Des Arc weekly citizen., 1867-03-16
NUMBER 9.
The Fortieth Congress.

MT. Speakef ColfaX, when resumino
 his place, delivered the following ad- dress. It occurs to us that there never was speech, the first and last para graphs of which were so remote from each other in morals, theory and fact
 ''GENTLEMEN Effected for the third time to this responsible and trying po- sition, l appreciate, more than ever be- fore, the importance of the trust, and realize, more than ever, when entering OH it's diflirult duty, the absolute neces- sity of your confidence and support. Nor do 1 overratc the gravity of our position as American legislators. The years have never dropped their sands on mortal issue so vast and grand as | ours to-day. A nation decimated by conflict of fraternal strife land .des- plated by the destructive march of hos tile armies; a people with the fruits of prolonged war ripened into the harvest of hearts dead with the bullet, as well as hearts heavy with bereavements and bfokeh with anguish, look anxiously rom North to South alike, and by that light should we walk. 1t is to guide our steps by the justice of God and the rights of men; it is to banish all malice and revenge, and to justify our Faith by our works; it is to anchor our leg islation on what the great cotnmoner of England, John Bright, declares to be the simple but sublime principles on which all great national questions shall be settled-the basis of eternal right :. it is to write on our banner these words. that will shine brighter than the stars which gem the Armament: Liberty. loyalty and law It is to make history that posterity shall rise up and call us blessed.
 "Thc Congress which has just passed away has written record that will be remembered by the poor and fricndless. whom it did not forget. Misreprescnt cd or misunderstood by those who de- nounced it as enemies harshly and un- justiiiably criticised by some who should have been it's friends, it proved itself to be more faithful to human lib- erty and progress than any of its pre- dcccssors. The outraged and oppressed found in these Congressional Halls companions and friends. Its key-note of policy was protection to the down trodden. It quailed not before the mightiest nor neglected the obscurest. It liflcd the slave up whom the nation had freed, to the full stature of man hood. It placed on our statute books the Civil Rights Bill as our national Magma Charta, grander than all enact ments that honor the American code :: and in all the region whose civil gov ernment had been destroyed by van pushed rebellion. it declared as a guar antee of defence to the weakest, that the freedman's hand should wield the freedman ballot. It proclaimed there could be no safe reconstruction on a foundation of unrepentant rebels and disloyalty.
 Fortunate it will be for us if, when we surrender these seats to our sue cessors, we can point to a record which will show on our history's page like that of the Congress which has just cx- pired.
 'With such convictions of duty. I come to this chair to administer your rules, but not as a partizan. I appeal to you for that generous support by which alone presiding officer can be sustained, pledging you in return an inflexible impartiality which shall be proven by my deeds, and invoking on your deliberations the blessings of Him who holds the destinies of the nation in the palm of His hand, am ready to take now the oath of office prescribed by law.
 The Speaker was then solemnly sworn into office by Mir. Dawes, the member having the longest continued service, and then the Senator proceed ed to administer the oath to the mem- har, h,,S tat