Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1867-07-25
,ction--but Destruction.
.AA ASOf llON, JAS. BROOKS.
OF NEW YORK,
Delivered In the House Of Representative es,
July %, 1861.

ton of bill OF the House (No. 1871
supplementary TO an act. entitled Gan
act to provide for the more efficient
government Of the rebel States" pass
ed on the I'd day of March, 1867, and
the act supplementary thereto, passed
on the 23d day of March, 1867.
Mr. BRooKs said: i have no desire
to address the House, and | do not
fatter myself that anything which
anybody can say will change any
body's vote; but it appears 10 me
that, as the minority member of the
committee reporting the bill, | ought
to say something at least in the way
of protest. But before | proceed fur
.her crave the protection of the
Speaker to enforce the rules OF debate,
so rs to save me from those points of
interrogation or exclamation that so
often crop out or pohsout from gen
tlemen skilled in dialectics, who inter
ject speeches within speeches, and
thus destroy all unity Of argument or
thought. i crave this also because
Of the very serious subject matter
before us, because of the brief time
allowed us, (only an hour and half
and ] need all of my little portion of
that time without rejoinder or sur
rejoinder, rebutter or surrebutter.
The SPEAKER. The gentleman from
New York gives notice that he will
not be interrupted in his remarks,
and ha will r1rOceed
Mr.. Books. Twenty-fom years
ago there assembled in Feneuil Hall,
Boston, q little convention of men,
one of whom has recently received
the thanks of the Duke of Argyle and
other noble lords of England for the
destruction they have perpetrated
upon the Constitution and institutions
OF the United States-thanks natu-
rally enough flowing from such an
oligarchy who see that success with
us is death to them, and thanks, there
fore, easily TO be accounted for from
such high-born, aristocratic quarter
This little Fancuil Hall convention
then founded a great party, which,
spreading beyond Massachusetts, en-
braced at last both the middle and
the western States; and the platform
upon which they established their
party was the following:
"Resolred, That the Constitution Of the United
States is n covenant with death and an agreement
with hell which ought to be Immediately annulled." 4"
Our Peter, the Hermit, the great
fanatical Crusader, having accomplish
ed his object-the forcible cmancipa-
tion of four million slaves at cost of
at least four billion dollars TO his
country, the legacy of most oppres-
siye and apparently inextinguishable
debt, which not only grinds the labor
er to the dust, but in every way Grip
Piles all working capital-having wit
messed the slaughter of half million
Of his countrymen, and heard the
cries of widows and orphans almost
innumerable, naturally enough deemed
his mission accomplished, and went
over 10 England to be feted, there TO
repose among dukes and duchesscs,
grateful to him for his great work of
destruction. The party, however,
which he then aud there formed in
Faneuil Hall, we now see entering
upon a new mission, into fresh cru
sades, not now for the emancipation
of four million blacks, but for the en-
slavement of eight million whites
men of their own kith, kin, and color,
and physical organization. And we
have here in the bill before us, in sub
stance soon to become law, bill of
destruction, which will entitle these
new crusaders, if they ever go over
the sea. to like honors from fresh
dukes of Argyle, or other noble lords
of England. The work to be accom-
plished by this bill is the complete
annulment of the Federal Constitu-
tion, that covenant with death, that
agreement with hell, to bring about
the end of what Garrison began TWEEN
ty-four years ago in Boston.
What is first worthy of note in the
bill before us is, that In time of pro-
found peace, when all war has been
over, two years and more, save from
the yell of the Sioux or Cheyenne, We
have introduced a martial bill, full of
martial pains and penalties, as if
fdgrdnte bellO, we were amid the very
roar Of cannon or in the clash Of squad
rons of infantry and cavalry. Peace
everywhere, save on the prairies or
plains, blesscs our great country. But
now, long after the Temple of Janus
is closed, we have martial law, mill
tary commissions, the destruction Of
courts and of all civil law proposed.
The only other war existing is one of
those hitherto peaceful wars between
the Democratic and some other ever
opposing party, when now the anti
Democratic party, in order to keep
itself in Office, and to keep us out,
overrides, obliterates, tramples under
foot ten States of our Union and the
twelve million people that dwell in
them.
That such bill, which l shall pro-
coed TO analyze, has never before been
contemplated by the leaders of the
majority party in this House, nay,
not until this late period, when it sees
party power constitutionally depart
ing, is not only evident from its hith-
erto recorded history in the journals
of Congress, but clear also from the
decision of their own Chief Justice,
who, prior TO these military bills, in
the Indiana military commission case,
though of the Republican party, ex-
pressed his judicial condemnation of
all such military bills in time of peace.