Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1867-07-24
! GsPE Il OH
NOM PhILA LADElPH VAN TRUMP,
;iesz xssiik .nOF,roHI,O,
Delivered ira the House of Represenl
afiyes, July IL, 1897


the Legislature of the State of Arkansas,
- praying Congress to appropriate the sum
3 OF So 100000 for the reconstruction of the
z levees on the Mississippi river, in the State
of Arkansas, which had been swept away
5 by the foods. so-.d
Sif Mr. INGERsoLL objected to its reception
upon the ground that there was no such
State as Arkansas, since its government
was overthrown by the violence OF revO-
luton, and that consequently there could
be DO such body as the Legislature of Ar
kansas. ,tIss ll1.a % 50 ri
Mr.. VAN TRUMP-Mr. Speaker, if one
could be at all astonished in this day of po-
litieal wonders, nothing could startle the
mind more than the fact that objection
90 should be made to the reception of "a petit
tion upon legitimate subject of legisla-
tion, and couched in respectful terms, in a
Congress of the Representatives of the
American people. But nil Gdnltrdri is Pc
culiar and appropriate maxim in times of
revolution. Such extraordinary princi--
pies have been avowed, such nnheard Of
measures have been adopted by the
dominant, I might well say, rampant
political party which holes uficon-
Jrolled dominion in the Congress of the
United States, thus far sanctioned and up
held by the people through the ballot-b box.
that the mind has become paralyzed, all
sensitiveness has become dulled and stunn-
ed by the very excess of usurpation and
outrage. There seems to be no end to
wrong and oppression. The Republican
p PARTY seems to have become absolutely in
toxicated with political power. A spirit of
hatred, of revenge, of blind and maddened
rage has usurped the province of calm rea-.
son, of wise statesmanship, and of Christian
charity. The Republican mind is running
. in a groove upon an inclined plane, and
seems to be utterly powerless either to ex-.
= .trieate itself from the groove or check its
: downward career to dissolution and de-
struction. If no other interests were in
volved than that of its own existence, ifthe
- great principles of the Constitution, the
public prosperity, and the peace OF
the country were not involved and
dragged along with it, and threatened
ito be mingled in one common AMI inevit-
able ruin, the calamity might be sup
ported with some degree OF equanimity,
and no oyerpowering regrets might be felt
at the results of such a headloDg career.
- Whateveris to be the result of this whirl-
wind of passion and party rage, in what
ever way it is TO influence the future des-
: tiny. of Government and people. hope
q that result will come quickly. and that the
intolerable suspense which now broods
- over the. country may at last be
esi terminated. Better, sir, far better
will it be to know our destiny at
once; Infinitely preferable will it be to
: have even fixed and regulated despotism
g than this vibration between hope and fear,
this doubtful struggle between liberty reg
= ulated by law and the spasmodic exercise
So of lawless power through the revengeful
action of an intolerant and merciless party
e. spirit. - 50
ss5 Mr.. Speaker, the question now before the
b House upon the motion of the honorable
~ gentleman from. Illinois Mr.. Ingersoll] is
one of the most extraordinary character
which could be presented to the cOnsidera-
tion of the Representatives of the Ameri-
can people; though ]. might well hesitate
d. ito pronounce anything extraordinary by
1syor af 6iefiuatfUa am0nU the
70 many startling subjects oflegislation which
have engaged the attention of Congress for
-efe past few years. What is the PROPOSE
. ton? 1t is nothing less, sir. than a motion
~ to deny to fFee-born American citizens the
e. sacred right of petition secured to them, il
"a - any thing yet remains secure, by the express
= provisions of the Constitution of theiI
cd country. Isknow, sir, that in these modern
days OF advancement it Is considered quite
unfashionable, If not vulgar and low bred
Ito speak of the Constitution in these Halls
"a know that the member upon this floor
who shall have the extremely bad taste to
isoffend ears politen with any ill-timed al
sslusion to the guarantees of that Instrument
bought by the best blood of the Revolution
and breathed into being by the spirit Of
compromise and concession, will be met
with the supercilious sneers OF some, ol
- the less sarcastic smiles of others of oul
! Republican friends on the other side Of
the house; but, sir, this little band of men
who set around me, and who are sent here
by as proud constituencies of freemen a:
were ever represented i'm the halls of leg.
islation, are alike Indifferent to your de
q rision or reproach. We had q most sigma
example of the yeneration in which the
Constitution is held by gentlemen in this
o. House, exhibited on this floor here to-day
= amid the merriment and plaudits of de-
lighted members. When the honorable
gentleman from Pennsylvania Mr.. Ste
Vens] reported to the House the proceed
ings of the Conference committee on the
military reconstruction bill, in remarkins
upon the want of pluck of Senators he OBJ
served "that some fragments of the ole
shattered Constitution had stuck in theil
e- kidneys and troubles them at night" j
admire the candor, if L cannot commend
~ the principles, of the distinguished gentle
4 man from Pennsy ylvania. He makes NJ
- aconcealment of his views OF the situation
emakes no false pretenses of reverenct
81 for Constitution he does not recognize
= and which he says no longer exists. w
see rise from his seat none of those magnifi
aAcent balloons of constitutional eloquenc
which distinguish some of our Republican
friends when the divine inspiration is up.
: on them. He speaks of the Constitution
las thing in the past; and all that remain
= of it. as old, shattered fragments ofno 9th
er { feet or influence except to troubl
weakened Senators with the nightmare
- Sir, in my humble opinion, their trouble
IL have only begun; in after years, when tn
voice of the people shall have condemne
them, the ghost of violated Constitution
of duty contemned and dlsregarded, c
trusts sacrificed and trampled under foo
will rise up before them, and, like the ghos
of Banquo, will not {. down" at their bic
ding, but will hiss into their ears the .dee
zdanination of their taking off," No, M
Speaker, we care net for jibes and leer
The Republican party is not our audience
we speak to the country, and not to OF
sneering opponents. We appeal to I'll
people, and not to those who are stricke
with judicial blindness, and who are d,
= termned neither to listen to admonitio
nor reflect upon the consequences of the
career. Sir. you propose by this motion
Strike down the right OF petition. Wi
~ honorable gentlemen consider what the
are about to do +? Have they forgotten I'll
history of this question from the t me
the English revolution, in 1858, when
was irrevocably established as right
behalf of the people of England again
both Crown and Parliament, down to I'll
present time, in the midst of a revloutiC
of quite another character? Have the
forgotten its history in this House? 81
so careful were the people of this, amor
their other omitted rights, that we fin
they were not satisfied with the Constit
tion as originally framed by the CONVEX
--.tion, and adopted by the several Stat
d until they had this great right of petite
ingrafted upon it by amendment. The Co
stitution, thus amended, declares that Co
.gress shall pass no law abridging the rig
of the people sto petition the Governme
for redress of grievances" This vel
question, too, was one of the leading caus
enumerated in the Declaration of Ind
-ppendence for colonial resistance to Il
very floor, in a Congress which exists alo
,,nder, and nv virtue of that Constitutic