Juniata sentinel. [volume] (Mifflintown, Pa.) 1846-1873, 1870-12-21
Rebel Insolence.

/ hCUCA AeOVACuOCs
On Tuesday, the 18th inst, Mr.. Nc
Creery. of Kentucky, offered in the Uni
ted States Senate joint resolution 70
the benefit of Mrs. Robert E. Lee. Thi
resolution provided for the restoration o
the Arlington estate to its former own
er. Mrs. Gen. Lee; it also provided TO
the payment to her of rent for the occu
pancy Of the property from the time tha
it has been in public use; it also provi
ded for the removal of the thousands O.
Union soldiers, who are buried on th'
property Mr. McCreery took advan
tage of the occasion and delivered 4
speech highly eulogistic of the grea
rebel, Gen Lee A number CT Senators
replied to this insolence, in spirited speech
es. Hon. John Scott, one of Pennsylva
MAS Senators, was among the number
who stood up in their places and cast back
the insolence. Read his speech. Here
it is. Mr.. Scott said
Mr.. President, it may be that long SER
vice in this Chamber has enabled some
Senators so to control their feelings that
it is deemed diguifed not to give express
| sion to them. 1t may be, sir, that it is
even prudent aud that older Senator's
have learned that prudence. not to at
tempt to give utterance to sentiments when
we feel that they are strong ones. Sir,
even at the risk of being imprudent. l
cannot refrain from giving ut.erance to
the sentiments which swelled up in my
bosom when | heard the opening sentences
of the Senator from Kentucky. Those
opening sentences uttered in this Cham
ber, coupling together the names of
Thomas and of Lee, broug BIT back to my
recollection the utterance of Senator
who once occupied seat in this Cham
ber, and made at the time when Thomas
and Lee were taking their departures up
on the paths that were presented them
Stephen A. Douglas declared at that
hour, that from that day hence there were
but two classes in the nation-patriots
and traitors.
Ana, sir, another feeling arose when !
recalled that sentiment. 1t was this:
have heard it elsewhere. / repeat it here.
that since the day when the sword fam
ed at the east gate of Eden there has
never been such an exhibition of mag
nanimity and of mercy as there has been
by the United States toward those who
engaged in the late rebellion; and it was
illustrated to-day, when the Senate of
the United States could sit in patience
and listen to eulogy upon the man who
on that day started out in the path of
treason.
Has it ever been. sir. that such rebel
lion against constituted government, car
ried on for years, has terminated not sim
ply without the execution of single
criminal for treason, but without even q
trial for the purpose of defining the law
of treason And has it ever been before
that the highest legislative tribunal of
any nation has eat in patience and listen
ed to eulogy upon the chief conspira-
tor engaged in tearing that Government
down?
If the man upon whom this eulogy has
been pronounced had been successful in
the efforts in which the laurels this day
thrown over his grave were won, where
would this Senate have been sitting
Would this be land of freedom, or
would it, not have been one over which
the dark pail of slavery would have cast
it's shadow from the St. Lawrence to the
Gulf? Should we be here to-day, sir.
upon this question if the
man upon whom this eulogy is passed
had been successful in his efforts 7 And
now, sir. as if to add to this proposition
al the enormity that the proposition it.
self carries upon its face, what is propos-
ed : General Lee starting out as the
champion of the armies which sought to
establish the doctrine of secession his
property censecrated by the nation as
the burial ground of the martyrs who fell
10 seal the doctrine that our Constitution
iorms nation from which no State can
'ecede; to-day on the heights of the Ar
ington the doctrine of secession lies bur.
ried beneath the bones of the thousands
If men who fell to seal the covenant of
he nation and we have the spectacle
o-day of resurrectionist coming here
md reaching his hand beneath the bones
If the nations martyrs to drag out dead
doctrine that lies inferred beneath them.
Shall it be done, sir :? Can we sit in pa
ience and listen to such proposition as
hist I, sir, though young member of
he Senate. enter my protest against
t, whatever dignity or prudence may re-
luire at the hands of the older members
# the body.
The War In France.