Indiana American. [volume] (Brookville, Ind.) 1865-1872, 1867-08-09


ties We bled 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 aud his coadjutors had succeeded
than that the President Of the United
States should be impeached." Such Ian
guage is worthy only Of representative
Of South Carolina, or some other rebel
whose hands are red with loyal blood. No
wonder that in party boasting Of such
types Of patriotism there should be many,
very many, enthusiastic followers, who
saw nothing reprehensible ia the conduct
of the open, avowed, defiant and belliger.
ent enemies of the Republic, but who do
fnd much to deporc aud denounce In the
adhesion now to principle OF those who
stood like wall Of adainant around our
flag when the mad waves Of secession
threatened to deluge with blood the etor-
nal rock upon which our fathers and their
fathers had planted 1t. Our dead, | sup
pose, are to sleep in forgotten graves,
while tho rebel slain must be apotheosized,
and We who fought with aud survive the
brave boys in blue
"who fell dghting and falling fought"
Arc 10 be stigmatizcd with opprobrious
cpithets, while the traitors who thirsted
for our blood are to be meekly and sweet.
ly called tour brethren"
GROUND or cnAuuEs AGAINST THE RE-
PUBLICAN PARTY.
What am anxious TO learn. Mr.. Speak
err, is, upon what foundation rests this
hippant aud gratuitous charge repeatedly
mSdc against the Republican party on
this floor. 10 the effect that wo are tramp
ling liberty under foot aud destroying the
rights aud privileges Of portion OF the
American pcople2 Wherein have we VIC.
lated tho Constitution Was IL in crush.
ing the rebellon2 have no doubt every
Copperhcad In the North would say yes.
We did carry the emblem Of our national
glory and greatness from the rivers aud
lakes Of tho West TO the bays and CULTS
of the South, where IL waves day, aud
will wave forever; but Ia doing so we In.
nocently thought hoped aud believed
then, and s,il honestly think, hope aud
believe that VIC were erecting around the
Constitution impregnable bulwarks. and
laying for lib,fty deeper aud broader
foundation IA the gratitude, con hdence,
aud affections OF our people. Wo never
dreampt that for every rebel We killed In
tho South wo were to make an eternal
enemy In tho North, aud we do think IL
amounts TO a riddle beyond the compre.
hension of mortal wits how IL is that very
many OF the brave men who fought u,
aud whom we had to literally ovorwhelm
before VIC could conquer, yet now that
they are conquered are much more ready
to nsk forgiveness and forget the past and
bo friends, us wo all ought to be again,
thau are their allies, who, however deep
their sympaihies with them may have been
while the war was raging, took special
pains 10 LOT the danger pass before they
gave IL an airing. God forbid that the
day shall ever dawn upon this Republic
when the patriots whose patriotism won
them crutches aud wooden limbs shall
have apologies aud explanations to make
for their public conduct, to patriots who
boast Of aud abuse the privilege Of eulo.
gizing as their brethren the men whose
sabcrs drank loyal blood and whose bullets
shot away loyal limbs. The truth is, the
great wrong that discounted Democracy
feels deepest is that the people ut home
neither feel nor think that there ought TO
be Northern rebels enough in this House
TO let the Southern rebels in.
WHAT DEMOCRATS COMPLAIN.
The next greatest wrong that they have
to complain OF is, that the mcn who had
the pluck to stand by those who in the
field had to fight our country's battles pre-
aspire to make our laws.
think thus far they have vindicated their
claims to the worlds respect alike in the
field aud in the halls of legislation. What
is the basis upon which they fought?
Simply that rebellion was crime. They
triumphed Now upon what basis have
they legislated? Simply that rebellion
was a crime, aud they will triumph again.
The people will never require us to fight
on one principle and legislate on another.
To shed our blood on the field and then
come here to make apologies for it to men
who wanted rs whipped. 1 hold now,
and always expect to hold, that no man
has right TO cross the threshold of this
IL ouse and claim seat on this floor who
did not dare duringthe war to openly stand
by and claim the protection Of the flag that
floats over this Capitol. The Government
that is organized SO loosely and admins
tered SO feebly that traitors Of yesterday
can be among the rulers Of tomorrow, can
neither long survive nor long deserve to
survive. And this Government can have
no enemies in the South half as much to
be dreaded as that whining Northern friend
who would clothe with power in this Gov
ernment Tomorrow, the man whose blade
was drawn to stab the Constitution and
the Union but yesterday. When the
South can be Loyalty represented on this
floor upon the basis proposed by Congress,
the problem of reconstruction will cease
to vex the discussions OF this Hall.
The prime, sole, and supreme object Of
the Republican party is to re-establish this
Government upon sure foundation Of
loyalty, against which the frothy waves Of
treason may fret forever in vain. We
have survived one rebellion, and the sage
suggestions of past experience warns US
that it will be wiser to prevent another re-
bellion than TO too confidently expect TO
treason, are like all ,ther crimes and in
iquities, and will crop out in every direc.
ton upon the smallest perceivable pretext
Put forward, then, the loyal. and true
aud hold at respectful and indifferent
distance the disloyal and untrue, until we
an m eoo soma voluntarv aviJenca that tho I,