Delaware State journal and statesman., 1866-04-24
SALISBURY VENTILATED.

On Friday last, in the Senate of the
United States during the discussion of the
bill amendatory of an act in relation to the
hd6eas corpus, Mr.. salisbury took occasion
to make reasonable speech, in which he
declared that if he were Judge he would
pay no attention to the bill, believing it to
be unconstitutional; whereupon, Mr.. Clark,
of New Hampshire, ventilated the Delaware
Senator, in style which every loyal man
will say served him perfectly right. The
following is report of the discussion which
took place:
MIR. CLARK. Mr.. President, I would not
take notice of the remarks OF the Senator
from Delaware, but this is the second time
he has made such remarks. lie said the
same thing in reference TO the civil rights
bill If it he sin that the rebel spirit which
defies the nation in the person of Judges
and others has crept into the Senate of the
United States and shown itself here, the
more the necessity for the bill we propose TO
pass. 81 would not yield to that authority. -
So SAID the rebels, sir; and now, when the
war is over, the Senator from Delaware
stands up and repeats that lie would not
yield to the authority OF the United States.
1t is time, sir, that this should be done with.
II is time that the Senator Mr.. Salisbury |
should understand that the authority of the
United States will be supreme, whether it
concerns a Senator or the merest rebel sol
dier. This Government must lie obeycd. II
is not worth having if it cannot cause itself
to he obeyed.
Mr.. SALISBURY. cannot possibly i'm.
| agine anything l have said that should cal
for the very unbecOming remark of the Sena.
tor from New Hampshire Mr.. Clark. Who
is he that he should attempt to lecture q
Senator Of tins bodyT Sir assigned rea
son, why, if l was judge, / should moi
carry out the provisions OF this law, because
| believe 1t to be unconstitutional. What
did l say about resisting the authority Of tho
Federal Government, except in the interpre
tation of an act of Congress if / were sttinl
in a judicial capacity? Was there anything
discourteous TO any member of this body
anything disrespectful to the authority O
the Government of the United States in sucl
a declaration2 Sir, the idea did not ente
into my mind at the time, ! stated fIc
that, sitting as q judge, and believing thu
act to be without constitutional authority,
should feel compelled to execute the law o
my State. When the Senator mir. Clark
gets up here and insinuates rebellion and re
bellious spirit to me, have only this to say
that there is nothing in that Senator men
tally, morally, physically or otherwise, tina
gives him the right to use insolent language
MIR. CLARK. Mr.. President, | desire t,
use no nsolent Language. shall not he dis
courteous to the Senator from Delaware, O
any other Senator. ! hope shall not b.
discouTteous to the Senate of the Cnitct
States; l hope | shall not be discourteous t,
the Government of the United States; bu
when the Senator from Delaware, or nm,
other Senator, shall rise repeatedly, tim
after time, and say here, in the presence O
the Senate, that he will not obey the authori
ty OF the United States, it is time, with du
Difference to him, that the spirit-not tn
Senator-but the spirit of rebellion whic
crops out in that way, should be rebukcd.
claim nothing morally; l claim nothin
physically; l claim nothing mentally; but
do claim to love my country, and, God helr
ing me, will contend against this rebello
TO the bitter end of 1t, whether in the Senate
from Delaware or in him who is now cor
fined in Fortress Monroe. Sir, we have ha
too much trouble from this spirit alread,
If the men who have been engaged in til
rebellion accept the situation, let them a,
cept, sir, but let not the same opposition an
spirit which begat the rebellion be man
Tested in the Senate of the United State,
We owe it to the people OF the United State
who have stood by us through this rebclio
that this Senate should be free from @,
pressiOns OF this kind If the Senator frol
Delaware rejoices that this rebellion ls
been put down, let him put away the spir
which produced the rebellion, and accede
the authority of the General Government.
MIR. SALISBURY. / shall not continue tn
controversy here; | simply rise to repeat thi
there was nothing in the remark that mac
to cause any member of this body to sa
that l would oppose the authority of Il
Federal or State governments. / said tina
! sitting as judge, and being called upon
l act, ii this act was produced before me-
could not recognize 1t as constitutional Law
' it was simply an expression of opinion.
e never occurred to me, sir, that there was q
y intellect in this country so obtuse that I,
, one moment could suppose there was an
spirit of defiance to authority, any right
authority of this government, State or Fe
eral, in what / said. The Senator from Ne
Hampshire Mr.. Clark, to exhibit his oW
patriotism, has chosen to indulge in languai
unbecoming this place, and which trust
+ will not repeat. of one thing he may be a
A sured, sir, that while Iwish to cultivate kin
, ly relations with any member of this bod
- both in the Senate and out OF it, no imput
iion upon my just and proper devotion
/, my Government will be submitted to, and