Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1868-01-31
sneech Of senator Iame. Nye.


most effective dcbaters in Congress. though
his effort, smack something Of the stump.
on which he made his fame, replied in the
senate ON Tuesday last, to Senator Doolittle's
long d. conservative TRADE. and handled the
renegade without gloves. He said;
There had been faint-heartel ones during the
war. as there were now. and the Senator from
Wisconsin Mr. Doolittle) had greatly changed
since ne MIR. Nye) had sat in the galleries lis
tcning 10 the musical strains Of his appeals in be-
half Of liberty He (Nye) was a radical, and
gloried in IT, His friend had been once, but
was so no longer. What then was he now? \
Democrat? hardly know which to apologize
to for saving so-the gentleman or the democrat
ic party Laughter To show his dstin-
ruishel friends and the world the exact status,
politically. Of Conservative, he read from
Paradi,e Lost.
'' For spirits when they please,
Can either shape. assume. or both. SO soft,
And mcompouHded is their essence pure;
Not tied, or manaclel, with JOINT or limb,
Nor founded on the brittle strength Of bones;
Like cumbrous flesh, but in what shade they
choose,
Diluted or condensed, bright, or obscure,
Can execute their airy purposes,
And works Of love, or enmIty, fulfill. Laugh
Milton had the Senator in his eye when he
wrote that. Laughter He reiterated the
question why the Senator voted in 1864 that re-
construction was the work Of Congress alone?
Not one step had been taken in reconstruction
but what had been dictated by necessity. The lead
ing Copperhcad paper of the North-the Chicago
TimcS-hal supported negro suffrage from Interior
motives at first Now there was holy horror that
the southern people were to be overriden by a
half barharous race, as the Senator called them
The negroes had, as he said, dug trenches for
the rebels but it was under the rod Of their
taskmasters. and Of that emancipation was born.
Like true Christians they raised no insurrec-
ton, but hided their time. The pinch was
that they were 10 vote. Reconstruction was now
a thing Of the past, and conservatism could not
stop it. Seven hundred thousand men had the
ballot and the Conservatives could not take it
away. The ballot was given them only 20 vote
upon conventions and constitutional amend
ments, and the Southern whites, if they wished,
could join them in the establishment Of govern
ments: and then fix the suffrage as they chose.
He alluded to the hopeful close Of the seniors
speech in regard to the gathering Of the clans
that were to overthrow the Republican party.
What column would JEFF. Davis lead Under
whose banner would the Senator come with his
squad daughter Would he come with the
Northern wing under Vallaudgham and Pendle-
ton The gathering would be easily numbered.
What would be the uniform The Senator
would hardly don the grey, and of course would
not wear the blue. Under what banner would
he march?
He then alluded to the course Of the Democrat
&c Party in past years He had belonged to it
once but ought TO say in excuse, that he was
then quite young. Laughter. lie argued
that disunion took its rise in Kansas when the
first blood was spilled by the aggressive policy Of
slavery. TO the Senator's question. whether
there had not been enough suffering eutaiel on
the South, he replied that he supposed, the fear
was that there should lie imposed upon them the
further infection of a Democratic AlIlinistra-
ton. Laughter Referring to the PROPOSE
ton to make an educational qualification, he said
he supposed the Democratic Party would dis
franchisea man, named perhaps Langston, who
would not suffer in comparison in that respect
with the Senator. The property and education
qualification was % principle broken up by the
Old Democratic party and the Great God said
he Take out Of that party those that can't
read and write, and where would il be- He
appealed strongly TO the Republican Party to
stand firmly by their principles, even though |
they took the position Of a minority The Dem |
'CEollN aItY HaI put Out lhe-e conservative |
fugemcn TO see how it is going to come out |
Laughter They we're sent out as skirmishers, |
to see how it would affect Grant. He had not |
much to say for Grant his story was written. |
lie had not compromised-he fought. After |
speaking Of Gen. Grants hold on the national |
memory, he said the Conservative, such rs the |
Senator from Wisconsin. attempting to stand in |
the path Of Grant was like \ certain animal on a |
railroad butting against a locomotive. While he
admired his courage. he could not think much Of |
his discretion. Laughter Grant, unlike
the Conservatives, belonged to the class Of ami
mails called yertebrates. The only sins Of Con-
grcss, he went On to say, during the last twelve
month, had been sins OF omission that he hoped
would soon be repaired. Sheridan had been i'm
molated on the cowardly platform of conserva-
tism, and he did not know which was most dis
appointed, the Conservatives Of that body or the
President at the course Of Meade Quoting
from Georgia paper a remark that they had
got rid If tyrant and got devil instead, he
said doubtless Meades head would 20 to-mor-
row, but that he was the last eligible officer on
the list He denounced as a false. foul SANDER
the assertion Of Mr. Doolittle that the Radicals
IF the North were Seccssionists