Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1867-07-25
8S-WHOLE NO. 2GS CLEARFIELD Pa THURSDAY JULY 25 1867

exist under the outrageous provisions
of this bill.
This bill itself in its grand outlines
is Pentarchy-a bill creating five
monarchs-a bill subverting Magma
Charta-a bill ignoring the Declara.
ton of Independence and the Consti-
tuition of the United States, and over
ten States of this Union installing the
pentarchy, or five monarchies, more
fearful, more odious, more damnable
even than any that reign over Eu-
rope or Asia, or even Africa. Let us
analyze this bill, then, aud see whether
| exaggerate its character What is
its first sectionl 1t subverts the Gov
ernments in four OF the old States of
this Union and in six other States not
of the original thirteen. IL goes fur
ther than the two bills which have
preceded it, making worse what seem
ed as bad as possible before, in not
only declaring those State govern
ments "illegal," but by going further
and declaring them "void." Hitherto
we have heard of Hdead States"-an
idea first started, / think, in the SEN
ate Of the United States-States whose
corpses only were existing. But here
for the first time it is proposed to put
into the form of law the solemn
declaration that the Governments of
ten States are void that those States
are dead, their governments not only
illegal, but void and these ten States
of our Union, four of them of the orig
inal thirteen that formed the Consti-
tuition of the United States.
Mr. Speaker, in framing this bill no
regard has been paid to the history
of the past, not even to q sentiment
nor recollection. When the name
of Greece or Rome or any classic land
or classic institution is tingled in our
ears, whenever we read of them in
history, there is associated with the
Parthenon, or with Marathon, or with
the Pantheon, the Capitoline Hill, or
Tarporan rock, something that touch
es the heart and makes the blood run
warmly through all our veins. But
here is State across the Potomac
whose history is ours, that did more
for the creation of this government
than any other State whatever;
State more classic and glorious in its
history than the Parthenon of Greece
or the Pantheon of Rome O State
struck out of existence by The first
section Of this infamous bill. Sir, l
have been upon the plains OF Mara
thon and by the passes of Thermopy-
le, and my heart has warmed as i
reflected upon the history of the noble
Greeks that there saved their native
land but never, never, amid all such
classic scenes have / ever felt the
enthusiasm which inspired me upon
the rising grounds of Mount Vernon,
before the Tomb of Washington, or
upon the plains Of Montpelier, or upon
the heights of Monticello, or when ]
have fallen upon my knees before the
tomb OF Marshall In no part of the
earth wherever an American may go,
in no place where history makes a
record of life, is there ground so
classic and so glorious as that within
a fifty miles radius around the city of
Richmond, in Virginia. There, with
in that radius, was born the father Of
his country; there flashed out the
fiery and electric eloquence of Patrick
Henry; there was born the President
of the First Congress; there the homes
of the Randolphs and Harrisons; there
the illustrious Jefferson and Madison
and Monroe there was born our Win
field Scott, and there have been nurs-
ed into existence some of the most
illustrious commanders Of our own
Federal Army.
And yet this State whose record is
thus bright all over in history, a de-
formed Congress, a mutilated Con-
gress, a Congress born from the blood
and genius of Virginia, strikes out
from the Union that glorious star,
the star of Virginia, lost pleiad in
in our own history apleiad that will
return back with some returning orb
to shine brighter and more beautiful
in the constellation of our country,
brighter than Orion or the Plciades
ever shone in the astronomical history
of the geographer.
South Carolina, too, is struck out,
the land of Rutledge and of Pickney,
and Of Marion and of Sumter Geor-
gia, also, that gave the country the
two great States of Mississippi and
Alabama. Sir, whatever may have
been the errors of those States of the
original Thirteen, whatever wrongs
in the misiudgment of the Constitu
tion they may have inflicted upon the
country, whatever crimes they may
have committed, in the warmth Of
your hearts, if you were but mon in
your feelings and sympathies, you
would feel now as you feel for strug-
Cling Greece or for the Cretans in
their contest with the Turks, who arc
not inficting upon those people bar
barities in principle greater than those
you propose to inflict in the act before
you.
Now, sir, two of these ten States,
Louisiana and Arkansas, obliterated
by your bill, are part of the great
Louisiana purchase. The faith Of
treaties in the most solemn of obliga-
tions is violated here in the act which
YOU propose TO pass into a law by
depriving them Of all protection for
their liberty and property. Arkan-
sas, you will remember, or you all
know, is a part Of the Louisiana pur-
chase. Arkansas and Louisiana were
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