The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1868-02-17

The plea Of the tyrAnt1 But, sir. q nahl;c
| forbearance has until recently been unt;r;ro
and public patience unwavering, fear oy,
radical friends have concluded that the nao.
pie were tacitly indorsing, instead of silen-
tly tolerating, their usurpatons and iufrac.
tons Of the constitutions Imagining them.
selves secure in power and be yond the reach
Of responsibility, they have exhibited the
madness which precedes destructiou. It 10
but history repeating itself and verifying the
predictions Of Webster when he said
aIf The internal families and abolitionists ever
get the power in their hapds, they will override
the constitutions the supreme court at defiance,
change and make laws to- suit themselves, lay vi
| client hands ON those who differ with them in
their opinions dare question their infallibity,
and finally bankrupt the 'ountry snd delage it
with blood,''
How fully the .historg of the past few years
of our country, and ESPECIALLY the past few
months of onr Legislative history, j ustifies the
prediction of the immoral Webster. There
is now, in my judgment but one pathway Of
safety for the people, bp one remaining hope
| of salvation TO our coubry from impending
ruin. That hope is "a greedy uprising of the
| people, constitutionally in their sovereign
power, rebuking the m iness of fanaticism,
and hurting from powef those who betray
| the high trust reposedf IN them under the
laws Of our country. End, sir, feel assured
| this hope is not doomet to disappointment !;
for, while the necessityis great and the dan
ger imminent, the pathway is plain and the
| people patriotic. Grooming as they are un
der debt of untold nlilions, they will not
tolerate this tinkeringgvith the constitution
nor remain blind to ths iniquities of the par
| ty in power.
| In July last, upon one of the preceding
acts in this same series of so-called recon
struntion measures, pat upon record here
my predictions of a speedy reaction in the
public mind and prompt reputation in
/ public action of the acts and doingS of the
present congress and how signally has thai
| condemnation been already pronounced il
the very states where a few years ago the
party holding majority on this floor TO-DAY
reveled in the plenitnde of unquestioneC
power.
| And, Mr.. Speaker, it is not the spasmodit
action of a moment, not the mere tempora
~ unrest of period, that underlies or caus
| es this popular uprising. 1t is the full, deep
determination of the patriotic citizens of the
United States to withdraw power from those
who abuse it, withhold trust from those
who betray it, and in their sovereignty re-
tlrn to the policy of their fathers, and to Sc
cure the existence of states in coequal dignity
under constitution uniform, equal and just
to all.
One more consideration, sir, and | will
| close. Ii has been intimated by those of the
majority that we oppose this bill because VI
distrust the general Of the armies. Sir, TO
one, distrust any man who may be clothed
with the extraordinary powers contemplated
in this bill. No man in this broad land o
ours can be safely intruseed with unconstitu
tional power. Under our form of government
presidents, courts, legislative bodies, gensr
ais, all are alike subordinate to the constitu
ton, which overreaches, controls, directs
an limits all. Were it so possible for tn,
immortal spirit of Washington toreturn 70
earth and reanimate his still remains,
would not willingly yield to him, pure as b
| was, patriotic as he was known TO be, tn
powers contemplated in this unrighteous aci
All, sir, he would not accept of it,-but II
answer to proffered. power would reply
"Get thee behind me I. too, am citizen
60 learn of your fathers, gather their lesson
Of wisdom. comprehend and obey their teach
ings as set forth in the constitution, and 8.
L will he well.