The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1866-06-01


race in Tennessee from that day, by order.
llaughter.]
"Your wives and daughters shall no longer be
dragged into concyPinsee, compared to which
Il slayeholders ahd overseers Thenceforth the
sanctity Of Gods holy law Of marriage shall b,
respected In your persons, and the great stale o.
Tennessee shall no more give her sanction 10 your
degradation and your shame"
And havingin language which you all re.
member, promised to he their Moses, he add
ed:
"I speak now MS one who feels the world his
country and oil who love equal rights bis
friends"
] What pinnacle liberalization that must be
| almost envy him who stands Oh il. Stand.
on it hc would be expected to speak words OF
encouragement to these men:
at speak, too, as citizen Of Tennessee. am
here on my own soil; and here mean to stay
and fight this battle Of truth and justice to tri.
umphant end. Rebellion and slavery shall, by
Gods good help, no longer pollute our State
| Loyal men, whether white or black, shall alone
control her. destnies; and when this strife In
which We are oil engaged Is past, ! trust, know,
We shall have better state Of things, and shall
all rejoice, that honest labor resps the fruit of Its
own Industry, and that every man has . fair
chance In the race OF life."
Sir, ! often envy men when they seem to
speak from this high exaltntion. have some
times tried to reach 1t but my wings are too
feeble. The sentiments, however. that drop
from such an exalted position make deep
lodgment iu my heart These uttcrances
gave to nation, white and black, needed
words of encouragement; and the down.
troddcn slave brentled ireer and deeper ns
these utterances were echoed to him. Con-
gress, full of this inspiration -my distinguish
ed friend from Illinois Mr.. Trumbull first
catching it passed bill to establish Freed
mems Bureau to give power to curry out and
perfect the essence Of this exalted sentiment.
The President, need not say, refused 10 sign
il. My distinguished friend from Wisconsin
came painting in here one day in hurry to
say that ifhe had been present on the question
| of the passage of that bill he would have vot.
co for IL. I mourned over his disappOint-
ment that he could not have recorded his vote
for so holy aud righteous n measure. The
distinguished Senator from Connecticut Mr..
Dixonl shared in the early glory Of having
voted for it.-That little parchment came
back and where then were the regrets Of
my distinguished friend from Wisconsin
His disappointment had fed. Where then
was the gushing sympathy with this immor.
tai sentiment uttered by the distinguished Sen.
ator from Connecticut? When that dread
question came, Shall this bill become law
Notwithstanding the objection of the Presi-
dent p up went Wisconsin, or half oft, half
of Connecticut, half of Pennsylvania
Several Senators. The whole oft.
Mr.. NYE. We'll, one is always one way
any how. Ny freind Buckulew is always
wrong, or right, ms may be the case. From
that fearful flight, am sorry to say, these
gentlemen have never returned as they appear
ed when they left they IRE changed men |;
they do not fiuternize with those whom they
used to fraternizc with, but have made their
beds constantly with new companions. How
dare the Senator from Wisconsin and the con.
scientous Senator from Connecticut 60 back
to these holy sayings of their President =
What excuse can they give? Tho principal
excuse WINS. believe tho cost of the measure.
Who ever expected that four million people
who for centuries had bowed their necks to
degradation could be lifted up to the platform
of human equality and not have 1t cost some.
thing? Sir, whenever the time comes
when weigh benefit to my feOw'n man
against dollars md cents shall probably vote
ms they did. II will not do. The Freedmens
Bureau bill was killed. aud il was killed in
the house of its friends. shall have no ghost
haunting me / voted for it first and lust, and
nv vote was prompted by the beet feelings Of
nv heart. Cost something Sir, the unre.
oniited toll of the slaves, the sweat from their
brows had made rich the men that now bear
their pardons in their pockets for their iniamy,
and rejoice that the Frccdmcn's Bureau bill
was killed
Then awoke tho first shouts Of the dormant
Democracy. "IIurrah for Johnson!" said the
Democrats. II even evoked gushing speech from
my friend from Delaware, who had lived through
Buchansn's administration. Both the Senators
from Kentucky. the Senator from Delaware, the
Senator from Connecticut, and the Senator from
Wisconsin were holding sweet communion over
the defeat Of this bill which was founded, repeat
on the best impulses of the human heart.
But, sir, that 10 not all. This bill originated
upon the hypothesis that the old law Of last year
establishing the Bureau originally was dead.
Here. however, the President exhibited avery un.
usual power. am glad to see that he possesses
II. lie convinced the world that u he could de-
stroy he could create. While one bill was crucif.
ed and killed he resurrectel another; 30 that the
opinion and judgment OF Congress was lndorsed
that measure having originated here. IL II had
been my case, I should have said to Congress, A.
the old bill is In operation return this to you as
not being necessary. .,
There came the frst line Of marked deviation.
Then came the civil rights bill, crOwding upon the
heels Of the other. Indeed they were born togeth'
err, twins In birth, mutual IN operation. one being
the aid and helper Of the other; Inc civil ssn"
land (Mr. Johnson) declared II was almost un.
necessary to do, because II followed as sequence
when slavery was abolished; but that bill clothed
this down.trodden people with the superb and In.
describable garment Of American citiIcnship.-
Sir, who has not felt proud that his yesture was
the citzedship Of the United States OF America
To us who inherit II how rich and how precious!
To those who have II by the power and force OF
our arms how inestimable! II had an angels
tongue could not describe the ecstasy with which
they receiveit II had the wisdom Of my friend
ON my left (Mr. Sumner) and the tongue. OF
Cicero should be unable to describe the indes-
cribabe emotions Of the transition from slavery to
citizenship.
That bill, too, did not find favor at the other
end of the avenue That Was misfortune number
two. II Il were proper for me. would stop right
here and do what would be irregular, pay pass.
ing compliment to the 6rmness with which that
occasion was met Were not M, %smSer .mur Sy tns
that over and above the Presidents objections the
civil rights bill was carried, and there had never
been such rejoicings In this nation since the NOM
ing starr shouted tor 10y. II vas the resurreoon
and the life to four millions people. Il was sS nv
BILE, manly vindicstion Of the integrity sna not
purpose Of this nation. Il spoke freedom, ,,nS NOV
den and oppressed abroad rls. hat, e no no..: .s
and, thank: e AniGhy ooS, ,ns,s srsr..siUs mon.
now, nov 70 ~ ,hs integrity Of Congress. when the
uar,su sbsli write The proudsst victories Of this
& nation Of Congress In passing the civil rights
bill Will share the most prominsni page Sssa
n-NI ~ r,,,nose of the American Congress.
For thst act the distinguished senator from
V.ntucLy (Mr. Dsvis) made those utteranoes
nSisb were suppressed In the Globe, In which he
s,id that II he were President he would have this
Congres, out and another 10. Sir. this Congress