The Portland daily press., 1879-04-16
Blaine's Speech.
THE AMENDMENT TO THE ARMY
BILL.
A Causiic Review of Democratic Legis-
lation.

House:
Mr.. Blaine said that, under the pretencs of
getting rid of the army at the polls, the
Democrats exclude even the civil officers, but
instead will allow two supervisors at an cleo
ton, mere men Of straw, to be connted rather
for assistant marshals and supervisors would be
worthless unless enforced by the civil power.
lie then reviewed the Democratic programme
saying that the wheels of government shoold
stop unless the PRESIDENT approved the ap.
preparation bills in the form presented BY Con-
gress. We are told, he said, and 1t is rather a
novel thing, that, If we do not agree to the bills
as offered, we are not to have the appropria-
ton. De had always understood, he said that
the government was divided into three distinct
departments-legislativ executive ard Judi
cial-but now the legislative branch steps for
ward and says, IL the executive does not sign
the bill it offers, it will starve the Judiciary.
This was carrying the matter further than ever
he had known II to go before, and, besides
starving the judiciary, the other side would re-
Inse to appropriate dollar for the expenses Of
the Capitol buildings and grounds, for public
printing, or fer the congressional library.
The department of state, Of which ths country
has reason to be proud for its conduct Of our
foreign affairs, was to be disabled, and our
diplomatic relations must cease unless the Presi-
dent signs these bills. The beacons and warning
lights on IL 900 miles of coast go out; the mints
OF New Or leans, Denver, San Francsco and
Philadelphia must stop; the pension bureau
must suspend operations All tbe executive
functions OF the government are
TAKEN BY THE THROAT.
in hghwayman style and commanded to stand
and deliver in the name of the Democratic
caucus. No committee of either branch Of
Congress had ever recommended such legisla-
ton, but the Democratic caucus had adopted
it. He thought that no parallel to such poli-
cy could be found in our history Senators on
this floor could remember some presidential
vetos that shook the country to the centre with
excitement. Some Of the oldest of them re-
membered the veto of the national bank bill by
Jsckson in 1882, aud some not the Oldest re-
member the veto of the national bank bill 10 1841
by Tyler. Those vetoes shook the country
with political excitement, such as had to that
time hardly a parallel. 1t was then believed,
whether rightly or wrongly is immaterial now,
by those who advocated those measures that
they were Of the highest importance to the well
fare OF the people. Clay and Webster believed
them to be 60, but, when those bills were ve-
toed, no suggestion was made to put the char
ters on appropriation bills, and refuse to vote
money to carry on the government unless the
bills were signed. In 1841, when the feeling
was at its height, when the Wing party, In
addition to losing its great measure, lost 1t
under the sting and irritation of what IL be-
lieved desertion by the President whom IL
had chosen, and when Mr.. Clay, goaded by all
these considerations, rose to debate the question
in the Senate. he was charged with having
made some threat involving the independence
OF the executive. Rising to his height he re-
sponded: ~ said nothing whatever of any op-
legation on the part of the President to conform
his judgment to the opinions of the Senate and
House of Representatives. know and I re-
spect the perfect Independence OF each depart
ment, acting within its proper sphere, of the
other departments" 1t was
A MoURNFUL SPECTACLE
to hear men who did all they could to destroy
the Union now making such declarations.
They threaten to do this thing. He said the
Democrats are endeayoring to force q false
issue before the country so as to make it ap.
pear that the Republicans want to rule the
elections with the bayonet. This was q false
issue. 1t had no foundation in fact It was
false in the whole and false in detail. The
sought to be made on this country. but through
out the world. He indicted the Democrats Of
having uttered base slander. He asserted
that it could not be shown that there was the
least danger from the army 10 this country,
and, therefore, the pretended alarm expressed
was for ulterior purposes. The number Of
soldiers in the South would not furnish one for
q county in the Southern States There was
not soldier for every 700 square miles. There
were only 20 soldiers to ,000,0 Southern peo-
pie. and 12O soldiers to every /, 100000 in New
England. The true intent was to get rid Of tho
supervisors of election at the polls during Con-
/ gressional elections. Notwithstanding this the
| Democrats exclaim against and appear only to
/ Oo AlIsutCuCu az lubLulubbiOu. 4u6y say LQo
| President shall not exercise the veto power.
