The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1879-04-09
THE GREAT DEBATE
IN THE
SEN NAIE.

~ f1EI
iiSEN ATE.
A BRILLIANT SPEECH By GARFIELD.
Revolutionary Schemes Of the Democrats
Exposed!
THE GAGE OF BATTLE THROWN DOWN
i Mr.. Garfield, of Ohio. took the
floor. He began bis speect by refer
ring to the gravity and solemnity Of
the crisis that had now been brought
upon the coaatry. aud declared that
the House had today resolved to en-
ter upon ., revelation against the
Constitution and the Government.
and that The Consequences Of hat re-
solve, if persisted ip, meant nothing
short of subverslon Of the Govern
ment. Hs ssetched the points at is
cue between the two Houses at the
close of the late Congress. and read
from a report of one of the Senate
couferees, to1he effect that the Dem
ocratic copferees on the part Of the
; House were determined, unless the
action Of lbe House was concurred
10, to refuse making appropriations
to carry Oh the Government, and be
also quoted from the speech of Sena-
tor Beck, (alether of the conferees,
TO the effect that the Democrats
claimed the right which the House OF
! Commons in England bad establi- he'd
after two centnries of conquest, to say
that they would not graoI the money
If the people nnless there was re.
dress of grievances. These PROPOSE
,ions. continued Mr.. Garfield, 10 vari-
Gus forms, more or less vebemently,
we're repeated in the last House. and
witt that situation of affairs the ses-
sion came .ear its close. The Repub-
licau majority in The Senate, and the
Republican minority ia the House,
expressed the deepestDossible solici-
tude 10 AVOID the castrophe bere
threatened They expressed their
strongest desire to avoid the dagger
to the couutry ead to its buiness CT
40 extra session of Congress. and
hey expressed their willingness TO
. let go v hat they considered the least
important of the pr"position-not as
q matter OF coercion at all, but as q
. matter of fair adjustment aud com
promise-if they could be met in the
-piri, of adjustment on the other side
Unfortun tek, no spirit Of adjust
lnent appeared on the other side to
meet their advances. And now the
new Congresses assembled. and after
10 days Of dehberation, the House OF
Representatives has resolved sub
slantialy to rYaflirm the propositions
, nf It's predetessor-and on these
propos tons We are met today.
t Toe question may be asked why
. we make any special resistance 10
propositions which great macy gen.
. tleman have desjssed are TO be con-
e -idered of no Importance. So far as
his side is concerned, desire to say
: this; We recognize you. gentlemen
f the other size, as skillful parlia-
. mentafians and skill.ul strategists.
+ You have chosen wisely and adroiiiy
your line of assault: You have pn'
forward, perhaps, the least objection
/, able Of your measures, bnt We meet
that as one pan Of your programme
! We reply to it as an order OF battle,
, and We are as much compelled by the
. logic Of the situation, 20 meet you on
ibe skirmish line as we would be ii
YOU were attacking the intrencbments
: themselves And, therefore, on the
threshold, we desire to plant our case
|. on the general grounds on which We
: choose TO defeud it. Mr. Garfield
hen referred 10 what be bad said on
The last day Of the last Congress, a.
20 the division of the Government
iato three parasitic nation, the Sen
!, ate, and the Ieople aud he said a
! foreigner could point q d zsn ways
in VII ch the g vernmeut could he
|, killed, and that not by violence Oi
E course, all Governments might be
overturned by the sword But there
: we're some ways by which this Gov
E ernment might be utterly aDnibilated
: without the firing of gun. The
!, people might tsay that they would
! not elect representatives. That. oi
4 course. was violent superstition,
but there WAS no possible remedy
r for such condition Of things. aud
without House OF Representatives
there could be no support of a Gov
ernment, and consequently there could
/, be no Government. So the States
7. might say through their Legislatures
, that they would not elect Senators.
The very abstention from elect
: ing Senator'S would absolutely
destroy the Government, aud there
would be no process of compulsion.
o., susppoing that the two Houses
we're asse q bled in their usual order,
and that bare majority Of one 10
either House should firmly bind itself
; together asd say that il would vote
to odjourn at the moment of meeting
each day, and would do that for two
wears in succession. In that case
what would happen, and what would
he the measure of redress! The
Government would die. There could
not be found in the whole range OF
judicial or executive authority any
remedy whatever. The Executive
bad no p,wer 10 destroy The Govern
ment. Let the executive travel but
one in:h beyond the line of law and
there was the power of impeachment.
Bnt if he electors among the people
VIII, elee.ea Representatives. or il tbe
electors 10 the State Legislatures
who created Senators, or if Senators
and Representative themselves ab-
stain from The performance Of their
duty, there was no remedy. AT FIRST
view it might seem remarkable, be
: said, that body Of wise men like
those who framed the Constitution
should have LETT the whole side OF the
fabric OF Government open to such
|, deadly assaults. but. on another view
of the case, they were wise. Whal
was their reliance? 1t was on the
sovereignty of the nation-on the
crowned and anointed sovereign to