Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1876-02-02

i don.
| True, the Supreme Court, by ma
ljority, decided that Congress did no
act nnconstitutionally in issuin,
greenbacks under the cxigcncy of th
case. But, my friends, am an ol,
Jackson democrat; n JeilcrsoniaI
democrat: and, but for that SLAYER,
Question. / would be a democrat to
day. The difficulty with me was tina
l followed Jefferson; / read wha
Jefferson said in his Notes on Virgin
10 and thank God, believed it; ant
any country that would prosper mus
believe it. We held, and jackson held
that the decision of the Supreme
Court could not bind the conscicnc,
of a member Of Congress; and there
fore members of Congress are no
bound on this question when new
Legislation shall arise.
Now time ran on. The men wht
issued the greenback intended a
some day, not far distant, we shoult
return to the old Bentonian and Jack
sonian currency hard money. Tha
is what those who put out the green
back generally understand, though
some do not. Now, here in this House
the other day, l was nightly in
structed to sec the vote on the motion
Of the gentleman from Indiana, mfr
Holman, A few gentlemen from til,
Northern States voted with him bu
pretty much the entire confederate
phalanx, the whole body of Constitu
ton loving strict cOnstructiOnist,
marched up as one man to the inevit.
able "deadly breach" and voted fol
grcenbacks. Now l say that in view
of these things, l cannot understand
what man means by strict construc
ton of the Constitution. Good God
who can understand it? laughter.
Twill tell you what from all this
understand strict construction OF
the Constitution to be. understand
that, If strict constructionists want:
q measure to succeed, it is constitu.
tiional and if he does not want il, il
is unconstitutional. [Grcat laughter.
understand, sir, that the legal posi-.
ton was perfectly expressed by ar
Irishman in my district. He bought q
horse, and when a man owns prop.
crfy he thinks it is the best thing in
the world. He led out his horse and
showed it to his neighbors. One
neighbor, wishing TO worry him
asked him whether his horse had the
glanders. "Nhat is it YOU call the
g1anders Z" asked the Irishman. III
is not1or me to tell you, but l want
to Nv0w whether your horse has the
glanders p "Wcll,y said he, s'if he i.
better for the glanders he has tn,
the glanders enough, but if he is tht
worse for the glandcrs he has not the
glanders at ALL" Great laughter.
Now, the gentleman from Virgins
must pardon me. but think this
question has not got the glanders al
all, Renewed laughter.
But, sir, l stand here as repre-.
sentative of the people of this coun-
try, however unworthily, and an
bound to take notice ofanOther thing
which dropped from that gentleman
That gentleman put forward tho
proposition, in substance, that this
people are not a nation, that We. were
q confcderacy OF States. True. hi,
more experienced northern demo
cratic neighbor from Indiana begged
of him not to open that question
Still it was put forward here. Now
sir, from 1850 and earlier, up to 1850
that question was debated in every
assembly, iii every meeting of Con
gress, upon the hnstings. and i'm State
Legislatures. II was argued as a
man would argue with his brother
sometimes..fiercely, sometimes in good
temper. sometimes calmly. and some.
times in bad temper. In 1860 a con
stitutional majority of the country
In the way the vote was cast by tho
peaple, elected Abraham m Lincoln and
a Congress that held with Lincoln
that this was a nation. An appca
was then taken from this decision oi
the people to the arbitrament of war
and from 1861 TO 1865 brave men OF
both sides. noble spirited men
Americans-met in the terrible arbi
trament of steel to settle upon tho
battlefield whether we were nation
or not. This was the question
brought up in this court of appeal
see the gentleman from Virginia i;
La lawyer: l am lawyer: and We
| understand how questions of appea
are disposed of. 1t was argued OF
one side with apparent success ON one
field. and with apparent success upon
| the other side upon another field.
from Gettyburgh TO New Orleans
from the ocean to the Sabine, from
Belmont to the Gulf and final judg
ment was rendered on the appeal il
the gentleman's own district at Apo
mattox Court House. Final judgmen
upon that appeal was rendered ant
recorded then, and i wish the gentle
man from Virginia had gone to Apo
mattox Court House and read up th,
record before he came here with
view to open that discussion agail
and throw this country into a new
turmoil.
Does anybody think we are not
nation? Is this any lessssyour nation
my Virginia friend, than mine Hav,
any more glory in this nation thai
you have? If yOy are to prosper. al,
YOU not to prosper through this ma
ton! you are to go abroad, do vol
not go with the passport OF this ma
ton! II YOU arc to blush in Europ,
for your country, is it not for thi
country? And ifyou are to be prouG
in Europe, and step two inches highc
than any other man, do you not do
by virtue of the fact that this is you
country? (Laughter.] Let alone tn,
great "unpleasantness; !" that is over
If we are honest men, kindly men
that is all over.
tell yon, gentlemen, that this i
your nation and my nation. We az,
all one. l do not know how it will b.
up at Philadelphia. hut l will tall
about that by and by. Here it is ou
country, and our capital. NY distric
is part of your country, and your dis
trict, my friend, whether you fee
good-naturcd, is part of my country
1t is so under the Constitution.
| Now. sir, l have said thus much, le
me say further. Shall we be honored
shall we be respected? Is Englan,
going to get any advantage Of us
Are You going to have John Bull
shake his head al You and say thing
are done a great deal better at .''ome
What did we have this fight on on
side for? lam willing to refer it I,
the other side. 1t was that we shoult
be q great country, big enough I.
meet all the world, and to fight all tn
world il necessary. W0 wanted yo1
side by side with us--justithe mel
who are here, for We knew you wer
brave before the war, but YOU did no
know we were, and there was never
more disappointed people in III
world than you were. Laughier).
viii confess here before you that In
miserable creatures we sent 10 Con
gress, who always Welded everything
when You elamOrcd, cheated You int
that struggle. lGreat laughter.l Yo
found that We are as brave as you ar
yourselves, and we and You alway
/ respect man who has the courage q
his opinion. while we despise sncal
/ Now. having gone so far. stan
here 10 make confession. l M
bound TO do it. The other day
heard that dreadful cry come up tror
the gentleman rom'GeOrgia Mr. Hill
| heard his indictment read agains
tus. And j am sorry to say that nj
though most Of the speech OF the gen
tleman from North Carolina NJ
Waddell was honorable, high-toncG