The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1868-04-16

NC was SuiIy VI Mee"ssV"us "uP.'SAV
and treachery, and convicted OF false
hood itself by six of the highest men
of the nation! repeat, he confesses
himself guilty of Intentional duplicity
and treachery, perpetrated during Sc
ries of months. Six OF the first men
of the nation proved him guilty OF
downright Intentional falsehood. Either
the commanding General of the Ar
mics of the United States is convicted
before the world OF falsehood, or the
President of the same nation, and fl, e
Cabinet officials, stand convicted of it
For my purpose, l care not which is
right. l bring to your view, simply, a
startling fact-if you have any morali-
ty to be startled-that, in either event,
your rulers stand convicted, and con
fcssedly convicted, of Intentional false
hood. That is the point at which the
nation has arrived.
And now, what do we witness! The
nation actually trembling, the nation
actually doubling, the nation actually
fearing that that department ofthe gov.
ernment, which. in all history, has
been, ought to be, and which under
our form Of government, was intended
to be, the bulwark Of our liberties the
break water of fpassion--I say the whole
nation is trembling, doubling, fearing
that the Supreme Judicial power of the
country will be utterly unequal to the
task of declaring what they know to be
the Constitution Of their country. On
this point l, for one, have never yield
ed. / have always believed that the
question, once made before that tribu-
nal fairly aud clearly, they would be
equal to the task, though l confess l
have not found one man in q hundred
to agree with me, and that fact alone is
sufficient illustration of the extent to
which this corruption and loss of con.
fidence have gone.
Shall the judicial department of the
governmcnt-litted by the Constitution
above the mere petty passions of the
multitudes--fulfiIl the great objects Of
its mission, and say that the Constitu-
ton is the supreme law of the land and
that all acts outside of itare usurpa
tions and consequently void? If so,
this country may be saved: thus revo-
luton may be stayed. But If the court
should agree with the Congress, and
leave the President standing alone in
the struggle, battling with two depart
ments of the government, then, my
countrymen, the final appeal is to you.
Politicians arc corrupt--there is no
truth in them. Your leaders tell lie
and swear to it; but though perjury is
crime, it is passport to power. II
your government fails, it will for no
other reason than want Of honesty
and of love of truth. Then, l say the
appeal is to you, to the people OF
America, whether you shall prove
truthful and honest. But, if you fail,
them the verdict is written that you
have neither virtue nor Intelligence suf-
ficient to preserve Republican Govern
mcnt, and over the falls We must 60, at
once, and forever.
That is the question now before the
American people l deny that it is a
mere political question between two
parties; l deny that it is a question be-
tween Union and Disunion; deny that
it is a question between despotism and
liberty, solely. 1t has become ques
ton of decency or indccency, Of hon.
esty or dishonesty, of truth or false
hood, of virtue or vice, of civilization
or barbarism, and he who ranges HIM.
self on one side or the other must be
forever so adjudged. Applause.
deny that it is necessary at this day fol
man to stand up before any intelli
gent audience and argue the constitu
tionality of the questions now being
thrust upon you. There is no mar
who does not need guardian bu
knows they are unconstitutional; ant
YOU know 1t. The question is no
as to whether you understand it; bu
whether you have virtue enough to dc
what you know is right. And, people
of Georgia, the issue is made. You ar
to be celled upon to determine wheth
er you will favor truth or -falsehood
l know that now, and indeed, for ma
nv years back, the air is full of "Poli
cy, policy, policy"-the making ofthi
bargain and of that bargain. l will
venture now to say-and l hope / shal
offend nobody; though, indeed, l don
care il do, in telling the truth--tha
there are over fifty men this day in At
lanta who have come here to see it the.
cannot get some office BY joining on
party or the other. have been oh
serving some of them for two days an
begin to think l shall almost cease t
feel respectable laughter and cheers
if l do not get out of such an atmos
phere. I represent no party; ! bclon
to none and therefore speak only 70
myself. l support that party which
think, in a given instance, is right; an
that party to-day is represented b
) these young gentlemen. The mem
t bers of the Young Mems Democrat
|, Club of Fulton County. l speak m
T own conviction fearlessly, and, I trus
t plainly. l desire to do so. and l d.
9 sire to be understood personally II
Q different. whether or not please on
J, man only, or all men. Applause.
t deem it my duty to come befol
fIvon and nut on record nv views of I'll
Constitution which is now proposed fc
adoption, and to give the reasons wh
: / deem and declare it infamous. ! al
not going over the old argument whic
. I had the honor OF presenting befol
Q an audience in this sane hall, at an "a
y lier period Of our history BY which
J. proved that the authority which o.
e thorised this matter, originally, vi
n ..c a ~ ;t,,tio nal and vnid aav I