The national Republican. [volume] (Washington City [D.C.]) 1866-1870, 1866-04-19

iuhy. lOheers'l H
feel oomplimsnted by the allusion Of your rep
resentatvs TO the fact that stood in the Senate in
1850 and 1891, when the nation was entering on
this third ordeal, and raised my voice and hand
against treason, treachery, and traitors at home.
tchesrs, and cries Of Good ~ stand hero to.
day holding TO and maintaining the same principles
which then enunciated. tCheers stand here
to-day opposing traitors and treason, whether they
be in the South or In the North. loud cheers |
stand hero to-day, as then stood, using all my
powers, mental and physical TO preserve this ma
tion In passing through the third phase Of It's er.
istence The organised forces and combined DOW.
ers that recently stood arrayed against u.s. are dis
banded and driven from the field; but Il does not
follow that there are still no enemies against our
form of government and our free Institutions.
[Applause.l 1 then stood in the Senate Of the
United States denying the doctrine Of separation
and secession denied then, as deny now, that
any State has the right of It's own will to separate
itself from the other States, and thereby to de-
stroy the Union and break up the Government
And l think have given some evidence that
have been sincere and in earnest And now
want to know why II Is that the whole train Of
slanderers, calumniators, and traducers have been
barking and swapping at my heels [Cheers. |
Why Is II that they array themselves against me?
Is II because stand on the side Of the people,
and, when / say the people, include the sailors
and soldiers. tCheers.l why Is II that they are
srrayod in traducing, and vilifying, and calumni.
ating me' Where were they during the rebellon3
IA voice, Home In bed" laughter In the
Senate raised my voice against 1t; and when 1t
was believed that Il would DO to the interest Of the
nation, and would assist in putting down the re-
bellion, did not leave my place In the Senate
place Of emolument ease and distinction, and take
my position where the enemy could be reached and
where mems lives were in danger' lChoers and
cries Of That's so."l While was thus exposed,
personally and publicly, and in every way some Of
my present traducers and calumnistors far re-
moved from the foe, and were enjoying ease and
comfort. tCheers and laughter. But care not
for them. care not that Islander, that foul Shelp
of sin, has been turned loose against me.
care not for all that and let me tell
you hero to-day that, although pretty well
advanced in life, I feel that shall live
long enough to live down the whole pack Of ira.
ducers and slandsrers. Applause They have
turned the whole pack loose to lower me in your
estimation. tVoices-"They cannot do it'll Tray,
Blanche, and Sweetheart-littls dogs and all-come
along swapping and snarling at my heels, but Feed
them not [Cheers.l The American people-citi.
Iens, soldiers, and sailors-know that from my ad.
vent into public life TO the present moment have
always stood unyieldingly and unwnvcriuRly the
advocate and defender Of their rights and interests
Cheers We are now in the nations third ordeal
We are not yet through II. We said that States
could not 20 out Of the Union. We denied the
doctrine Of SECESSION and we have demonstrated
that we were right-demonstrated It by the strong
arm. Yes, the soldiers and the sailOrs-God
bless them - have demonstrated by their
patriotic hearts and strong arms that States
have not the power to leave the Union. Applause
What followed The Confederate armies were
overpowered and dsbanded, aud there was willing
ness on the part Of the people Of those States to
come back. be obedient to the laws, and acknowl-
edge the supremacy of the Constitution of our
fathers For what have we passed through this
third ordeal 1t was to establish tho principle
that no State had the right to break up the Gov
eminent 1t was to put down the rebellion. The
rebellion has been put down, and for what ! Was
it to destroy the states? Voices, "Nevsr."l For
what have all these lives been sacrificed, and all
this treasure expended Was 1t for the purpose Of
destroying tue otates Noi u was Tor the purpose
Of preserving the States in the Union Of our fathers
[Cheers. 1t was for that you fought. It was for
that toiled-not to break up the Government,
but to put down the rebellion and preserve
the Union Of the States. That Is what we have
been contendng for and to establish the fact that
the nation can lift itself above and beyond intes-
tine foes and treason and traitors at home When
the rebellion in Massachusetts, was put down, did
that put Massachusetts, out Of the Union and de.
stroy the State When the rebellion in
Pennsylvania was put down, did that destroy the
State and put 1t out Of the Union2 So when the
recent great rebellion was put down. and the Consti-
tuition and laws Of the country restored the States
engaged In It stood as part Of the Union. The re-
bellion being crushed, the law being restored, the
Constitution being acknowledged, those States
stand In the Union. constituting u part Of this
glorious and bright galaxy Of States. Loud
cheers. In passing through this ordeal, what has
been done? In Tennessee, under the direction of
my lauented predecessor, we commenced the work
of restoration. We had succeeded before came
here, in restoring the relations which had existed
between Tennessee and the rest Of the Union, with
one exception and that was, the relation Of repre-
sentation. came to Washington, and under ex-