Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1867-08-16

Of General John A. Logan, In the
House of Representatives in Re
ply to Mr.. Robinson, Of New
York.
! Mr.. SPEAKER :--It was not my inten-
/ ton to have taken any part In this de-
/ bate, but I cannot get my own consent
/ to sit and listen quietly any longer to
/ such extraordinary speeches as have
again and again been pronounced on
this floor within the last few days, III
] the wisdom Of the policy Of excluding
/ from a representation in this Hall the
South had ever cost me a doubt, 10
! More earnest advocates Of their pOliti-
/ cal theories, and more eloquent apollo
/ gists for their darkest crimes, traitors
! have not in the South or else where than
they have here. A resolution DlOtLlng
out the Constitution Ofthe United States
and Of the respective States lis recon-
mended by one gentleman, who evident
I " means thereby to intimate thattu his
opinion. at least, this House had already
destroyed everything like fundamen-
tai law in the land, and trampled ruth
/ lessly in the dust the liberties Of the
4 people.
| Mr.. ELDRIDGE. That 10 what I
thought and what meant.
! Mr.. LOGAN. I so understood the
! gentleman, and the thought occurred
4 TO me at the time, sir, that 10 was strange
| indeed, passing strange5 that the gem
| tleman did not discover during those
] four fearful years of blood and cartiag6
through which the true friends Of hu-
manitV. liberty, the Constitution and
/ the Union had to pass to deliver them
from impending destruction who was
! assailing them then. Why did il not
| occur TO the gentleman, when, mighty
! armies of brave men, commanded by
/ slzillful generals, were lowering in
| menacing attitude around this devoted
/ city, spurning our cOuutry's flag, mock
| ing our patriotic professions, insulting
| loyal citizens, ignoring private rights,
| and perpetrating public Outrages that
! the Constitution, the Union, and uper-
ty were in danger then Why does
the gentleman wait until the war is
over, the Constitution is no longer In
peril, and those who stood fast and firm
near it and by it, when its banner WAS
streaming on the breeze of battle, are
attempting to devise the most practic-
able and polite means TO restore at the
earliest moment to this whole land per-
manent and heatlhful tranquility and
! prosperity Why does he wait for
such a moment to announce the start
! ling discovery that our Constitution iB
| threatened and liberty is i'm peril
! Is it not strange, I repeat, that the
! same gentlemen who are 80 easily
alarmed now about the perils that COM
]
| and the liberties of the people, while
/ peace is benignly smiling upon us saw
no terror nor threat in the glitter OF bay
| Onets or the froWn Of batteries when
our beloved land was sWarming with
millions Of open enemies and the earth
! was trembling under the martial tread
| Of serried hosts and the loud roar Of
angry artillery2 ? Then when there was
war-was no peace-they could raise
the cry Of "peace, peace 3" and when
I nngF nTvnr hos
not come, but that we are still in the
midst Of bloody war, war upon the
/ Constitution we fought to save, war
upon the liberties we 0led TO preserve.
"Treat your Southern brethren kindly,
! win them by affection, is the cry Of
| the Democracy. Rather" said one of
them, ''that JEFF. Davis and his coad-
\ iutors had succeeded than that the
/ President of the United States should
/ be impeaehed." Such language is
worthy only of a representative of
South Carolina, or some other rebel
/ whose hands are red with loyal blood.
No wonder that in party Boosting Of
such types Of patriotism there should
| be many, very many, enthuslastlc fol-
| lowers, who saw nothing reprehenslble
J in the conduct Of the open, RFoWed,
/ defiant and belligerent enemies OF the
Republic, but who do md much 70 de-
plOre and denounce IN the adhesion
/ now to principle of those who stood
4 ike a wall of adamant round our Aag
] while the waves Of secession threaten
ed to delu0e with blood the eternal
rock upon which our fathers and their
| fathers had planted it. Our dead, l
suppose, are 60 sleep in forgotten
! graves, while the rebel slain must be
aDotheosizsd, aud we who fought with
and survive the brave boys in blue
"Who lighting fell, and falling fought"
are To be stiRmatiZed with 0pprobri-
GUS epithets, while the traitors who
| thirsted for our blood are 90 be meokly
! and sweetly called "Our brethren.
What / am anxious TO learn, DIR.
! Speaker, is, upon what foundation
rests this fiippant and gTatutious
! charge repeatedly made against the
/ ReDubliCan party on this floor, 60 tho
| effect that we are trampling liberty
under foot and destroying the rights
and privileges of q portion OF the
| American people Wherein have we
violated the Constitution Was 10 ia
crushing the rebellion / have no
doubt every Copperhead in the North
would say yes. We did carry the en-
blem of our national glory and great
ness from the rivers and lakes OF the
West to the bays and CULTS OF the
South, where it waves to-day, and
will wave forever; but in doing so We
innoceptlv thought, hoped and believ-
cd then, and still honestly think, hope
and believe that we were erecting
around the Constitution impregnable
bulwarks, and laying for liberty deep
er and a broader foundation IN the
gratitude, confidence, and affections of
011r people. We never dreampt that
for every rebel we killed in the South
T we were to make an eternal enemy
in the North and we do think 10
amounts 60 a riddle beyond the com
prehension of mortal wits how it rs thae
very many brave men who fought us,
> and whom we had 20 literally over
j whelm before we could conquer, yet
now that they are conquered are much
more ready to ask forgiveness and Tor,
get the past and be friends, as We al
ought to be again, than are their allies
who however deep their sympatnles
/ with them may have 0een ,Whi!e bne
Q var was raging, took special pains %
= let the danger pass before they gave 1t
] Al airing. God forbid thRt the day
p shall ever dawn upon this Republic
when the patriots whose patrlo otism
. won them Crutches an / wooden limbs
v shall have apologies and explanations
! 10 make for their public conduct 90
Z patriots who boast Of huse Of the privs
. ileRe Of eulogiEing as their brethren
y the men whose sabrea drank loyal
: blood and whose bullets shot away
I loyal limbs. The truth il, the great
b wrong that discounted Democracy
4 feels deepest is that the people at home
Z neither feel nor think that there ought
4 60 be Northern rebels enough ln tint
3 House TO let the Southern rebels IN.
!; The next great wrong that they have