The States and Union. [volume] (Ashland, Ohio) 1868-1872, 1871-05-31
THE BILL OF INFAMY.
SENATOR THURMAN
ON, .......-..
JOHN SHERMAN'S PET,

The Conference Committee between
l the House and Senate on the amend
ments on the latter body to the infa-
nous force bill, having modified the
atrocity of Senator John Sherman's
proposition to make the innocent suffer
for the guilty, excited the Senator tc
an outburst of wrath, in which he in
voked a general civil war rather than
have the infamous bill killed. Sena-
tor Thurman replied. in style fitting
the occasion. He said:
Mr.. PRESIDENT I do not wonder
at the wrath of my colleague. The
Ku Klux have strangled his child,
: and at the head of the Ku Klux who
murdered the ''innocent" is the Sena.
tor from Vermont, (NIr, Edmunds, }
and his chief of staff is the Senator
from Wisconsin (Mr. Carpenter,) and
his aiders and abettors, or the armies
they command, are the House Of Rep
resentatives of the United States
That beautiful offspring of my col
league, which never before saw the
light west of the Alleghenies, which
never before was heard of, may say,
east or west of the Alleghenies, which
has to find its parentage eight hun
dred years ago i'll the disordered condi.
ton of English society, has been ter
ribly mangled at the hands of his po-
litical friends. L do not wonder at
his wrath.
agree with him that the substitute
which is offered for his section is not
worth the paper on which it is written.
L agree with him that it is lame, halt,
blind and impotent; that it is the
merest subteriuge or retreat from an
untenable position that ever was seen
in a Legislative assembly. / agree
with him that no man will ever be
convicted under that section. No dol
lar Of damages will ever bo awarded
against anybody under it. All this is
most certainly true, and therefore 1
can not wonder at the wrath of my
friend and colleague when he sees this
miserable abortion presented here in
place Of that heroic child, that Her
cules which came forth from his en-
brace with the Radical party of the
South.
All, Mr.. President, love for our
offspring will make us wrathful even
when wrath is not quite the dictate-of
wisdom. You have seen my colleague
here to night-he who has reputation,
but T hope VIII have it no more. of
being cold man; he who is too often
said to have no sympathy and to be of
an icy nature-you have seen him to-
night excited with most wonderful
passion until he tells the Senate of !
the United States that in order to put
down these outrages in the South, al
though outrages exist everywhere in
the country, he is willing to see uni
versal war in this land. Sir, have we
not had enough of this war? Have
we not seen enough of its sufferings ?
Have we not seen enough of its hor-
rors? Is there not enough mourning
in this land? Is there not enough !
debt pressing on the people Is there
not enough taxation on the people p
Is there not enough of terrible memo
ries and terrible wounds to be healed |
over? Is there not enough to make !,
any man shudder at the idea of an
other civil war? And yet the de-
struction of this childof my colleagues
makes him tonight stand up here in !
his place in the American Senate and ,
say he is willing to see another civil
war.
There have been men uncharitabie
enough TO suppose that the intent of this
legislation is to provoke another civil
war in order that by the employment of
the military and the excitement of the
northern people the party in power
may continue in power without limit
and without stint. have never said
so. will never impute to a brother
Senator on this floor motive more
than that which Lucifier
felt when he fell from the battlements
Of Heaven. L never will charge
Senator on this floor with promoting
measures in the Senate for the pur-
pose of melting civil war in order that
I party may triumph or a party may
retain its power. l will not say that
hell is in the heart of Senator from
,he United States. And yet, Mr..
Presid ent, how many men there are 1
will catch up the words of my col 1
eague when he says he is willing to
see universal war again to put down {
,utrages which occur everywhere in
he country, and which have occurred
n every country in the world. How {
many men are there who will catch. up |
hat sentence and say that the domi- {
lant party in the Senate have urged /;
hose measures in order to incite civil !
var, that they might prolong their {
,ower in this land {? 1 do not say ii /;
,ut there are men who will say it
f anybody shall hereafter quote the {
ltterance of single Democratic SEN |
ltor, and attribute those uttcrances to {