The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1867-09-07
spEECm OF HON. JAS. BROOKS.
IN tho House Of Representa- tivos, July 3,
1867.

Mr. Brooks-Twenty-four years ago,
assembled in Faneuil Hall, Boston, a little
convention of men, one Of whom has re-
Gently received tho thanks of the Duke
OF Argyle and other noble lords Of En-
gland for the destruction they have per-
potrated upon the Constitution and insti-
tutions of the United States--thanks nat
urally enough flowing from such an oil
garchy, who sec that success with us is
death to them, and thanks, therefore, ca
silly to be accounted for from such high
born aristocratic qaurter. This little Fa-
neuil Hall Convention then founded n
great party which, spreading beyond
Massachusetts,, embraced Mt last both the
middle and the western States; and tho
platform upon which they established
their party was the following:
Resolved, That the Constitution of
the United States is a covenant with
death and an agreement with hell, which
ought to be Immediately anuullcd."
Our Petor the Hermit, tho great fnati-
cal Crusader, having accomplished his OBJ
ject--the forcible emancipation Of four
millions slaves at cost Of ut least four
billions dollars to his country, the legacy
of most oppressive and apparently ex-
tinguishablc debt, which NOT only grinds
the laborer to the dust, but in every way
cripples all working capital--haying wit
ncsscd the slaughter of half million Of
hiZ countrymcn, and heard the cries of
widows and orphans almost innumerable,
naturally enough deemed his mission ac-
complished, and went over to England to
be feted, there to repose among dukes and
duchcsses, grateful to him for his great
work of destruction. The party, however
which he then and there formed 10 Fam
euil Hall we now see entering upon new
mission, into fresh crusadcs, not now for
the emancipation of four millions blacks,
but for the cnslayement of eight millions
whites-men of their own kith, kin and
color, aud physical organization. And
we have here in the bill before US, in sub
stance soon TO become Il law, bill of de.
struction. which will cntitle these new
crusaders, if they ever go over the sea,
to like honors from fresh Dukes Of Arg.
yle, or other noble lords Of England. The
work TO be accomplished by this bill is
the complete annulment Of the Federal
Constitution, that covenant with death,
that agreement with hell, TO bring about
the end Of what Garrison began twenty
four years ago in Boston.
What il first worthy Of note 10 the bill
before us is, that in time Of profound
peace, when all war has been over, two
years and more, save from the yell of the
Sioux or Cheyenne, We have introduced q
martial bill, full of martial pains and pen.
aIties, us if, .tlagrante beiio we are amid
the very roar Of cannon or in the clash oi
sguadrons Of infantry aud cavalry. Peace
everywhere, save on the prairics or plains
blesses ou. great country. But now, long
after the Temple OF Janus is closed, We
have martial law. military commissions
the destruction of courts and all civil Law
proposed. The only other war existing
is one of those hitherto peaceful wars be
tween the Democratic and some other ev
er opposing party when now the anti
Democratic party, IN order to keep itseli
in Office. aud to keep Us out, overrides, OBJ
literaies. tramples underfoot ten States o.
our Union aud the twelve million of peo
pie that dwell in them,
That such bill, which ! shall proceed
TO analyze, has never before been contem
plated by the leaders Of the majority par
ty in this House, nay, not until this late
period, when it sees party power coustitu
tionally departing, is not only evidcn
from its hitherto recorded history in tht
journals Of Congress, but clear also from
the decision Of their own Chief Justice
who, prior TO these military bills, in th'
Indiana military commission case, though
of the Republican party, expressed hi
judicial condemnation of all such militia
ry bills in times of peace. eve By N
means assert that Congress can establish
and apply the laws of war where no wa
has been declared or exists" said Chic
Justice Chase from the minority in tn
Indiana military tribunal case "Wher
peace exists" expressiyely says the Chic
Justice, the laws of peace must pre-
vail" But here in time of profount
peace, there is embodied in this bill, il
the most Objectionable form, almost ever
article of the laws of war. Here, too,
bill xhich subverts from top to bottom
in its very foundations, the Jonstitutio
of the United States, and which, amid ii
many iniquities, one of the least though
violates that guarantee of the Constitr
tion, (article four, section four) that 81
cures TO every State of this Union n
publican form of government, for 90 r,
publican form of government, nor tn
shadow Of one, can exist under the on
: rageous provisions of this bill.
This bill itself in its grand outlines is
Pentarchy-a bill creating FIVE monarch
Ia bill subverting Magma Charta-a bi
ignoring the Declaration of Independent
and the Constitution Of the United Stats
and over ten States of the Union install
ing the pentarchy, or Eve monarchie
more fearful, moro odious, more damnab
even than any reign over Europe, or Ash
or even Africa, Let US analyze this bill
then, and see whether | exaggerate i
character. What is its first section?
: subverts the Governments in four of Il
7 old States of this Union and in six othC
States not of the original thirteen.
goes futher than the two bills which hay
preceded it, making worse what SCENE
2 as bad as possible before, in not only d
claring those State governments "illegal
but by going further and declaring the
"void." Hitherto we have heard Of idea
States "-an idea first started, think,
r the Senate of the United States-Stat