The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1867-08-01

0IOOhlfH9 u6S SitukA0A 10CA AZ hAS ASssN
yet. Laughter.
Mr.. Robinson. Mr.. Speaker, do not
| attempt to answer the question which
the gentleman has addressed to me, be
cause believe he dose not wish an an
swer II he dose l should be glad to
giveit
The Speaker Does the gentleman
from Illinois Mr. Logan1 yield to the
gentleman from New York Mr.. Robin
son for reply?
Mr.. Logan. / do not think l have
said anything that he can answer
Laughter.
Mr. Robinson. If the gentleman
wishes me to answer / am ready to do
SO.
The Speaker. The gentleman de-
clines, as the chair understands, to be
interrupted.
Mr.. Logan. Now, Mr.. Speaker, let US
examine little further into this ques-
ton. / perhaps may not have stated all
the reasons that actuated these gentle
men in denouncing this side of the
House, and thereby denouncing every
loyal man in the country, every man who
has shown his loyalty by his efforts to
restore this Government on aproper
basis. The recent rebellion while it was
in progress was LED by men who belong
ed TO the same party to which the gen
tlemen from Brooklyn now belongs, and
the same party to which l belonged un-
til became SO thoroughly ashamed Of
it that left it, and is it not a little re-
markable that the same disloyal stencil
which diove me out seems to have at
tracted my friend from Brooklyn into it?
Laughter
The reason why these gentlemen de-
sire to day to bring into disrepute the
&C ion of members Of this House is be-
cause their action is calculated to pre-
vent Il portion of the people of the south
ern country. who are in fail sympathy
With them, from voting and holding Of
flee. Who are they? Outspoken rebels,
who rose in arms against the Governm ent
the men who conspired to destroy this
glorious Republic. Because these men
are disfranchised and prevented from
exercising the rights OF American clti-
zens, gentlemen on tie other side object
to our proposed plan of reconstruction.
Sir, they would have the southern States
reconstructed according to the plan of
Andrew johnson, the gentleman who is
so immaculate thai if we should attempt
to impeach him it will, according to the
gentleman from Brooklyn, amount to a
national calamity. What was the plan OF
a ndrew johnson Why, sir, that plan
proposed to declare that those States
that had engaged in rebellion had never
lost any of their rights in the Govern
ment; that neither they nor their citi
zens had forfeited any of their privileges
under the Constitution of the United
States. In other words. that treason was
not q crime; that rebels were patriots.
1t proposed to invite the rebels to hold
elections and send 70 this Hall per- Sc
secessicnists and traitors In short, to
construct new party in reconstructing
the Government in which the secession
rebels of the South might unite with the
Copperhead rebels of the North, capture
the citadel Of power here. make treason
honorable and loyalty odious. There is
nothing that to regain its lost power the
Democratic party would not willingly
do. If it could acquire to m orrow more
power by crushing under its iron heel
the South than it could by succoring it
it would hurl at its southern brethren
thick and fast
courses of hate and Kisses of scorn."
Their history we'll establishes the fact
"Their friendship is a lurking snare,
Their honor but idle breath,
Their smile the smile that traitors wear,
Their love is hate, their life is DEATH"
Their sympathy with Andrew John
sons plan OF reconstruction and their
hostility to the Republican plan of re-
construction is not attributable to the
merits or demerts of either plan as
policy for the country, but solely as a
party policy.
Now, sir, maintain that the only true
plan upon which these southern States
ought to have been reconstructed is by
virtue of an organization of military
governments. and the principal objection
to which find the bill now pending be-
fore this House obnoxious, albeit shall
vote for it. is, that it fails to state suftici /
ertly explicit that the governments of
these States were entirely overthrown
and destroyed by the treason and rebel |
lion of the people. and that no legal civil |
have existed there since |
would recognize no Governors or 9TH |
er officers pretending to act their now in
any capacity, but would remove them in |
stanter / would insist that when the |
fiery biiiows of war rolled over the South |
that they bore away into the broad ocean |
Of chaos their laws and constitutions as |
llie fiooa- Of their own mighty father OF
waters sweep the rriit wood they gather
into the Mexican Gulf. ana that accord |
ing to the laws of war they were subject |
only to military rule at the hands fthci- |
conqnerors, and so ought to remain until
traitors shall learn how to blush tor their |
crimes. and mcdestly decline otice in |
stead of attempting. rs they now do
daily, to thrust themselves forward to |
grasp the reins Of q Government that |
they hate in their hearts. would put |
the rebels on probation, AMI make their |
return to power e.epend upon the merits
of their penitence.
But let us return to the gentleman's |
grave charges of outrage and wrong sup
posed to have been committed by this |
Congress To be charitable, we will nave