The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1877-01-26
THE TWO sERPENrs.
Admir- able Defense of the Rights of the
States by Hon. s. s. Cox.

Se@1Oe Wy @@SAs ~ ~ WA
When have listened to this report and
TO the arguments which have been uttered
in support of it from the other side of the
house. | have been struck with amaze
ment that it should ever have fall len to my
lot to defend pthe rights of an American
state against the usurpation OF a Demo
cratic national house of representatives.
Icould not help being reminded OF ia
NOUS passage in Macaulay which de-
scribes the transformations of the politi-
cal PARTIES in England before the days Of
the Earl of Chatham. will ask the clerk
TO read the passage | have marked.
The clerk read as follows:
d ANTE tells us that he sawin Malebolge,a strange
encounter between a hnman form and serpent
The enemies, after cruel wounds inflicted stood for
time glaring on each other. cloud surrounded
them, and then a wonderful metamorphosis began.
Each figure TRANSPORTED into the likeness ofits
antagonist The serpent's tail divided itself into
two legs; the mans leg interwined themselves into
tail The body Of the serpentlput forth arms ;tht
arms Of the man shrank into his body; AT length
the serpent stood up man and spake; the man sank
down serpent and glided hhissng away. Some
thing like this the transformation which during
the reign of George the First hefe the two English
parties, Each gradually took the shape and color
OF its foe till at length the Tory up erect the
zealOt Of freedom, and! the Wing crawed and licked
the dust at the freedom Of power,
Mr. Hoar. Now, whatever words parties
in this country may take upon their lips
am afraid that each party will be found
to advocate an extension of the particular
authority which it is at the time eXercis
ing, and each party will be found to advo
cate restraining and curling of the power
which is not at that particular time placed
in its hands
AN EXTRACT FROM MR.. COX's RESPONSE.
1t has come directly to this. / do not
discuss now the law or the facts; speak
OF the morale. Here to-day gentlemen on
theIother side arein the position of choking
down the truth. Not that they would just
now count one man in and another out;
but they estop inquiry at this perilous
juncture as to the proper man to be counted
in. Do gentlemen desire to anticipate the
work of the l4th of February Do they
desire to smother what is indispensable to
be known, aud known at once? Do they
desire to assist in concealment for Interior
purposes?
Thus, sir, this question has its import
ance, merely as question of public law
Ii is the pivotal question on which the
chief magistracy depends. On it hang
stupendous consequences, Yet we are met
by frivolous debate as to the change of par
ties on state rights or federalism; and
the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr.
HOar) condescended to intimate that
Democrats had become federalists, while
his side had become DEVOTED to state
rights. Sir, we have not come down from
the position of state rights men. We
stand within tle constitution, which is
the barrier by which the rights of the
states are protected. The alluslon of my
friend from Massachusetts to the fable
narrated by Macaulay of the serpent and
the man, whose various parts in conflict
were transformed and interchanged, does
not apply, either as analogy or reason, to
this proposition, We stand as ever by the
rights of the states. We stand by the
power of this house to guard the existence
of state. Who would strike down state
rights here? All ! are gentlemen on the
other side upholding by their opposition to
this measure of coercion the power Of the
state militia, or of the state courts. or of
the state laws and constitution of Louis
lana? Are they defending its autonomy
its independence. its freedom, threatened
hourly by the federal bayonet, who cham
pion not merely the old federalism, but a
federalism intensified and arbitrary, and
backed up by the insolence of the military
You would dethrone state rights; We would
enthrone them. You have already by
your eating guns and other forceful
means stricken down the state. By the
unlawful exercise of federal power, by
your prORuRcidBlentOS by your perver
sion OF the munimeuts of liberty in that
state by defying the constitution, By
stretching forth in the state of Louisiana
the velvety. Gloved hand of power with
iron grip underneath it, you have muir
dered state rights; and you cannot even
be allowed to preach the funeral Grafton.
Laughter and applause.
Why, Mr.. Speaker, when gentlemen
on the other Size applaud state rights, let
them 90 to Louisiana, let them see a
stricken state, with the federal power
over its PROSTATE form. Why, the very
sugar plantations are turned into swamps.
and the former habitatiOns of health,
plenty, aud content are filled with crawl
ing serpents-evidence of ruthless
wrong and premature decay. 1t is no
longer the proud state of Louisiana which
Jefferson bought and of which the Demo
crazy were so proud, 1t lies in the dust
at the feet of fraud and force. As fable
from Macaulay has been sent up to be
read as presenting an appropriate analogy
in connection with this debate, ask to
have read another story which has more
appropriate application. 1t comes nearer
to the point of this debate, if such fabu-
lous illusions be applicable at all. | ask
the clerk to read a passage which is also
from Macaulay.
The clerk read as follows;
ArIosto tells pretty story of fairy, who, by
some mysterious law OF her nature. was con-
dcmned to appear at certain in the form oi
"A foul and poisonous snake. Those who injured
her during the period Of her disguise forever
excluded from participation In the blessings which
she bestowed. But to those who, in spite of her
loathsOme aspect pited and protected her, she at
terward revealed herself in the beautiful and celes
tal form which natural to her, accompanied
their steps granted all their wishes, filled their
houses with wealth, made them happy in love and
victorious In war Such spirit IL liberty Al
times she takes the form of hateful reptile: she
grovcls she Misses, she stings. But woe to those
who In disgust shall venture to crush her and hap
py are those who, having dared to received her il
her degraded and frighttul shape shall at length
be rewarded by her in the time of her beauty and
glory.
Mr.. Cox. Mr.. Speaker, that fable by
Macaulay illustrates the condition of Lou
isiana, She is condemned fol- q season tC
wear the pitiable and loathsome aspect
But woe TO those who seek further &
crush her, for they crush the beautiful
form and spirit of liberty
] remember we'll an interview which
many years ago, Just before the war,
had with General Cass. 1t was just be
fore he LETT the cabinet He told me thai
when he had been a citizen of Ohio, re
siding ut Marietta, aud when Louisiana
belonged to Spain, there was some diff
Guilty about our northern and western pro