Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1866-08-18

speech OF Ron. Henry .. Lame.
On the return Of Hon. Henry 8. Lane, U.
8. Senator from Indiana, to his homo at
Crawfordsville, In that State, he was serena
ded, and afterwards delivered q speech In
which he said: ~
am a member Of the Radical Congress----
[Cheers.1 Amembcr Of the Congress which
is indeed radical in its loyalty to country
radical In Its devotion TO the truest interests
Of all parts of the Union--radical in its OPP
position to all schemes and devices of rebels
and rebel sympathizers. But what has this
Radical Congress donc2 There is indeed
q difference Of opinion between the Presi-
dent and Congress. believe that the Pre-
sident is wrong, and that Congress is right,
almost the entire party which elected the
President, Vice President and Congress.
Among other things done by Congress
was the passage of the civil-rights bill, pass
cd by a two-thirds majority in both braEches
of the National Legislature, the Presidents
objections to the contrary notwithstanding
This bill was a necessity created by the VIC
torious march of our glorious army In crush
ing the rebellion whereby four millions ol
slaves were made four millions of freemen
But you are told in horror, ty the opposers
of this Just and necessary measure, that by
| it is conferred the right to vote. This is no,
true, and these gentlemen themselves know
it ia not true. r.tf.....
The time is coming when these freedmen
may become good enough citizens to becom,
voters, but perhaps that time is not yet
take the position that the time is alread.
here when, if we must choose between loya
colorcd men and red handed rebels to recon
struct the South, the colored man is far safe
and greatly to be preferred. .....
The Radical Congress has also passed ,
freedmen's bureau bill, which, say rebels
Copperheads and b. and B. men, is schem
Of plunder of white peoples money for tn
purpose of feeding and clothing negroes.
Unfortunately for these gentlemen in thei
argument, the returns for the past fou
months show that nearly three-fourths o
the expenditures by this bureau were for th
purpose of relieving the sufferings Of th
South. To this no one of the radicals oil
jects, for we have charity for all, with malic
toward none But let these gentlemen ceas
their clamor, unless they are willing to allo,
the whites of the South to suffer in the rati
of three to one as compared with the freed
men themselves, upon whose dcfenceles
heads the slime of their entire party
poured: ...
This radical Congress has also passed
bounty bill increasing the pay and equals
ing the bounty to the loyal boys in blue, t
whom, under God, we are indebted for til
preservation of our noble Republic. Th
debt of gratitude, it is to be hoped, we wi
always acknowledge, but we can never di
charge. Farther than this, Congress has il
creased the pension of the disabled soldie
so that he has now nearer approach to
, comfortable support.
, The Committee on Pensions Senator Lar
chairman, made ninety.two reports, each I
which was acted on by the Senate, and q
> of which, without exception, are now par
E of the laws ofthe land.
Here the Senator made some statemen
in reference to this personal career-intende
particularly for his friends at home.
this statement he said that during the Fl,
years of his duties as Senator he had bee
: absent from his post but one day. and c
+. that day he visited Gettysburg, in come
tion with some distinguished military ge
tlemen, to look after the graves, monument
&C., of the dead buried there. AS memb'
of the Military Committee he had never bee
absent from q single meeting. He nev
missed vote on any important measure.