The Ebensburg Alleghanian. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1865-1871, 1866-05-24

SPEECH OF HON. GLENN W. scoF1ELD,
OF PENNSYLVANIA, IN THE HOUSE
OF REPRESENTATIVES, WASH
INGTON, APRIL 2sth, 1866.
TConelnded.1

1
and believes the power exists to require
their adoption az conditions of return, he
thinks it unnecessary to insist upon any
terms additional to those imposed by him
SELF It is in this opinion that his old
prosecutors, the defeated enemies of the
Urion, the foiled plotters of his assassin
malice conspired with northern sympathi-
zers to pursue him with their unrelenting
friendship. Their last hope for the des-
truction of this country lies in the seduc-
ton Of its friends. War failed them,
they resort to diplomacy. The President
was not much moved by their threats,
will he be seduced by their fattery? IT
so, let ME assure those of our friends who
1 are disposed to suppress their own convic-
tions in hope to detain him and his pat
ronage in little select court party, that
they might as we'll exercise a reasonable
liberty of opinion. For if he ever deter
mines 20 trust his political future to any
Body besides the great, earnest, triumphant
Union organization that elected him, he
will have sense enough to put them aside
as mere nobodies in popular strength,
| heartless friends and harmless enemies,
as courtiers always are, and push straight
| for the "southern brothered," rebel-led
opponents of permanent and peaceful
UDion. In that event his children and
friends may well rejoice that the past, at
least, is secure. His patriotic thoughts
of the past FIVE years will still live,
although only to reprovc him.
Again, it is said by way-of excuse, "why
not admit such Union men as Fowler,
! II Of
Because it is not question about men.
Shall a disloyal district, while it is still
in disloyal spirit, be declared entitled to
representation with only half as many
represented people in it as we require for
district in the North That is the
question. Captain Semmes ran up the
Union flag when he wished to decoy an
unarmed merchant vessel under the power
of his guns, but replaced it with the
pirate emblem when he had secured his
victim. The names of these patriots are
hung out to-day to secure representation
to rebel constituency behind them, but
they will be hauled down at the first election
and rebels put up in their stead. You may
think you are only recognizing the Union
flag, but when it is too late you will find
yourselves alongside the Alabama aud in
the power of its pirate crew.
But it is said in reply: awe will not
admit disloyal men even if elected. -
How can you help yourselves? If a whole
delegation from South Carolina, for in
stance, present themselves to the Clerk of
the last House and ask to be placed on the
roll, prior to organization, aud tender him
the certificate of their election signed by
the Governor and sealed with the great
seal of that most sovereign State, shall
the Clerk say which is loyal and which
not? suppose not. After the organi-
: cation, in which all have participated, and
all have been qualified and taken their
seats, will you get up an inquisitorial
committee to explore the secret recesses
of their cunsciences and be father confes-
sors to their sins? "No, but the iron-clad
oath will exclude them." Do you not
know, sir, that almost every man who is
in favor of admitting these States without
conditions is also in favor of repeating
that oath They already denounee it as
an odious and unconstitutional test. The
= Secretary of the Treasury and the Post
master General, backed up by a message
from the President, ask its repeal SO far
as regards their Departments, thus making
rebels as eligible as Union soldiers TO
appointments here, and under such lead
l expect to see it swept away, and so do
most of the gentlemen who are now urging
us to lay aside real safeguard and trust
to this cobweb of morning.
But suppose we could in this way con-
trive to dictate to these people who they
should and who they should not elect,
what kind of representation would that
be? We say to them, "you are tree to
select your representatives, bat mind that
YOU select such as suit US, not yourselves.
You call that representation L call II
obedience. We propose to extract the
envenomed fang of the serpent before he
Is uncaged, and you to bind him with test
oatLs afterward. Suppose, again, you
couiG ,,anao;c to exclude in this way those
who had beea engaged in the rebellion
do YOU no. know thai reccel eonstisuency
E !, could find ft representation outS'ae ' t%a
list, and all the more dangerous 02 tna'
account2 If they had none at home they
. could colonize from the North.
:, Again, magnanimity is invoked as
shield OF desertion. A great nation, 1t il
i said, can afford to be magnanlmous'. ~
course it can but let us see how this Is
: For four years these people made war up
on US without cause or even plauslDit
excuse. Before they began it, we peggec
them in great humility to withhold IRON
> the country this terrible desoiatlon- II
tears we warned them of the punlshmen