The Fairfield herald. [volume] (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1849-1876, 1866-06-27
Remarkable Speech in the House Of Rep.
rCSclIlativcS.

rcsclllatlvcS.
M, Lhvri;s or Mpy1tnd Defn3s Mc
RyM Of Secession on.i JraiTes Mc
SouM. = lie Mnnbs he SDuhic,n Sltt:s
got om ofMc Uuion und arc %ttW "n.
--I"dy Joh"soat ,evt q L,tr/ui Prest.
dcn', de-, DC.
WAsHINGroN, Thursday, June L.
The morning hour having expired,
The Speaker announced that the spc.
cial order for to da was lhc considrra-
ton Of the bill heretofore reported from
the Joint Comm,tc2 OH Reconstruction,
culillcl "A hill TO restore to The States
lately in nsnrrcctioN their full pnli,ical
rights.
Mr.. Harris, Of Maryland. Mr.. Speak
CT, having been up 10 this pc'lol oflhe
session silo'@ @mc"'bcr from choice, |
deem it my day nov to declare my
views upon some Of the political q,les
tons, Which arorcprcscntcl lol the con$id
Grafton Of tins House ami the country
| should consider iLa most ignoble acl
to win the support or endorsement oI
liith ~ I'iS iS0oe StilSC"i'tiSHO VI
deception.
then, SIR, loclart that in principle |
now stand as stood before the war; aS
| stood after wat@Nwas declared; as
stood in the last CSIgrcss, whca re
ccivcJ its crownof ccnsure; as .stood
in prison and bcC,rcIlhat internal ins;ru
mehL OF tyranny, 4 tourL.niarial. And
as stand in principl,, SO will | stand in
practice whenever occasion may re
qnrr..
When | indicate flat there has been
no change in my principles, this House
and this country, possibly-'or the
avowal ul them las been attended by an
unexpected no,oriety may infer what
my position now is. L am IN oll.limc
Democrat, and belIrfr III he doctrine Of
secession. | belicvs that the several
States OF this Union have the right 10
srpcraic from it, c;S'h acting lor Itself
L believe that abu]os ana u>urpa,on
had been prac,lcud ahl threatened TO so
great All extent by their associates
and partners iii this islgovernmental com.
pact, that the SDu9icrn States we're
jnsLiHcd in going out5 and, sir, further
believe by'thelr or1Inancn of secession
that they did 90 on; and thereby be.
came to this unipn forcisN States.
These conviction cannot change, and
/ 10 not expect wills;sssess essJNe u renseEs.l
VIII MOST assurcdly proclaim lhCm and
stand by them as long as {. single citizen
Of tic Confederate States is in chains or
subject to pciml'y for asserting them.
There is no political Or personal consil.
Grafton which would prompt me to such
Il dcsrrlon. As the right of secession
is the only thing that secures thcm from
the charge Of treason, my vnice shall
ever accord with my Convictions and
mover join in that verdict against them
| should consider myself as assuming ~
most infamous position if did. WHAT
sir, | that Lrlicvc them right, + thai
would have joinrd lhcm if The sovcrciga
State Of Maryland had said 80, TO Ie.
sert them now in their utmost nesl,
when [ can lcgitimalcly give them SUE,
protection us is in my power lionrs,lyO'I
givc-ncvrr
From what l. have said. Mr.. SpHfktr,
this House will readily infer llML|[ am
adverse to the reconstruction pulay Of
the President. | confess that An,iy
johnson has been, III adopting hS mo,lc
of reconstruction, consistent wIh the
views Of the alo President, wiz those
of the Republican party that elected
him, and wilh his own dcclaratiol, from
the time he abandoned the Democratic !
party and joined tho Republicans.
These facts do not commend hin to mo;
but surely it is not his fault tiat he is
now at issue with. many Of tic people
who raised him 10 his present station.
lnmy view the Southern seeded States
have, no right 10 representatives on this
floor or in the Senate, and hr my vote [
have heretofore invariably rejected every
application which has becl made by
any person claiming snch asight ;and,
sir, not only do believe tlntSthcy have
no such right i'll their prcsdlt position to
send Senators aii! REPRESENTATIVES ipir,
bnt T do'hbt think they l2Rc the right 10
furnish us with Prcd,eut or Vice /.
President. Being a cifzcn Of seeded
and unrcconsLrnclcd Te1lcsscc, Andrew
johnson is, III my opinily only prcsi
dent dc .fncto, forced uf1i Tic country
by their votes, attcndtIYby that very
effective implement, StlHir bayonr,s.
When [ cannotavoidht,EI, like every
ono else, acqucsce we facto govern.
rHents anddc Jacto I,ciden,s; but.ilit /,
could be expected klany one that :
can castmy vote at lho next P,cs;,lell :
tial election l,r .YI}ltcw johnson Of
Tennessee for lhat pish Office, III II, at
least, The stntus y Tennessee herself
must be complctcl}changed. /
Mr. Harris prfcpled 10 lrfiuo,his
own views in. rc9HttFto reconstruction,
expressing his cobilpnt belief lilaG,tIo
Southern States ke wiling 10 cn,rr
again into tho cYil,acI, and be subject
TO tho old Constitution Of the United
States. II was aot llla Constitution
they fslFont will but the pcl'vcrsicn of
| H. by their N orthGnf assOCiutcs. and LlirirH