord with the confederate
| states, and made war on the United States
If they didn't forfeit them then, don't know
when they could have forfeited their rights.
Now, all that was done before July, 1861; the
battle of Bull Kun was fought. 1 believe, on
the Odd or Oath of July. At that time all
| the ordinances of secession were passed all
| the state governments were in the hands of
| the re els, and controlled by them. At that
| tine the rebel line stretched across from the
| Potomac westward to point Just below Cal
| 70, so that all the country south OF
| line drawn between these two points was oc-
| cupied By men in arms against us. AT that
| time the war was inaugurated, and our men
| sent forward to the L tDmac. Now, mark
| the action of congress, Gen. Logan acting as
| one of the bere of that body. | wish to
| refer to few documents, and, In order to in
| sure accuracy, will read them. After all
| this had been done, and this forfeiture, &C
| cording TO Gen'l Logan's present theory, was
| complete, the American congress passed the
| following resolution:
sThat in in this national emergency, congress-
| banshing all feeling OF mere passion and resent
! ment, will recollect only its duty to the whole
country; that this war Is not secuted our
| part in any spirit of oppression, nor for any pur-
| pose of aggression subiugation nor for the pur
pose of ove!throwing or interfering with the rights
or established Institutions of those states bat TO
| tuition and all laws made in pursuance thereof, and
to preserve the Union, with all the dignity equal
| ity and rights of the several states unmpalred.'
Gen. Logan WAS q member of congress al
that time and voted for that part of that res
olution. There was another part OF the reso-
luton he did not vote for; but be did vote for
| that. This war was TO be carried on to de-
fend and maintain the supremacy of the con
| sttution and preserve the Union, with the
4 nd " nf sba
ed. He LEFT the halls of congress, came to
his home in southern Illinois, raised the 3lst
Illinois infantry, and, putting on the uniform,
asserted that congress had declared the pur
pose with which he went into the war {; and
that declaration of congress never has been
changed to this day by any action whatever
1t was held out to the world, to the rebels, to
the soldier; and say, for one, that, when /
wore my sword and exposed my body to dan
ger, as oth.rs did leaving the 4th Illinois cav
airy alon gside of the old 45th, sd, and the
gallant 3Is, of Logan, | fought On that prin
ciple and Tor that purpose, to restore this IN
ION, not 10 destroy it, but to keep rebels
from destroying ito place it right back
where we lad il before and we accomplish
ed that eni.
| There il an introduction TO that resolution
declaring that 'the present deplorable civil
war has been forced upon the country by the
| disunlonlss OF the southern ststes."
| Now, my friends, | notice that Gen. Logan
seems at PRESENT to have a terrible abhor
renee of thtse disunionists of the southern
states, so tia. he can never forgive them. |
ell you tias, before that resolution was
adopted. Gin. Logan made speech in con-
gress in December, 1860, to which he devot-
| ed HE pow'rs to prove that the war, which
wac comin( was brought upon the country
by the actin of the republican party; and he
told them hat, If blood was shed, 1t would
be on thef skirts and, after denouneing
them thus,h Strengthened himself up there
and said, so help me God, | will never af
filiate with them politically so long az | have
breath in ny body" Cheers He swore
he never would do it, and that they were re
sponsible br the carnage of the war. Very
well, he WIS in congress when the resolution
| Of July, 1871, cams up, and the resolution
was divided. They took a vote upon the
first part oiit. and then on the last.
The frstpart says this civil war was forced
upon Us blythe disunlonists of the south; and
, tbs next stys what the congress will do
They divi,ed the question. On the first vote
it was carried; but do not find the name Of
Gen. Logan recorded in favor of that. After
, saying, inhis speech, that the republicans
were the authors of the war, and that the
blood would rest on their skirts, he did rot
, like to voe that the war was forced upon us
by the southern disuuionists lie was willing
to vote foIthe declared purpose of congress
. in wagingwar. These questions were voted
on withInfye minutes of each other Logan is
silent on he one. but votes for the other part
of the resolution
q to be continued