The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1866-07-28

dation it imposes, even though it lead
to a continuance Of the dissolution OF
the Union. Anxious as l am to restore
the States to their former status in the
Union, ] will not by my voice weaken
those guarantees Of liberty which our
fathers established for themselves and
for us their posterity, even to continue
or preserve the Union itself. Liberty
is worth more than union. The Con
gress, sir, that will keep that test in
force will only admit those Southern
men who will misrepresent their con-
sttuents. Better wait for better times
and better men.
"When vice prevails, and mpious men bear
sway, ,,
The post of honor is Il private station"
There is another objection Oft kin
dred character, and prod lcing similar
results to the one ! have just referred
to, which bears strongly upon my mind,
and which, as the facts arise, would
cause me to cast my vote against prac,
tically bringing about either mode OF
reconstruction. The exclusion from
the ballot-box of the white men of the
South in the choice of their Represen-
tatives, whether brought about under
the Presidents plan, or the Congress
sional plan, shall never receive my
sanction. No matter What pretense for
excluding them from the polls, wheth-
cr for too little loyalty, or too much
di,loyalty, so called, by my vote such
corruption, leading ultimately to the
overthrow of my couutry's liberty,
shall never take place in this body pol
itic That one tenth of the citizens OF
State, with the aid of foreign force
should be allowed to altar its Constitu-
ton and laws so rs to distranchise nine
tenths, and call themselves the righttul
government, in view of the fundamen-
tai principle upon which all our gov
ernmcnts are based, is too absurd to
enter the mind ofany but a tricky ty-
rant. The State that adopts such a
principle and the man who comes here
in consequence of its adoption, shall
never enter, the one into this Union,
or the other into this House, if my
voice can prevent it. They shall not
extend here the internal trail OF the
tyrant. They must come dressed in
the pure American Republican gart
which our noble forcfathers recognized
and expected to be guaranteed, and
not like n Juggcrnaut in it's passage tf
the temple, crushing under its ponder
Gus wheels the very vitals OF tru'
| American Republicanism.
, But, Mr.. Speaker, both sides, th'
, Southern and Northern States, pre-
4, tend to be anxious. feel confident
under the circumstances in which the.
5 are placed, the Southern States ar
: willing to enter again into the compact
e and be subject to the old Constitution
I of the United States. 1t was not tn
, Constitution they fell out with, but tn
; pcryersion Of it by their Northern as
sociates, and their persistant designs t
> violate and destroy important right
! which were secured by that instrumen
Those rights have been destroyed, an
can never again be source of dlscor
between the North and; South. SLAYER
f has been abolished, and the sccedln
5 States have. e:.acquiesced in it; and tn
negro is placed in the position whic
, YOU desired him to have when you pro
yoked this war. 1t agonizcd you t.
| think that he should be subjected tt
n compulsory and uncompensated labor
G and your agony has been removed
The idea of the free white Northerner
! working by the side of or in view of
l. negro slave in the Territories OF tn
O Union, which seemed to horrily yo'
|. can now have no place in your mnd
l. and your people and the free negro ca
T. mingle together, both socially and p'
n litically, in a manner to suit your taste
! This is the full extent Of your expires
,c ed desire; and why, when you have a
J. you desired when the war broke ov
% do YOU now throw obstacles in the wa
,r of reunion? You even professed to
r to war for the Union, and now, whit
III free ncgroism is obtained and Union
er offered, you refuse it, and decide it
,c bc highly important to use the neg
III in various other phases for the purpo
ID of enabling you still further and st
ne longer to Cypress your brethren OF I'll
If South. You wish to use him as lev
IN in order to increase and preserve yo
own ovcrgrown political power al
diminish that of the South without
of the least ctiecting any Improvement
lv the condition Of your pretended p'
he You know your proposed amendme
rs to the Constitution cannot be adopt
,k if the Southern States shall vote again
to it, and think you must believe that
ed will never receive their assent. u
st can never hope for such result, a
le- they would deserve to be slaves sho'
he they aid in bringing it about. lh
he will reject with scorn the terms of yC
t? proposed amnesty, and will aw
n ? awhile the calm and cOnsiderate actl
ho of the people of this country to
,e- them in again honorably becomi
te. members of this Union. You IN
he answer to your people why it is. WI
n is to be gained, under the circumst
in ces, by keeping those out whom
3D. are unwilling shall stay out, and v
IRE are willing to come in? You will
lu- tainly not try to humbug your cons
om uents by pretending to any fear OF
en- physical strength of the South.
nat Confederacy has not under its cont
led a single cannon, single musket, {
IN single round of ammunition.
ing You will still further strive to a
the desire of the people for an early
union by urging what l suppose wei
ties most heavily upon your minds. II
1t let in the South, you urge, they, toge
nth with our political opponents, the d