Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1868-07-02

| their constitution and laws 10 the
requirements of thenational Consti-
tuition, and the requirements Of the
congressional acts of reconstruc-
ton, it was their right to be restor.
ed to political power in this Union,
and that it was the duty Of Congress,
in the exercise Of the power vested
10 it by the whole people Of this
country, to restore the people Of
that. State to their former place in
the Union.
The gentleman says there was
audacity in my statement. Audaci-
ty In what, sirY Audacity in say
ing that we should lift up the fallen
columns of the Republic? Audaci-
ty in saying that we should restore
ten States, broken and disorganized
by rebellion, to their places in the
Union2 Audacity to make again
this great people one people from
sea TO seaY Audacity in using the
words of the great Declaration to
take new securities for the future
safety Of the people Of this country,
North and South, East and West
l express in those remarks which
the gentleman calls audacious, mere
ly the declared will of the people of
the United States.
Audacity! Sir, is itnot audacity
in the gentleman, and in the miser-
able party which he represents, to
undertake to thwart in this manner
the solemnIy declared will Of the
American people, from Maine to
Oregon? Does not the gentleman
know that within the last two years
the people oftwenty-three organiz'd
States Of this Union, by oyerwhelm-
ing majorities, have declared that it
is their will that the Constitution Of
the United States shall be so amend
ed that State secession and State
rebellion shall be left without color
of excuse-wtthout color of author
ity in that Constitution? Does he
not know that the people within
Those twenty three States, repre-
senting not less than twenty-five
millions ofthe people Oft this nation,
have not only declared that which
have just uttered, but have declar-
ed further that no State of this I'm
ion shall levy contributions to the
extent of a single farthing for the
purpose of paying the expenses Of
rebellion against the Government
or the Constitution of the United
States? p?
Mr. Burr. VIII the gentleman
allow lae to ask him a question?
Mr.. Bingham No, sir, not now
l am dealing with the audacity of
the gentleman from New York, { Mr..
Brooks. l want to know whether
it was not audacity in the party
which the gentleman undertakes to
represent here, after the people of
Ohio, by a majority of from forty
to fifty thousand, had declared in
favor Of this fourteenth article of
amendment to the Constitution of
the United States, in a minority in
the last vote in the State of Ohio,
though by accident majority in
the Legislature, to dare to repeal
the recorded will of that people
and undertakes to revive the eX-
piring fortunes of that rebellion
which has covered the land with
lamentations?
The gentleman speaks of audaci
ty. Sir, the people will answer that
at the polls, They have answered
it, aud will answer it again.
The gentleman, however, has un-
dertaken to play the role of proph-
ct here upon this occasi, Il, and
gives US warning that the enactment
of this bill, and the admission of
those States, and the ratification
by them of the fourteenth article of
amendment to the Constitution will
not profit us. How does the gen
tleman come to speak so authori
lively? Has he been gifted with
the vision of the seer! Does he
suppose that the people of the Uni
ted States are about to take step
backward that they are about to
legalize treason again under the
pretense that the sovereignty Of the
State is superior to the sovereignty
of the Nation? Does he suppose
that they are going to fall back and
adopt the theory Of the gentleman
from Pennsylvania, (Mr. Wood
ward, J that they are no nationality
after all that they are only a con
fed racy of separate and independ"
ent States, each sovereign within
its own territorial limits? Does T. e,
when he gives out these oracular
sayings Of his, suppose that the
people of the United States are re-
a ly to entertain for a moment the
exploded theories of that great and
astute man who so long led the
South by the splender Of his intel
lect and the profundity ofhis logic,
John c. Calhoun, that the Govern
ment of the United States is moth
ing but a mere agent, the princi ais
Of which are separate, sovereign and
independent States of the Union Z
God forbid that the gentleman
should prove in this matter a proph-
ct of God, or even of that inferior
being who sometimes ventures to
prophesy evil in his own name! /
trust it may fare with the gentleman
in the course of his prophetic pill
grimage as it Jared with the proph-
ct of old when he ascended the
mountain for the purpose of ours
ing Gods Israel and on his way
was met by the angel, beautiful and
immortal, guardian of men and ma