Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1867-08-23

the fatted calf kicking up its heels around
the harvard, ssy so. Do something /
but do not talk reconstruction while you
are plotting disuniOn. II the erring wife
has returned, take her 70 your bosom
or, If you cannot do this, cast her from
YOU forever Do not be TecOnstruetlng
her into another and different person, for
that would not be reconciliation but
bigamy. [Laughter.l If you mean TO
live with her, Danish from beneath your
roof, as You would q spirit from hell,
every cToaking miscreaEt who would
shrek into both your ears the fOllies and
the crimes which you both committed,
and which led you to your separation. IL
you mean to restore TO the weeping union
its former children, oh, give her back
her darling boy, and not the sickly, falry
child with which you would mock
mothers prayer.
Sir. these are words oftruth and sober
ness. I believe the speediest way TO
reconstruction is honest reconciliation
and mutual forgiveness. l stand not here
10 Justify the south. While she was IN
rebellion she was my enemy in submis-
sion she becomes again my friend
would not infiict upon her one single
| unnecessary humiliation. OF crimes
| against US she has been guilty; but VINO
/ can cast the first stone of Innocence
| tell YOU that there were more crimes
against life, person. and property, perpe-
/ trated in Massachusetts since the re-
/ beIlion was put down than in South Car
/ olina crimes deeper and more damnaole,
! some even nameless, for which no pun
! ishment was inflicted, not even expulsion
| from the legislative body of which their
! perpetrators were members. L tell you
1 that life and person and property have
/ been more unsafe, that crimes against
| them have been more numerous IN one
single northern district than IN the entire
state of North Carolina. Life, liberty
and property to day are in more jeopardy
in Tennessee, which you do not propose
/ to reconstruct or control, than ID any
other portion of the world
Sir, we have not got at the entire
secret OF this legislation. Its authors
strike at the distinguished attorney gen.
ersI of the United States through the
prostrate south, on which they can
further trample, rather than answer his
arguments. They want also to show
their teeth at the president Of the
United States. Sir, have been paihed
sitting here from day to day, listening
TO remarks in reference to the president,
which, if it were parliamentary, would
denounce as ribaldry. l have been
pained to witness the degeneracy IN the
debates Of congress since l was here
TWENTY-FIVE years ago in the capacity OF
a correspondent. As Clay Whig then
used to denounee the democratic party
daily for lack Of dignity and for sssump-
ton of power but, oh, how changed
since then! Is it not dege1eracy when
members on the floor will rise from day
to day, and in g spirit utterly disgrsceful
to American citizens
Mr. Pile-I rise TO question OF order
1 ask if this course Of remark Is IN or
der
The Speaker.-The chair must decide
that it is not in order for the gentleman
TO speak of the conduct OF his fellow
members as disgraceful. He may say
that it is unjust, but TO say that it is dis
graceful is q personal reflection, Whlch Is
not considered parliamentary.
Mr. Robinson-Of course yield TO the
decision of the speaker. 1t seems, per
haps, a little Pickwickian to say that 8
. mans actions are unjust and vet not dis
| graceful. But, sir, 1 will say, l trust IN
. order, that l have been psined tC
, hear abuse Of the president OF the
+ United States. 1 believe that any
= one who would uy 20 degrade the
president Of this great republic in the
ewes Of the world is greater traitor e
our institutions than those who starved
our prisoners at Andersonville, or plotted
: treason under Jefferson Davis. It would
D b a greater calamity to have the pTesi-
, dent, the head Of our country, made
4 Kissing and a scOrn to the rest OF the
! world than the continuance OF all Jetfer'
: son Davis forces in the field for forty
; wears. have been particularly palueC
? bv the conduct Of a committee OF TN
' house, which seems to act upon the prln
. ciple, which wss formerly followed II
: | Ireland, of hanging men for being sus
I pected Of being suspicious
: Sir, there Is one in our list OF presl
o dents who is, and ! trust ever Will be
supreme in the affections of the Ameri
. can people. Upon his pinnacle Of glor,
\ ne now stands, and there let him stan'
]. forever. say that, with that one ex
Q ception, and, perhaps, without exception
!, at all, no one Of our presidents coul'
! have stood the searching investigation
: which Andrew johnson has successful.
