The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1875-02-12
SENATOR CONKLING.


lowing extract from the speech OF Sena-
tor Oonkling, on Louisiana affairs, de-
livered in tine Senate few days ago:
The Republican party, the President
of the United States and much OF the
residue of mankind, had been threaten
ed with destruction because those whom
Governor Kellogg summoned and who
responded were soldiers-soldiers of the
United States-hirelings they were
called by tho honorable Senator from
Maryland (Hamilton). He said they
we're hirclings, and withered them by
saying they received only eight dollars
month, hirelings; but for such hire
Hngs there might not now be Senate
Chamber to reverberate with the elo-
quence of the honorable Senator from
Maryland. But for these hirelings we
might not be now permitted to breathe
the air of free republic. This rem
nant of our army must remain some
where, but If found south of Mason and
Dixon's line somebody's nobility was Of
Tended. The soldiers of the nation found
in that section were buried under the
anathemas Of the Democratic party,
branded with The epithets of carpet bag
ger, scalawag, white niger, and the
like, their lot was hard one. One po-
htical party never called soldiers hire
hngs until they were summoned to
trample down q rebellion which LITE it's
bloody hands to stab the republic to the
heart.
1t was not always SO. The Democratic
party was once the soldiers party, and
the war party. 1t applauded the soldiers
in former wars, and sighed for new wnrs,
for Cuba and for conquest; but this was
in "whnt was once free America" He
borrowed the words from the honorable
Senator from Ohio (Thurman). This
was once when slavary needed room to
expand. In 1914 when Andrew Jackson
set a military guard over both houses of
the Louisiana Legislature, and imprison-
eda judge, the Democratic party glorifed
him ana made him President of the
United States. When a Democratic
Executive and Democratic Secretary of
War dispersed and Inundated both
houses of tha State Legislature, Con
gres9 and the country rang with Demo
cratic plaudits. That was one page in
one Of the most revolving chapters in
the history Of human tyranny and
wrong. Those who occupied seats around
himremenberthe occurrence. When vio-
lence, intrusion and outrage, carrying
the banner Of human slavery, stalked
with high head in Kansas, trampling
laws and rights under foot, did
the Democratic party apologize for
iR Did the predecessors of these
Senators apologize for it No; they
only sought to laugh it out of court.
They only sought to smoke it under rid
icule. BLEEDING Kansas" Heremem-
bered when that cant flew at the mast
heed Of Democratic papers. There was
no apology. Oh, no. Border rufinism
in KansA, was denied in this chamber
just as Southern outrages are now.
The honorable Senator from Ohio
(Thurman), astute as he is, would moi
make an ~ ology for these outrages.
Mr.. Conkling here read from the re
port Of the committee which iuYesti
gated the Kansas troubles, and sale
when General Sumner, commanding
the men whose bayonets flashed in the
sun, entored the Legislative hall Of tha
State. he declared the duty the mos
painful Of his life, and by force he com
pelled the retirement OF the legislature
Again at the municipal election il
Washington IN 1856, under q Democrat
ic administration, the United Statei
marines fred upon the crowd, killing
five men and wounding seventeen
Yet there was not even an Investigation
by the Democrats In Congress. Again
in 1869 General George B. Mcclellan
through General Banks, arrested a
many members of the Maryland Legis
lature rs he could, Maryland not beinJ
in session at the time, YET the Demo
cratic party at the first opportunity
afterwards strove to make McClellal
President on a peace platform-a plat
form devised by a convention whicl
brought out the constitutional army
which pelted Lincoln with all their al
rows and heaped upon him all the de
nunciabon of their brilliant vocabulary
The Democratic party always was til,
keeper Of the Constitution, and during
the war it was in charge Of the Democ
racy, North and South. The Northern
wing and Southern wing Wed witt
each other in their zeal to guarC
and protect that sacred instrument
He next referred to the arrest of Burns
in 1851, in Boston, and said he was al
rested for the crime Of being q blacl
man. The army and navy, under a Den
ocratic President, gathered about tn
spot, and Federal bayonets we're thick
John Brown was tried by court in
sovereigh State, and the gibbet upo
which he died quaked with the tramp {
Federal regiments and the rumble O
Federal artillery.
Yes, soldiers are hirelings; Senator
are hirelings; great body Of the Amer
ican people are hirelings, but no ma
forfeits mis- citizenship or his rights i
this country by being hireling. Sold
iers are citizens. Their uniform doe
not deprive them of this attribute, nc
does it relieve them of the duties Of eli
izens.