The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1879-02-19


but the one made here and partially pub
lished in the New York Herald. and con
trast il with the declarations of another dis
tinguished Union soldier from New Hamp
shire Mr.. Blair), both of which appeared
t.. in the Record OF the same day.
When the West was in its infancy it wa:
nutured BY the South with a fostering
hand. Southern Democrats aided Dougla:
on his Illinois Central Railroad BILL And
when Mr.. Pierce vetoed the bill to improve
the Saint Clair Flats, very similar to the
bill for the improvement of the Mississippi
| River, it was passed in a Democratic Senate
by two-thirds vote over the veto; 'and
Mis>issi ppi Democrats stood by the Democ-
racY OF Michigan
Recently, when | was nominated for Con-
gre>s the convention Endorsed tile Texas
Pacific and at the same time the Northern
Pacific Railroad bill.
| / warned Northern Democrats last ses-
sion that refusal TO recognize the just de-
mAnds of the South might result in the de-
| feat of Southern Dem ocrats. and the send
ing OF other Representatives here who
would form alliances with other parties
| The RAPID growth ofiniependent candidates
| in the South has already sustained my
declaration. | do not now take back sin
gle line nor single word of what l then
uttered; bur, recognizing that there are
two classes o1 Democrats and two of Re
| pubiicans. | repeat what | then said, that
| nope the solid South NAV sCiIl b. solid for
| the Democratic party, but for that portion
| Of it which has the courage and manliness
To treat US as equals aud not as interiors in
| this Union.
One word more, Mr.. Speaker, and 1 am
/ done with this subject. The gentleman
! talked very tiippantly about men in the
South who prOfassed 10 belong to the Dem
| ecrate party. II am correctly informed.
/ he has made professions on both sides; and
! ! would reply to his summary dismissal of
! "A certain class of Southern Democrats that
| if there are any sore-headed or diSappOint-
| ed Republicans in the North who can not
get into Congress without putting the
| lions skin of Democracy, they should be
very careful not to open their mouths too
! wide when they get here.
Mr.. NiugletOn-Mr. Speaker, it is with
sincere reluctance that | rise to take part in
! this debate. As long as charges such as
were made by the gentleman from Wiscon-
sin (Mr. Bragg against the Sou n were con-
tiEed TO the Republican side of rhis House,
and TO the Senate, [ felt inclined to allow
them to pass unnoticed because | believed
their purpose was to make political capital
by drawing US into heated aud i'm prudent
discussions. But when the reDrOach is taken
up by one who processes 20 be Demo-
Graf, and who intimates that Southern Rep
TeSentativeS and their constituents are held
in the line of Democracy simply by the hope
OF plumber to be obtained under the plea of
I l
time L should speak for myself and the sec
ton of country which 1 in part represent.
the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Bragg
whose recOuVcrsion TO Democracy was quite
as sudden, il not as important and interest
ing, as that of st. Paul to Christianity, has
thought proper TO make this charge inii-
rectly against the South. Now, sir, | aver
upon this floor and before the country that
such declaration is one of the most I'M
founded and unjust ISLANDERS ever put upon
a norton Of thP npnnln of the T1OifR1
States. Let US look for a moment to the
facts of the case.
During the war. Mr.. Speaker, 'loyalty,"
as it was termed. which meant adherence to
the Federal as against the Confederate Gov
eminent. was at such discount in the South
as 10 produce social.ostracism, and the man
who proclaiu.e ed it openly scarcely felt his
life secure. He was considered as an enemy
to the South aud to his people. Such was
rhc intensity OF feeling against these senti-
ments that men only uttered them with ba-
ted breath.
After the war was oyer the people of the
North, apprecating what they termed "loy-
atty" and resolved 70 show their apprecia-
tion of such facts and opinions, established
courts before which the claims OF this class
of citizens were to be heard and determined,
and invited loyal men to come and propound
them for settlement. These courts were or
ganized with Union men as Judges; who
were lynx eyed in their researches and
deemed able TO detect any fraud or lmposi-
tiOn intended by what were called ''rebelS."
When the cases were decided adversely to
claimants. they had the right to appeal to
Congress itself to revise the decisions of those
courts. These tribunals were not establish
ed by Southern men. much less by "rebels,
but by union men, Northern Democrats as
well as Republicans. When parties litigant
could not get their claims through the
courts fast enough, they came to Congress,
where their claims have been urged in large
numbers. and millions of dollars have been
paid upon them. .'Rebels" had no part nor
lot in all this matter. And even now be 1t
known that We only introduce bills for our
constituents-not that we indorse them, not
that we come to the footstool of power and
beg you 10 give these people what may or
may not be due To them, but we do it be-
cause they are our constituents and have q
ri ght to our services in this matter. 1t is
for gentlemen of this House to determine
the question W neither the claims are proper
or not.
Read us ont of the partyl Let me state
few facts which perhaps you have forgotten.
Ous OF the thirteen Presidents of the United
States elected up to the war we gave you
Washington, Jefferson, Madison,
Monroe, jackson, Polk and Taylor; you
gave us si4-the elder and younger Adj
ANS, Van Buren,, Harrison, Pierce and
Buchanan.
Mr.. Townsend, of New York-You took
seven.
Mr.. Singleton-The people elected them,
and every part of the country accepted and
hOnored them. | wish to say another thing
to my friend from New York, not by way
of taunt, but as fact in history: while
five Southern Presidents were elected a
second time, no Northern President up
to the war ever served more than Jour
years.
Mr.. Townsend of New York-You could
not stand a Northern man more than four
years; you always beat our men the second
time.
Mr.. Singleton--I cannot yield further
for interruption.
During this period power was in the
hands of Southern Presidents forty-eight
years. in the hands OF Northern twenty-four
wears. Did not the country prosper the
while, and why, then, should we be read out
of the party? Out of one hundred aud
thirty-sIx Cabinet officers of the United
States up to the war we gave you sixty
seven-only one less than given by the
North, having double our representation in
Congress. OF Secretaries of State we gave
you thirteen out of twenty-three; OF Attor-
neys-General, seventeen out oftwenty-nine;
of Secretaries of War, seventeen out of
thirty-two. We have never had President
who seized upon that office against the will
OF the people. We have never had Secre-
tary who was charged and convicted OF cor
Tuption, or who ever sold the ofnces at MS
disposal.
Mr. Townsend, of New York-What of
Floyd and Jake Thompson, of your own
State?
Mr.. SlngletoR-Ihe gentleman reefs the
force of what | have said, and do not blame
him at all if he sQuirms under it. The
charges against Floyd and Thompson were
nothing more than Republican SANDERS.
Now, Mr.. Speaker, [ wish to say another
thing which may have been forgotten.
Every battle which was fought by our
troops up to the late war in defense of the
national honor or to repel invasion, was
fought under Southern President, and our
armies commanded by Southern officers.
Tho WA nf hpOn0 and finished
under the administration of Mr.. Madison,
General jackson having brought it to q sue
cessfDl close. In this contest the principle
of the right of search and the doctrine OF
=. NJ