The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1867-08-01
= Reconstruction.
SPEECH OF HON. JOHN A. LOGAN.


floor within the l&st few days. If the
wisdom of the policy Of excluding from
representation in this Hall the South
had ever cost me q doubt it could never
again cost me another. More earnest
advocates of their political theories and
more eloquent apologists for their dark
est crimes traitors have not in the South
or elsewhere than they have here. A
resolution blotting out the Constitution
Of tue United States, and the respective
States is recommended by one gentle
man, who evidently means thereby to
intimate that in his opinion at least this
House had already destroyed everything
like fundamental law in the land, and
trampled ruthlessly in the dust the lib
erty Of the people.
Mr.. Eldridgc. That is what thought
and what meant.
Mr.. Logan. I so understood the gen
tleman, and the thought occurred to me
at the time, sir. that it was strange in
deed, passing strange. that the gentle
man did not discover during those four
fearful years of blood and carnage thro'
Which the true friends of humanity, lib
erty, the Constitution and the Union,
had to pass to deliver them from i'm
pending destruction who it was assail
Mr. Eldridge. Will the gentleman
yield ?
Mr.. Logan 1 decline. Why did it
not occur to the gentleman, when mig gh
ty armies Of brave men, commanded by
skillful generals were lowering in a
menacing attitude around this devoted
city. spurning our country's flag. mock
ing our patriotic professions, insulting
loyal citizens, ignoring private rights,
and pcrpetrating public outrages, that
the Constitution, the Union, and liberty
were in danger then !? Why does the
gentleman wait until the war is over
the Constitution is no longer in peril,
and those who stood fast and firm near
it and by it, when its banner was stream
ing on the breeze Of battle. are attempt
ing to devise the most practicable ana
polite means to restore at the earliest
moment to this whole land permanent
and healthful tranquility and prosperity?
Why does he wait for such moment
to announce The startling discovery that
our Constitution is threatened and liber.
ty is in peril !?
Mr.. Eldridge. Does the gentleman
desire me to answer his question
Mr.. Logan. No, sir; one interruption
encouraged invites another. Is it not
strange, repeat, that the same gentle
men who are so alarmed now about the
perils that compass about the Constitu
ton Of the country and the liberties Of
the people while peace is benignly smil-
ing upon us, saw no terror or threat in
the glitter of bayoness or the frown of
batteries when our beloved land was
swarming with millions of open enemies
aud the earth was trembling under the
martial tread of serried hosts and the
loud roar Of angry artillery? Then there
was war, was no peace. they could raise
the cry of ..peace, peace and when
peace at last has come, they aver it has
not come, but that we are still in the
midst of bloody war, war upon the
liberties we bled to preserve. '.Treat
your Southern brethren kindly, win them
by Affection is the cry of the Demo
cracy. Rather said one of them, THAT
JEFF Davis and his coadjutors had sue
ceedcd than that the President of the
United States should be impeached'
Such language is worthy only Of rep
resentative 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 he many, very manv. en-
thusiastic followers, who saw nothing
reprt hensihle in the conduct Of the open.
avowed, defiant, and belligerent enemies
of the Republic, but who do find much
to deplore and denounce in the adhesion
now to principle OF those who stood
like a wall of a,iamant around our flag
when the mad waves of secession
threatened to deluge with blood u e
eternal rock upon which our fathers and
their fathers had planted it. Our dead
suppose are to sleep in unforgotten
graves, while the rebel slain must be
apotheosized; and we who fought with
and survive the brave boys in blue
"Who 6ghting fell, and falling fought
are to be stigmatized with opprobrious
epithets, while the traitors who thirsted
for our blood are to be meckly and
sweetly called ..our brethren"
Mr.. Mungen. l rise to question of
order. My point Of order is, that the
gentleman is not discussing the bill be-
fore the House, as the rules require him
to do.
The speaker The Chair has not seen
that the gentleman from Illinois has
wandered at all from the legitimate
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