Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1868-01-30
RECONSTRUCTION
THE SUPPLEMENTAL BILL.
Closing Speech by Hon. J. A, Bing-
ham, in the House of Representa-
tives, January go, 1907.

ham, IN the House OIL hepttbehlh-
tives, January go, 1867.
Mr.. BINGHAM, Mr.. Speaker,
it is my purpose, in the remarks that
l make, to contine myself to the
discussion of the bill that is before
the House. Having discharged my
duty in this behalf it will remain
with the members Of the House to
discharge theirs.
As the organ of the House, Mr..
Speaker, the Reconstruction Com
mittee have, after due deliberation,
deemed it their duty to submit the
bill, in manner and form, as it stands
presented. l shall speak but few
words in addition to those which /
uttered in the opening of this dis
cussion in support of the authority
with which the people have clothed
their representatives in Congress to
enact this legislation.
Sir, l listened with due attention
to the concededly able gentlemen
who deemed it their duty to oppose
this bill. / regret to say that de-
nunciations with them assumed the
place of arr ument, and in the storm
of their denunciation the voice of
reason itself was silenced.
Those gentlemen, sir, whether
conscious of it or not-I sayit with
all respect-in the heat and excite
ment of this controversy gave to
party what was meant for mankind,
and, forgetting for the moment the
interests Of our common country,
enacted precisely the role which was
played when the Constitution itself
was on trial for its deliverance as it
came from the hands of those
mighty men whom God taught to
build for glory and for beauty, and
to frame the fabric of American
empire. The argument, sir, urged
in that day against the ratification
of the Constitution as it was APP
proved by Washington and by his
associates was that it conferred, for
the common defense, to suppress
insurrection, and to repel invasion,
unlimited power upon the le4 la
tive department of the Government,
The gentlemen who oppose this bill
might have found their objections,
all of them, as well stated and as
forcibly stated by the men who op
posed the formation of our Govern
ment, the ratification Of our Con
stitution, and the efforts of our peo-
pie to assume their places in the
family of nations, as they have in
this debate stated them themselves.
| answer the objections which have
been urged against this measure in
the words of the men who framed
our Constitution, and thereby prov
ed themselves second to no men
who ever lived since man was upon
earth, and to whom were entrusted
the destinies of a great people.
The words of Hamilton ought to
be inscribed, in this hour of our ma.
tion's trial, upon the very lintels of
your doorsa
The powers for the common de-
fense ought to exist without limita-
ton, because it is impossible to
foresee or to define the extent and
variety of the means which may be
necessary to satisfy them, The cir
cumstances that endanger the safety
of nations are infinite, and for this
reason, no constitutional shackles
can wisely be imposed upon the
power to which it is committed.
Thus spoke Hamilton, a man al
most matchless in his own age, or
any age, Of the power vested by the
Constitution in Congress to pro-
vide for the common defense, to
suppress insurrection and repel in.
vasion.
And Madison, called "the father
of the Constitution" took up those
words and reiterated them in an
other form, saying that "it is in vain
to oppose constitutional barriers to
the impulse of self-preservation."
A higher law -giver than Madison or
Hamilton, who was before worlds
were, and who will be when worlds
perish, gave the law for the govern
ment of individual man, and of col
lective men, the citizen and the
State preserve thy life.
1t is the duty of this nation, to
which, in the language of the faith
ers of the Republic, "God, in His
providence, has committed the great
est trust ever committed TO n polit-
ical society" to preserve its own
life.
That life was assailed, as the peo-
pie of America and the people of
the civilized world knew full we'll,
for four long years, by armed re-
volt and treason, Three years have
now well nigh elapsed since the bro
ken battallions of that armed revolt
SURRENDERED to the victorious legions
of the Republic,
When the cloud of battle lifted
from the stricken fields of conflict,
from the banks Of the Potomac to
the banks of the Rio Grandc, the
fact was disclosed that State insti-
tutions, constitutional State govern
ments, had vanished in the strife
and conflict of arms, The people
of the United States-and when l
speak of the "people Of the United