The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1868-02-07
CHI A r L E S T ON.
FRIDAY MORNING, FEBRUARY Z, 1868.
The Great Debate.

On the 24th and 10th OF January tne t"o
great speeches of the fortieth Congress
were delivered in the Senate;-thst on the
Conservative side by Senator DooL1TTLE,
of Wisconsin, against whom the Radical
Daniel. Senator MORTON, of Indiana, was
pitted in reply. The occasion is said by
the Herald to have rivalled, in interest and
in the Importance of its issues, the great
intellectual contest that still classes in his
torical association the names of DANIEL
WEBSTER and our noble and gifted HAYNE.
The Senators took care to be present; the
members of the House pressed into The Sen
ate Chamber and occupied the sofas; an i'm
| mense crowd filled the galleries; there was an
appeal to every motive that could touch the
public spirit and personal ambition OF the
disputants.
The argument of the Wisconsin Senator
was less remarkable for the originality OF
its views, for it was a restatement OF the
constitution, than for the vigor and bold
ness with which he proclaimed that Radi-
calism has, in the new Reconstruction bill,
assailed the rights of the people as well as
of the States, and endaugers noS simply
this or that department, but the whole sys-
tenn of government. If adopted, it will
oonsummate policy wholly revolutionary,
and establish permanent despotism. The
speech was an eloquent and powerful ap-
peal to the patriotism of the American
people.
The Senator from Indiana conciliated
sympathy by his physical infrmity-a
semi-paralysis obliging him to sit while de-
livering the Radical reply. His argument,
plausible in its mode of presentation and
effective in its delivery, loses its strength,
however, when divested of all accessories,
and considered in itself.
His first point Yves, that, after the sur
render of LEE, the Southern States had no
governments Thus he confourded the
Confederate with the State governments-
as if the latter perished with the former
an assumption utterly groundle's. Had
the fact been 80, there would have been
some justification Of the Radical policy; but
it was VIGOROUSLY not so. The State gov
ernments, duly elected by the people, were
in full operation, until they were disorgan-
lied by martial law maintained in time
- 4 mama
His second point was, that the constitu-
tional clause, requiring the guarantee of
republican form Of government, made it the
duty of the United States to establish gov
ernments in the South. Mr.. MoRyoN seems
to think that "to guarantee" mesns to Gre
ate, and that military despotism control
ling military district is republic. IL
would be interesting to know what diction-
ary he uses.
His third point was, that the United
States Government could only guarantee
the required republican form by law into
which Congress might insert whatever it
judged advisable; being independ snt in thie
action both of the veto of the Executive
and of the judgment of the Supreme Court
Mr.. MORTON declared that, In the present
instance, Congress will tolerate no inter-
ference with its absolute control, and will
stake no step backward" Bus now the
argument manifestly involves contradic-
tion and defeats itself. An unchecked leg
islature is not itself republican, but rather
a Venetian oligarchy which may extend and
perpetuats its power at will. 1t is simply
absurd to say that an absolute Congress
can guarantee republican form Of govern
ment. A republic overshadowed by the
ensigns of an irresponsible sovereignty,
would be in the condition of Peru under the
Spanish protectorate-a lamb covered and
devoured by vulture.
Such was substantially the argument of
the leading statesman of the Radical party,
ON an occasion when the most elaborate de-
fence of it's policy was demanded. The
Commercial Advertiser calls for some CHAT-
HAM or BURKE, some CLAY or WEBSTER to
stand up, and, by irresistible arguments
and indignant eloquence, restore the reign
of justice, reason and patriotism. The
great debate which,we have thus briefly
sketched, shows that argument and elo-
ouence are wasted upon men maddened by
fanaticism. The argument Of the Wiscon-
sin Senator was incontrovertible, but the
sophistries of the Senator from Indiana are
more acceptable, because they hatter the
passions of Congress and extend the lease
of its power. Under such circumstances,
truth and genius utter their appeals in vain.