Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1879-04-03
LIVELY DAY IN CONGRESS.

| LIVELY DAY IN CONGRESS.
Garfield Wakes Up the Rebs-
A speech thnt will Enthuse
The Country.
Addressing himself to the Demo-
Gratis upon the proposition to refuse
appropriations unless they were al
lowed to repeal the laws for the
protection of the ballot. Gen. Gar
field said: .'You said 10 1861 that
The doctrine Of secession must be
accepted, or We will shoot down
the Government That was an open
manly declaration. Yon say in 1879,
You must accept Democratic dicta.
ton or we will starve out the Gov
ernment.' That is mean, base. cow
ardly. In 1855, before the war, when
the Democracy was in its prime, you
considered it necessary, wise and
constitutional that the United States
Marshals should have power to use
the United States army, navy or
marines as posse to search the
house OF every Northern man in pnr-
suit of fugitive slaves. In 1879 the
negro being free and voter, you
think it u0wise, dangerous and un-
constitutional for the United States
Marshals to have posse to COM
mand either the army, the navy. or
the marines, or any civil posse to
protect that negro at the polls and
you threaten to starve out the Gov
eminent unless that law is repealed"
With sentiments like these, ad-
dressed to the ante bellum leaders of
the House, Gen. Garfield opened the
great debate to-day. 1t was proba.
bly, the best effort Of his life. The
Republicans of the House were cleo.
trified. The Democrats were dis.
mayed. Every Dem ocratic member
kept his seat during this memorable
speech anxious to know how the
Bourbon leaders would meet it. Ev-
cry Republican kept his place pleased
to hear so clear statement of the
Republican position, panied to know
that IN the progress of events, the
progress OF events the politics of
eighteen years ago have returned
Alexander Stephens had spoken and
rolled himself like q mummy upon
wheels in his vain, egotistical way
about the Chamber and had trimmed
to the Bourbon side as is his custom.
When Gen. Garfield rose to speak
there was instant silence and atten.
ton. The Democrats waited eagerly
to hear the first declaration of the
Republican position upon it's merits,
and to learn from him what truth
there was in the rumors that the
Republicans are likely to become a
timid yielding minority. His first
sentences carried the conviction Of
the terrible earnestness of the Re-
publicans. His concluding words
made the Democrats fear that if the
speech is not to change the DEGREES
of the Democratic caucus, it is des-
tined to startle the people of the
Republican North. 1t was to be an
appeal from the fat of the secret
Democratic league to the God
crowned, Goi-annointed sovereignty
of the people.
Some of the leading points of this
remarkable speech may oe here sum.
married.: Gen. Garfield began with a
consciousness of the deep solemnity
of the crisis into which the Democ-
racy has forced the country, His
words showed the depths Of his con
victions. 1--WE have" he said, ato.
day resolved to enter upon a rsvolu-
ton against the constitution of the
United States Free consent is our
theory of law. That is the granite
foundation-stone of.our whole poiiti-
cal structure. Yet 10 the last Con-
gress the Democratic headers an
nounced the policy of coercion
which is inaugurated here to-day.
Your methods are revolutionary to
the core. They are contrary to the
principles of American institutions.
Then with mastery skill, Gen.
Garfield sketched the history of the
law which it is proposed TO repeal,
and showed that is originated with
the Democrats, was supported by
Democrats, and opposed by Repub-
licans only, aud that am ong those
Democrats, who voted for it in the
Senate and House were Hendricks,
johnson, McDougall, Powell. Sauls-
bury, Richardson of Illinois, Fernan-
do Wood, Speaker Randall, and
George Fl. Pendleton. Against this
bill in the Thirty-eighth Congress
not single Democratic vote was
cast. Yet this repeal measure is
presented when there has been no
complaint from any quarter. when
there is no memorial upon the files
OF Congress asking for the repeal,
and the Democrats insist that if they
cannot repeal the law which the
Democrats made it will be sufficient
ground to starve the Government.
Mr.. Wood asked if, in 1865, when
the law was passed. and the war bad
scarcely subsidized, there was not
portion OF the country in condition
where it was impossible to exercise
the elective franchise unless there
was come degree of military inter-
ference. This was regarded as an
unfortunate expression on the part
of Mr.. Wood for his side.
Mr.. Garfield came back at him in
rather sarcastic vein, asserting
that be had no doubt that Mr.. Wood.
in his patriotism, bad all these things
in view when he voted for the bill.
and that he (GarfeId) must have
been unpatriotic in voting against it,
but he supposed that both would
have to stand by their records. Mr..
Garfield said that the proposition
now was that, although sixteen
years have passed. since the passage
of the law, yet not one petition from
one American citizen had come to
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