The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1879-04-04


that did not belong to 1t. Ii was only otter
the long Parliament Of England had dis
|sgusted tue countrysby its ssifsrrgard ofrctvil|
and personal rights and. by lis assumption,
OF everything that belonged TO the Govern
ment. that the stern soldier Oliver Croin-
we'll dared 10 go to that, House and dissolve
1t with military power. It was only after.
the French Assembly had; made France, lis
fair fields and Its lyine-ciad hitls, run
red with the blood Of It's best citi-
zens: not until Europe was appalled,
at the scenes Of murder perpetrated there;
| not until the world .itself stood aebast al:
tue crimes that were committed In the
name OF liberty. that, the young Napoleon
| with his armed force, was able to seize
upon the Government. We belong to a.
system OF government With coordinate and
limited powers; oil bearing relation
to each other; each having. It's mp.
pointed sphere; each clothed with Its
natural duties each having its special! at
fractions and restraints !; each, like the solar
system in the heavens, dependent on the
other. Let one of these spheres be stricken
down, let it be let loose from the proper
law OF gravitation, OF centrifugal and cen
trlpcta forces, and what becomes Of ilf 1t
wanders abroad, not only TO the destruction
OF lbc system Of which It was member,
but an object OF terror TO the universe.
Here we are coordinate systems OF this
Government; all held together by the at
/ fractions, privileges, powers. and restric-
tons OF the Constitution OF the United
States. II one member OF this system
/
the old landmarks are swept away and the
old traditions wiped ont; when tue old safe
i guards are all broken down. it riots through
the system an object OF terror and o! dis
may, and-more terrible than maiestIc-it
becomes n mighty instrument o. evil.
My friends addressing the Democratic
side OF the House, 1t is from disrupted
system OF government that the military
power arises. It is in The confusion OF dis
order, the lack Of right to be executed by
the civil officers Of the law; it is within the
smoke of such contest that the .man on
horse back'. rides in. Liberty is sacrificed
to order. So long as the civil process OF
the law may be properly executed by the
civil officers inthis country, there is no dan
ger Of the military power. The strong
ms, the clear heads, TING brave hearts Of
our people, North and South, would never
yie't to Standing army, were 1t million
strong, unless 1t became absolutely neces-
sary under the pressure OF usurped and ar
bitrary power OF some irresponsible men,
Der OF the system to sacrifice liberty to
order. That time will. never come in this
country unless you, my friends, disregard
the plain teaching OF history" =
Mr.. Blackburn, Ut Kentucky, was the
next speaker. epremised his speech with
the hope that he would in no way depart
| ,J,,, NJ goir n lphntn-tbot
no uttrranccs OF his.would give call to the
charge that any sectional question was in
yolved in the issue under consideration.
Nobody had been surprised at the speech Of
the gentleman from New jersey (Mr. Robe.
son). The performance would not have
been comnlcte, would not have been fairly
rounded out. unless soIAe member OF the
Eriyy council Of that imrerialstlc dynasty,
under whose admiuis traton the very vicious
practice had grown up to what 1t was now!
sought 10 repeal, had testified on the floor
in its behalf. 1t mad beenargued by various
gentlemen on The other side that this repeal
was revolutionary in It's Character; that 1t had
no place upon an appropriation bill; that it
was out OF line, and should be considered
as an independent proposition. lie was but
Il poor student OF his country's history who
was not able to satisfy himself that from the
foundation OF the Constitution down to the
present time it had ever been held, and that
by tie highest authorities in the land, that
it was in tho power OF tic House TO control
the employment OF the army by the with
holding Of supplies. In the very nature Of
things the proposed repeal could not be rev.
olutionary. Negative legislation was never
revolutionary. Affirmative legislation might
be. but not negative legislation. There was
no one who would assert that previous to
1865 the Executive had held the power
which this bill proposed TO deprive him Of.
THE Constitution did not give the right
TO the President to send armed forces into
any State, even to suppress domestic yio-
lence. BY no means, 1t required the Pres
ident to protect every State from invasion,
but only conferred upon him the right TO
send soldiers to that State to suppress do
nestle violence when the Legislature OF that
State or the Governor should make q
rcqusition upon him. He was not per.
mitted TO anticipate domestic VIOLENCE
neither he. nor the Legislature, nor the
Governor. Domestic violence must have
been in. existence, and that fact
must have been certified to him by the lie
cisIatl1rc. There was no pr progative which
the President held that was not clearly de-
fined and limited by law. But the Consti-
tuition had made Congress, in express terms.
the grand reservoir into which all powers OF
implication flowed. This bill could not COM
prehend revolution; but it was said that II
was not in the proper place when 1t was en-
grated upon an appropriation bill. Ii, he
said, lectures were to he read to the Demo-
Gratis, let them core from some quarter and
some member not convicted on the record.
. The gentleman from Ohio {Mr. Galtield)
had told the House that this was an effort
and all unmanly effort 10 starye the Govern
ment TO death, and bad contrasted it with
what he termed the bolder and Drawer ac-
zion of certain members of Congress in
1861, who had left their seats and. had car
ried their issue to the field Of carnage. That
. gentleman had said that this was reyolu-
lion, and had decried the effort which the
, Democrats were making to adopt it, Ear
better would it have been for the people Of
the country if the power Of the gentleman
! from Ohio had been applied at an earlier
!; period OF his political history in depouscing
!, md opposing revolutionary legislation. Did
fthe gentleman remember the record that
, he had made in 1868 on an amendment
offered by Mr.. Wilson, OF Iowa, to an al
preparation bill. proposing to rayolutionize
the judicial system OF the country; pro-
I posing to rob q cc6:diHate branch OF the
! Gayernment; proposing to strip the Su-
j Dreme Court OF, the pTerogatrVes and the
powers that the Federal Constitution had
). clothed it With? That amendment had pro.
j vidnd that il any circuit OF district court
!; should declare any act Of Congress to be up-
!. constitute al the Judgment fho'ild be car