The Daily empire. (Dayton, Ohio) 1865-1867, 1867-03-06
linn. ~. yanandIgham,

In a realization of the present with a ter
rlble future staring us In the face, we
should not forget the words Of admonItion,
spoken In earnest tones, and we might say,
with a spirit OF prophesy, addressed to the
people In the past by the Hon. gentleman
whose name heads this article. Read from
his speech delivered In the House of Rep
rcseuatives on the 10th of July, 1851:
"sir, ! am obliged to pass by, for want Of
time, other grave and dangerous infrac-
lions and %usurpations of the Presidentsince
the Fourth Of March. | only allude casu-
ally TO the quarteringo of soldiers in private
houses without the consent Of the owners,
and without any manner having been pre-
scribed by law to the subversion, In a
part, at least, of Maryland Of her own
State government and of the authorities
under Il: TO the censorship owe the tele-
graph, and the infringement repeatedly, In
one or more of the States, of the right OF
the people to keep and to bear arms for
their defense. But if all these things. I
ask. have been done In the first two months
after the commencement of this war, and
by meu not military chieftains and unused
to arbitrary power, what may we not ex-
pect TO see In three years, and by the sue
cessnl heroes of the fight? Sir, the power
NANN ANANANN W NAt fNNANNN ANNA AAN UENIANH
and of their Representatives, have been
usurped the sanctity of the private house
and of private property has been invaded (;
and the liberty of the person wantouly
and wickedly stricken down free speech,
too, has been repeatedly denied; and all
this under the plea of necessity. Sir, tile
right of petition will follow next-nay, IL
has already been shaken; the freedom of
the press will soon fall after IL; and let me
whisper In your ear, that there will be few
to mourn over its loss, unless, indeed. its
ancient high and honorable character shall
be rescued and redeemed from its present
reckless mendacity and degradation. Free
dom of religion will yield too, at last, amid
the eXultant shouts of millions, who have
seen its holy temples detiled and its white
robes Of a former innocency trampled now
under the polluting hOofs of an ambitious
and faithless or ~fanatical clergy. Mean
time national banks, bankrupt laws, a vast
and permanent public debt, high tariffs,
heavy direct taxation, enormous
penditure, gigantic and stupendous pecu-
.lation, anarchy first and n strong govern
ment afterwards, no more State lines, no
more State governments, and o consolidated
monarchy or vast centralized despotism,
must all follow i'm the history of the flu
.ture, as in the history of the past they
have, centuries ago, been written. Sir, l
have said nothing, and have time to say
nothing now, of the immense indebtedness
and the vast expenditures which have al
ready accrued, nor of the folly and mis-
management of the war so far, nor of the
atrociOus and shameless peculations and
frauds which have disgraced 1t in the State
governments and the Federal Government
from the beginning. The avenging hour
for all these will come hereafter, and | pass
them by now.
~ have finished, now, Mr.. Chairman,
what | proposed to say ut this time upon
the message of the President. IS to my
own position IN regard to this most unhap-
.py civil war, | nave only to say that | stand
to-day just where | stood upon the fourth
of March last where the whole Democratic
paray, and the whole Constitutional Union
party, and a vast majority, as | believe, of
the people of he United States stood too.
| am for peace, speedy. immediate, honor
able PEACE, with all its blessings. Others
not may have changed, Ihave not. | question
their motives nor quarrel with their course.
II is vain and futile for them to question or
to quarrel with mine. My duty shall be
discharged calmly, firmly, quietly, and re-
CARELESS Of consequences. The approving
voice of Il conscience void of offensc, and
the approving judgment which shall follow
after some time be past, these, God helpme,
are my trust and my support"