The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1868-02-06
Hon. J. A. Bingham on Recon
structt0n

& Hon. J. A. Bingham on Recon
structt0n.
+ We have read with much pleasure
the speech Of Mr.. Bingham, Of Ohio,
; reported in the Daily Globe Of the
{ 18th. Mr.. Bingham's speeches are.
generally referred to as remarkable
for fine rhetoric. He deals Mr.. Geo.
H. Pendleton'a ponderous blow:
4 Mr.. Bingham. I desire, Mr.. Speak
er, to state as briefly as pos BILE the
provisions of this bill. and the grounds
upon which we sustain it here, and
hope to sustain it before the country.
No one Mr.. Speaker, can if he
would, evade the conclusion. that
there is now in this country a great
and powerful organization, always
I talking about the 'sanctity Of the Con
stitution, but opposed to-day as it was
eight years ago to the defence ofthat
Constitution; either by arms or bv
laws. I will not, sir. standing as 1
do in the presence 5 of the recorded
facts of the last seven years, be driven
into any denial, special or general. Of
the right Of the people of the United
States to maintain their own Constftu.
ton and Government both by arms
and BY laws. That question has been
Sc tied by wager OF battle. 1t has
been settled as well by the ballot in
[ the past, and in the current year,
1869, it is to be settled I trust finally
and forever in that great conflict of the
people, which shall determine who
shall be intrusted with the executive
power Of the United States, and with
the legislative power. Of the organized
people Of this country Itis useless,
sir, fOrmen to stop and persuade any
body that this is not ia mere party
contest between q Democratic party
and Republican party IT is a con-
test, sir, disguise it as men may, be-
tween the friends Of the Constitution
and Government Of the United States
and1fts enemies, open or covert.
The gentleman from New York
(Mr. BroOks) could not, with all his
ingenuity, in presenting his minority
report against this bill, fail to echo
the voice which comes back to Us
from the past, the. voice we heard sew
en- years ago on this floor, declaring
it was unconstitutional to interfere
with the sovereignty of the. seeding
States, alleged to be supreme, and as
suming the rightful authority tOistrike
down the Constitution on the one
hand, and to Strike down the rights of
the, oFganized . people Of the country
on the other hand. BE- .l saif
The words of the gentleman's re-
port are. steteOtyped. It was my privi-
Iege; sir, to stand on this floor this day
seven years ago, and hear precisely
the utteranGe TO which we have listen
ed to-day, when men were mastering
In South Carolina as men are muster
ing iRsSouth Carolina to-day, against
the supremacy of the Constitution and
the integrity Of the Union, seizing
your arms, seizing your treasure, seiz-
ing your ships, seizing. your citizens
charged and chaEegable with no crime
save fidelity to the Constitution.
1t is significant fact thatthe very
Representative from my own State,
who on that day stood on this floor,
and with an action as fervent as. that
which marks the utterance of the gen
tleman to-day, declared after those
acts of secession, after those acts
of public robbery. after those acts
of incipient t elsOD, that it was con-
trary TO the genius and spirit Of the
Constitution to cOeTce seeding z States,
the gentleman who made that utter
ance that day is now the accepted
standard bearer of the, party on whose
behalf the. gentleman from New
York (Mr. BroOks) speaks, when he
comes with an apology for treason,
saying that it is unconstitutional to
provide by law for carrying into effect
the written letter of tire Constitution.
When the contest had progressed
from that day, January, 1861, until
the Whole land was covered with
armed men, until the whole heavens
were covered with blackness, until the
habitations of the land were filed
with dead, and it became necessary, in
order that your country's defenders
might be furnished the means of
shelter, and transportation and de-
fence, to make a forced loan, the same
gentleman (DIr. PendIetOn) arose in
his place and declared that it was un-
constitutional to emit bills Of credit
for the redemption of which stood
pledged by act Of Congress the un-
counted wealth of the whole people Of
the United States. Strange to say,
when it suits his purpose, the same
gentleman, without any change Ofthat
instrument, has the audIcity to-day to
go before the people and proclaim his
readiness, prOvided his party be in
trusted with the po%er, to violate the
Constitution in that behalf, to the ex-
tent Of an issue of $4,000, 900, 600 at
once Of bills of credit, redeemsble new
er, and thereby repUdiate the Obliga-
tiOns Of the country, thus incurred Of
necessity and in defence of the nations
life.
It becomes such gentlemen to talk
about the Constitution, and to de-
nounce as unconstitutional the bill
now under consideration, and by
which it is intended to aid the people
speedily to restore the shattered fabric
ofciviI government in the insurrec-
tionary States.
This brings me to the consideration
of the first section of th3 bill, which
venture to say is as clearly constitu-
tionaI as any act pissed by the Con-
gress of the United States. Trusting,
as I do, that in some form and in sub
stance, that section will pass into law,
am of the opinion that it VIII be adj
Judged constitutional by e:ery Judge
upon your Supreme Bench.
Why he NEVER saw HIM.-At a GER
tain college, the senior class was under eX-
] q -. Il, Thta rfaE 1enr n