Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1875-02-04

in politics you could take the troops to
enter the city of Boston and arrest a
slave aud return him to the States of
Virginia, on a government vessel. put
him in manacles and shackles and keep
him bondman by the force of the
army and navy, but when the army Is
used to protect liberty and enforce law
you howl as though a set Of tyrants
were setting fire to your houses !. This,
Mr.. President, was Democracy in 1854.
1t is well enough to use army and ma
Wy to enslave men; but when you use
the army to protect the liberty of cit
liens in State, it is an outrage, and
tyranny and oppression unheard of in
a civilized country.
Now, sir, let us follow this little
further | am not done with our
Democratic military records yet. There
is another little instance where the
majority Of the Democrats, when these
things were taking place, joined in sus-
tanning the use of the army there !;
but while the Democrats were sustain
ing Pierce, you remember three was a
little trouble over Kansas In 1856.
in the Territory of Kansas, at the
town of Topeka, free State Legisla-
ture assembled. President Pierce
theh issued proclamation that [ will
send to the Clerk and ask to be read.
The Clerk here read the proclama-
ton Of President Pierce warning GER
tain persons in Kansas to disperse to
their homes, and the order Jefferson
Davis, SECRETARY of war, directing the
arrest of the Kansas Legislature.
Mr.. Logan-Mr, President, it will
be seen at this time, in February,
1856, after President Pierce had iss-
ued a proclamation for the disorderly
persons in the State Of Kansas to dis
perse, Jefferson Davis, the then Secre-
tary of War, issued an order to the
troops in Kansas, putting them under
command of the Governor of that Ter
ritory, to be summoned at his call for
the purpose he might require. What
followed Let me read:
Gov. Shannon had left the Territory
and Secretary Woodson was Acting
Governor. The latter went to Topeka.
and there issued a proclamation for
biding all persons claiming legislative
power under the Topeka constitution
from organizing. Col Summer, act
ing under orders from Washington,
entered the House of Representatives.
The roll was called by the Clerk, and
this officer remarked that he was about
to perform the most disagreeable duty
of his life, and that was, the dispes-
ion of the Legislature. He said his
orders were to diSperse it and, in an
swer to Judge Schuyler, he should en-
ploy all the force necessary to carry
his orders into effect. He then enter
ed the Senate Chamber, and in like
manner dispersed tnat body Wilson, s
Rise and Fall of the Stare Power IN
4merica, page 500.
There is a case for you. In 1856, |
under the orders Of the SECRETARY ofI
War Jeff. Davis, acting under the au-
thority Of the President Of the United
States, your troops entered the Legis- |
lature of an inchoate State, and dis
persed one house, then the other The |
facts. outside of what [ have read, are
that Col. Summer, afterward Gen. |
Summer, who was killed in battle. |
trained his artillery on the State House,
stationed his troops at the door, and
notified the Legislature that he would |
use all the force in his power if they
did not disperse. They did disperse.
That was indorsed by the Democratic
party all over this country; but that
same Democratic party who indorsed
that invasion of a Legislature and
that dispersion of a Legislature to-day
denounce the Republican party of
the United States-for what? Mere
Iy because Kellogg, without the orders
Of the General, put our men who were
not members of the Legislature. in or
der to organize men who were mem
beres of the Legislature, in accordance
with the laws off the State Of Louisi-
ana.
Mr.. Logan-Well. it is not necess-
ary to have any controversy about
these things. [ have failed, since
this controversy has commenced. to