Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1876-01-28

clared that there was no Just ground
for Georgia's going out; declared
that the election of a President ac-
cording to the Constitution was no
iustifable ground for secession, and
declared that if under the circum-
stances the south should go out she
would herself be committing
gigantic wrong and would call down
on her the thunders and horrors of
civil war.
Thus spoke Alexander H. Stephens
in 1860. Over against anything.
that may be said to the contrary l
place his testimony that we did not
force the South out; that they went
out against all the protests and the
prayers and the humiliation that
great and proud nation could make
without absolute disgrace.
Mr.. DAVIS. Will the gentleman
from Ohio yield to me moment?
Mr.. GARFIELD. Certainly.
Mr.. DAVIS. The gentleman has
used a term that touches the honor
of more men than one in this House
and in the South. | desire, there
fore, to ask him this question:
Whether the war did not result
from difference of views between
gentlemen of the North and gentle
men of the South with regard to
what was the true construction of
the Constitution That being SO, l
desire to ask him further whether
the oath of fidelity to the Constitu
ton was best observed by those peo-
pie of the section which be repre-
sents, those of his own party, who
declared that there was a law high
er than the Constitution and declin-
ed to obey that Instrument, or by
those who observed faithfully their
constitutional obligations, and who,
when raids were made upon them,
merely defended themselves, as they
understand it, from unconstitution-
al aggression?
I wish to say further for myself
and those that are here with me,
that the Constitution having been
amended-the shigher law" party
having incorporated in that instru-
ment the abolition of slavery and
certain other features which we
have now sworn to support along
with the rest of OF the instrument
if In the future we fail to to observe
that oath before high Heaven, then
we may be declared perjUred; then
we may be declared rebels; then we
may be declared traitors.
Mr.. GARFIELD. If the gentleman
has understood me he connot fail to
see that 1 have not used the word
in any offensive sense, but in its
plain and ordinary acceptation, as
used in the law. We held that the
United States was a nation, bound
together by bond of perpetual un-
ion; a union which no State or any
combination of States, which no man
or any combination of men, had the
right, under the Constitution, to
break. The attempt of the South
to overthrow the Bnion was an of
tense against the Government. The
gentleman from North Carolina
calls the war on one side a raid. l
will never consent to call our ware
for the Union ga raid" least of all
a raid. upon, the rights of any hu-
man being. I admit that there was
< SoIitical theory of State rights
. IbeoS-v held, Ihave no debut, by
gentlemen Ike the gentleman of
Tirgin;;a % IMR. TUcKERl who spoke a
moment agoN6elieved in as SIM
eereIy as I believe the opposite
which led them to thinS> it was their
duty to go when their Stase went.
| admit that that mitigates al that
the law speaks of as violation OF
an oath. But l will never admiG>
flor history gives the lie to the
statement ir every line) that the
men of the Union were making "a
raid'' upon the rights of the South.
Read the Republican platform of
1856 and 1850. What dId we contend
for in those years? Simply that
slavery should not be extended into
any Territory already free. That
was all. We forsWore any right or
purpose on our part in tiRe Of peace
to touch slavery in any State. We
onIv claimed that in the Territories,
the common heritage of all the I'm
ion, s.'svery should never travel an
other iuch. and thank God it no
longer p,,Ilates our soil or disgraces
our clyiliz. <tfOR,
Now thu slavery, the guilty
eause of the sbeIhQa, is no more,
sad that, so far as / know, nobody
wants it restored-1 do not believe
these gentlemen fr0m the sS9gSh de-
sire its restoration-- ~
Mr.. HUI. We would not have 4.
Mr.. GARF1ELD. They would not
have il, the gentleman from Georgia.
says. Then let us thank G cd that in
the fierce flames of war the inStitn-
ton of slavery has been consumed;
bnd out of its ashes let US hope a
aetter than the tabled phoenix of old
will arise-a love of the Union high
and deep, Gas broad and general as
the casing air, 'enyeloping US all,
and that it shall be cOuRted no shame
for any man who is not still under
political disabilities to say with up
lifted hand, 81 will be true to it and
take the proffered amnesty Of the
nation" but let US not tender it
to be spurned; if it is worth having,
it is worth asking for.
And now, Mr.. Speaker, / close as
began. Toward those men who |
fought US on the field, / |
cherish the kindest feeling. / feel |
a sincere reverence for the soldierly |
qualities which they displayed on
many a well-fought. battlefield. / !
hope the day will come when their
swords and ours will be crossed over
many a doorway of our children,
who viii remember the glory of their
ancestors with pride. The high
qualities of that conflict now
belong to the whole nation. Let
them be consecrated to the Union
and its future peace and glory. /
shall hail that conservation as
&c o,,-