The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1867-07-26
Speech of Hon. G. A. Eldridge,
OF WISCONSIN,
In THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,
T,7y O 1877

july 9, 1867,
On the bill supplementary to AN act entitled
eAn act to provide for the more efficient
government of the rebel States,o passed on
the ID day of March, 1867, and the act
supplementary thereto, passed On the 23d
day of March. 1857.
Mr.. STEVENS, of Pennsylvania. I
had promised to allow the gentleman from
Wisconsin Mr.. ELDRIDGE] fifteen min
ntes of my time, but having been so en-
croached upon in several ways shall ask
him to be content with ten.
Mr.. ELDRIDGE. l hope I may not be
limited to ten minutes. certainly under
stood that was to have fifteen or | would
not have accepted any.
Mr. STEVENS, of Pennsylvania. At
the time [ made the arrangement did
not know that [ should be so encroached
upon.
Mr.. ELDRIDGE. Well, Mr.. Speaker,
by grace we live, move, and have our
being. Laughter. 1t is by grace | am
allowed ten minutes of time to speak
against this abominable bill. hope that
[ am not irreverent in returning my thanks
to the gentleman from Pennsylvania for
this gracious gift. Laughter | am dis
appointed and embarrassed, certainly, by
| cannot, therefore, enter into any thing
what had intended.
| cannot now stop to argue Though the
question is involved in any proper discus
sion of this or any like measured that the
States to which this bill is intended to ap
ply are still Of right legally and constitu-
tionally States in this Union. That they
l., IL ~, Al
is still in existence. If they are not living
to it by the war, then all the blood shed
and treasure spent with the last six years
was in vain. To me the Union of the Con-
vital fact, an undestroyed and indestruct-
ible entiety- composed of all the States
that ever formed part of it, and utterly
incapable Of being or enduring without
them. And, if living States in the Union,
they are entitled to every privilege, every
right, which the Constitution provides for
any State.
But it is proposed by this bill to declare
all the government of ten States void, alb
solutely void, and to leave ten million Of
people without constitution of govern
ment, without laws, without courts, with
out, in fact any prescribed government
whatsoever! Was there ever SO unheard
of, so monstrous proposition? Most
crimes have names, as murder and trea-
son, but this is a crime too shocking to be
named. And yet the eloquent gentleman
from Ohio Nh BINGHAM in advocat-
ing this bill declaims of American Magma
Charta, of constitutional right, of liberty
and law. Sir, this bill is at war with every
principle that underlies this government,
and at war with every principle of civil
liberty intended to be secured by our Con-
stitution. 1t surrenders and destroys Mag
ma Charta, whether American or British,
and loads down the Anglo-Saxon with a
load of chains and expressions that no
Anglo Saxon can bear without dishonor,
without disgrace. 1t makes a continuous
war upon a people who have been over
thrown and disarmed, and holds them in
the grasp of military power in time of
peace, without right, without justice, and
In manner never resorted to, except for
purpose of punishment to harass and dis
tress an enemy.
Gentlemen who advocate this bill have
much to say about justice. What is meant
by justice2 Is Justice only to be applied
on one side. Are we alone to determine
what is justice between ourselves and our
neighbors.? The very fact would be injus-
tice to them? PROSTATE and powcrless,
their necks beneath the feet of their op-
pressors, the chance of justice is small in
deed.
But as the original bills were intended to
accomplish all The purposes of this, why
denounce this particular measure? Ay,
sir, this declares what the others intended
and what this Congress did not dare to ex-
press or avow, Audacity has grown with
indulgence Corrupt exercise of power
has increased the lust Of power, and EN-
boldened you to claim as legitimate what
less practiced in the vice, your silence ad-
mitted was usurpation. With what ago.
nizing struggle between conscience and par
ty has the gentleman from Ohio Mr.
BINGHAM come to see in this bill ''Amer-
lean Magma Charta. justice and liberty reg
ulated by law? What has brought him in
harmony with the gentleman from Penn
sylvania MIR. STEvENs and the gentle
men from Massachusetts,, Mr.. BUTLER p
How much more harmonious and expedi-
tious would have been the action of the
central caucus directory of fifteen if the
gentleman from Ohio had have bowed his
meek and lowly head at the beginning as
he does now-if he could have seen at the
first American Magma Charta" in a bill
declaring the governments of ten of the
States of this Union absolutely void, and
pei consequence of the States as such de-
stroyed.
This is an extraordinary session of this
Congress-an extraordinary occasion, it is
claimed, has called for this extraordinary
bill. This is the only measure to be acted
upon; the resolution Of the House excludes
all other legislation; the necessity Of this
IS, charged upon the President. Now, |
ask what has he done? He vetoed the bill,
and it was passed oyer his veto. But what
has he done to impede or obstruct the pur-
pose of the act? Did he assign bad men
to the command of the several departments
or even to any one of them? There has
been no such complaint by the majority of
this House even up to the present moment.
What, then, has he done to obstruct or
hinder the accomplishment of the purposes
OF the act or the purposes you had in view
in its passage? Has he made any order
or promulgated any command calculated to
do any such thing? If so, what is it and
to whom was it given?
But you say the Attorney General has
given construction to the act which cir
cumscribes or limits the authority of the