The Union flag. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1865-187?, 1868-03-13

NQuses tAAt he occupied The position of a
Roman tribune; tina the held the Rower
n BIS hands, and as Tue hsnd or the
nation, be intended 10 Hnse Il; furlher,
THAT Congress, hanging OH the vetRR oil
the government, was nothing out n fump
Congress-, an unlawful and an uncchstitu, Ion
nj body Of men pretending to pass laws, and
vet he himself engngining in this, pnhQly and
uneonstithiional work by signing bill after
bull thereby Masking them valid laws Of lhe
land. siyYsirce his notorious speech on the
22d Of February, 1868, be has been settled 10
his wicked aud htllish purposes, he has, as
tits well known, tbrowa every obstruction
in Tie way TO prevent reconstruction, he
has US il is well known, turnedh his back up
on The met who elected him. He has proved
himself a traitor to those who honored him
? and stood picket and guarded him while he
slept for three cold, dreofy, winters, and
guarded him while, | will not say drunk,
but quite unwell-so much so that it was
; not properto receive company L He inangu.
rated the very government that we are living
under to-day, in Tennessee after having got
the loyal people committed 10, II and fastened
down by the constitution, he then turned his
back upon us and tried to tear 10 MP, and
thereby put rebels IN power 10 again plant
their heels upon our necks and crush the coll
orod man into dust. He has no regard for
truth he will issue an order one day aad
violate the same before the ink is scarcely
dry, as he did in the order Of the 7th OF
April, 1896, in which he declared that the
honorably discharged Federal soldier should
have the preference for office. lie turned his
battery loose upon the poor negro, after tell
ing him he would stand by him 10 the last,
aud that color shoald make no difference,
TINT they were now free, aud that merit, ard
merit alone, would be the test, aud not the
color of the skin. Never, Mr.. Speaker, has
any government produced or put in high pO-
%sition, and, | might further add, Kept in Office
SO long, so desperately wicked a man as An
drew johnson. E
Sir, | did help to put him in, and, as God
is my judge, ! Intend to help put him cut; be-
lieving that God will forgive ms for the com
mission Of one wrong by coming forward
aud doing ~arighteous act-an act that will
relieve the country of the worst tyrant and
usurper that history was ever called on to
record. Sir, this is struggle between two
great parties, one on the side of true
loyalty 70 the flag OF our fathers, and the
other on the side of treason. The Repubsi-
can party is striving by every means 70 bring
those States lately IN rebellion back ia Che
Union with loyal State governments. The
President is at the head Of a party which is
striving to thwart this and 10 have them re
c~ognized in the hands of traitors. Never,
MIR. Speaker, IN the history Of this country,
has there been so much moral courage re-
quired as at the present time.
Ill., 100. ,,l a. 1,a.t. - A. N..a lo-at
men of the South are directedto the Repub-
leans in Congress. Let me. say to my Re-
publican friends this is no time for ALTERING,
this is no time for compromise, this is no
time for delay, Prompt action is what the
people want. Thu loyal men of the So ruth
and the boys in blue Idemand Justice atyour
hands. Their appeals come up to you to
stand by them as they have stood by you, and
not let treason be made respectable and 10y
atty odious. They LETT their homes and bid
farewell to wife, children, father, mother,
friends; entered the Union army, suffering
through beat and cold, breastiDg the hail
storm Of shot and shell, that free government
might be preserved and that the old nag, the
emblem oflibcrty, and freedom, might proud
" wave over the entire land. Sir, many, yes,
hundreds Of thousands. Of our comradesnev-
cr returned to their homes and loved ones.
Sir, let the enemies and traitors get control
Of this government? Never, no, never. The
loyal men who were forced into the cliffs and
caves cry aloud and say a MOI the poor wild
ow and herlittle naked children cry out aGod
forbid the Federal soldier cries out and
snys " MOI the spirits of the three hundred
thousand who lie Wondering under cold -clny
answer in Il loud tone and say "GOd fortid;'
the honest, truc7hearted colored man sends
up his petition to you and says Good forbid.
Mr.. Speaker, this reminds me of 1900 and
1861. Ecould but think of Barksddle, Davis,
lIinman, and u host Of Others on Saturday
last, when the gentleman from New York Mr..
Brooks was lecturing the Republicans Of
the House. To hear his eloquent, warning
voice, mingled with thrents of resistance to
the action of a majority of the legally elected
members Of this body, was but to remind me
of former days. ! sat here, as you and 9th
ers who are now here did, and heard similar
threats Of Blood and destruction BY tie same
class of men, claiming 10 belong to this same
old defunct, disuuion, Democratic party, and
| believe from the very same desks.
Sir; 1t did not Brighten or deter us then,
and | am WILL convinced that il viii scarcely
N"uSO HleNluH HuNs \ WIS SOfEI 10 near
such violentlaHgnsge used, as Il Is calculated
70 stir up bad feeling in The country, where
the gentleman from New York is not person.
ally known. Sir, in many portions Of the
country | have no doubt but he wal be Ia.
ken for the same Eghting Brooks who was In
Congress a few years ago, and | only allude
to this at this time in order that the country
msy know that the great fighting man
Brooks has been dead several years, aud that
the gentleman fromNew York is not the mas,
for that Is o business be has never engaged
IN but should he and his friends, the. III
noriiy, succeed in firing mp the Democracy
aHd the rebels so MS to precipitate us again
into another war, hope the gentleman from
New York win plant himself at the head
Of q regtmento or brigade, aud not lay back
behind the lines to stir mp mischief and re-
teId the movement Of thee Unian forces.
Now, Mr.. Speaker tell you and this
House that wan, no more var. God forbid
But, sir,tf the gentlemen, with the President
st,thsir head, force itupoR usg we can only
promise to DO as We did before, 70 meet The
enemy on the field Of hattie, face TO face. and
ask that Just God protect the right. / shan
Foie for the resolution let The con Seaaences
be what they may. iiA bra sa0oiti3 blr
60 TENNESSEE BEGISLATURE.
8qh3ablEl D5 STT-- 9Gd u8E hD