1t was the audacity of revolution for Senators
| or Representatives to get together and say that
they will have legislative bills in their own
way. and if not, they will stop the great de-
| partments of the government. II seemed to
him, he said, that the very dead
WOULD RISE FROM THEIR GRAVES
if the President should consent to be intimi-
dated and outraged In his proper constitutional
power by threats like these.
Continuing, Mr.. Blaine said: A leading
Democrat, an eloquent man, who has courage,
frankness, and many good qualities, boasts
pnblicly, that the Democrats are Ia power for
the first time in eighteen years, and that they
do not intend TO stop until they have wiped
out every vestige of the Republican war meas-
ures. Forewarned is forearmed, and the DEM
ocrats began properly on measure signed by
Abraham Lincoln. The picture was . strik.
ing one, and strange time had come when
men fresh from the battle.felds Of rebellion
took their seats here and propose To annnl the
laws made while they were trying to destroy
| the Union. The Vice President of the Confed-
eracy had stated that, for sixty or seventy
| years preceding the rebellion, from the foupda-
| tion of the government, the South, though In
| minority, had by combining with what he
termed the anti-centralsts in the North, ruled
the country; and in 1868 the same gentleman
said in speech before the Georgia Legislature
that by return to Congress, the South might
| repeat the experiment with the same success.
He (Blaine) had read that speech at the time
of its delivery, and had little thought he would
live to see the prophecy fulfilled; but now We
see those measures matured in DEM
| ocratic caucus, in which the South
has an overwhelming majority of two
-thirls. in the House, and 30 out of AZ
Senators, % of whom, positive and pro-
nounced majority, participated in the war
| against the Union, either In civil or military
situations, so that our legislation is shaped any
| fashioned by acaucus in which the ex-confeder-
ates have majority, and Mr.. Stephens's proph.
ecy is realized. Very appropriately the Congress
the remaining branch Of the government elected
on republican principles, in opposition to the
party now in power, that he shall not exercise
his power to veto bill.
Mr.. Blaine proceeded to say.that the extent
| to which the South controlled the legislation
of the country was worth pointing out. That
section contained about one-third of the popu-
lation of the Union. In the last House of Rep
resentatves, the South had % Of the forty five
standing comnittees. In this Senate it has %
these things up just now 10 reproach, bat only
showing what
| AN ADMIRABLE PROPHET
the Vice-Presdent of the confederscy vas, and
how entirely all his words had been. and how
he has lived to see them fulfilled. Mr.. Blaine
concluded as follows: 81 do not profess tC
know, Mr. President, what the President of the
United States will do when these bills are pre-
sented to him, as, suppose. in due course oi
time they will be. / certainly should neve
speak q solitary word of dsrespect of tho gen
tleman holding that exalted position. and
hope shall not speak one word unbehttinI
the dignity of the office of Senator of tn
United States, but, as there has been specula
tion here and there on both sides as to what b
would do. il seems to me that the dead heroe
of the Union would rise from their graves
be should consent to be inundated and out
ragged in his proper constitutional power By
threats like these. All the war measures o
Abraham Lincoln are to be wiped ont, say lead
ing Democrats. The Bourbons Of France bus
led themselves, believe, after the restoration
in removing every trace of Napoleon's powe
and grandeur, even chiselliug the IN from th,
public monuments raised to perpetuste nis glo
~, but the dead mans hand from ST. Heleni
reached out and destroyed them in their prid'
and in their folly, and tell the Senators on ths
other side of this chamber, tell the Democrat
ic party North and South. South In the lead
and the North following, that the slow, unmov
ing finger of scorn from the tomb Of the mar
tyred President, on the plains of Illinois, will
wither and destroy them. Though dead b
speaketh.' tGreat applause in the galleries.
When you present these bills with these threat
to the living President who bore the commits
sion Of Abraham Lincoln, and served with hon
or in the army of the Unioo, which Lincoln re
stored and preserved, can think only OF on
1 H.