! endured at the hands OF this energeu
!. committee. That investigation hs
= proved that he is the purest man, with
A perhaps, this one exception, who eve
!. occupied the presid chair. l dout
# whether the household of George Wash
n ipgton, or of Thomas Jefferson, or
n apy other save that of his own, coui
- have stood the ordeal, The COMMITTEES
! not seeming eontented with eXamlnln
~ into everything themselves, have an a.
= tendaut. for whom we have no nam
and for whose services / hope there wi
a he no nav, who hunts up information fC
az them, descending to visit haunts OF pc
igry and crime and the con gicts' cell
raking the bottoms of these dens OF II
AT iQuity to see if anything can be found
n be bribed or subOrned TO TESTIFY again
Z the executive head of this nation, TN
a, he and ths people at whose head I
m stands may be degraded in the eyes
the world eavesdrOpping ana keyho
, ing around the back and under entrenc
or Of the White house, and kneellng 70
10 scullions TO see whether they can nj
Il, ont what the president eats or drinks,
n what he does before he goes to bed.
L L NV opinion is, as / said on openin
ja that this measure is brought in, not o
~ cause the south has done anything
al call for this new legislation, but oOppo
'ta the action of the president and his d
~ tiBguished legal adviser; and l am tT
H5s Ing to show that there is nothing in T
~ executive action to justify it. After
~ sceuding 10 the most uDjustitiable mes
la- in search of scandal, 70 be printed at vs.
expense and TO the disgrace of the natio
- after two wears Of searching ana sWeE
Ls ing no man here can stand up and ma
be one single charge against Andrew Jon
he son, either a. citizen or PRESIDENT a
a his prosecutors, sftes sll their search
of reputable or otherwise, stand mute Wh
-es challenged, as we now challenge the
Il, Ii ,a,
Ia Nor has his patriotic family escape
- for even on this floor We have heard tn
,at names dragged in to serve base pal
10 purposes. Sir, the charming hOspitali
Io of that mansion, the spOtless purity
- the character Of its inmates, the weeds
81 woe scarcely removed which told o
81 gallant son dying in the military sery
IN OF his country, and a lovely daugn
-, widowed 6y The same holy service miG
~ have protectea that household from
prvipg propensity Of cSp2 Eittees and
things that pander to their EuFpos
ara Well might l say, sir, thst even
- household Of Washington, or Madison
,-a Jackson could not have stood the ord
IN through which cur present chief mag
cir trate has passed.
Use
! is Sir. I tell you and this house that Z
is drew johnson does not deserve and
ap- despise all these prosecutions heal
the upon him. The people Of these Lni
leir States, forgetting all his trivial fsp
on and remembering his great virtues
independent tilleT of his own soil, secu
ND to him as homestead through the fo
IA sight OF Andrew johnson; the natul
Zed citizen, enjoying his rights lsrg
not. through the opposition Of Andrew Jol
md son 10 nRtiyism and know -nothlngls
at theporthern people, ,remem bering how
ific stood ss a tower Of strength against
But iDroads of secession ald disunion,
frit the south remembering that hs recef
lie. the most violent abuse which Rny z
9 a ever received, because he contended {
irit there we're rights, and should De Gle
en- sncy for the fallen these will win
the him the gratitude of all true citizens
ont restored and united country; while th
ne who are persecuting him, and seeking
els secure aud perpetuate disunioD ard st
ara through these measures, falsely ca
! of raconstruction bills, will be execFsted
ar their posterity, who will effaee Il
al forefathers' name from the tom bstone
suf- their burial places, or apply to the ie
nge iatures OF their several states to cha
ver their names, that they may get III