The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1879-04-02
THE CONGRESSIONAL DEADLoCK.

made by him. In opening he said:
THE question may be asked why ",
make any special resistance 10 PROPOSE
ions which q great many gentlemen hayl
declared are to be considered Of no impor
lance. So far as this side Is considered,
desire TO say this: We recognize you
gentlemen Of the other side, as skillfu
parliAmentarians and skilliui strategists
fon have chosen wisely and adroitly YOU
line OF assault You have put forward
perhaps, the least Objectionable Of your
measures, but we meet that as one part o.
your programme. We reply 10 It as ar
order OF battle, and we are as much com,
PEELED by the logic OF the situation to meet
you on the skirmish line as We would be
II you were attacking the entrenchmentl
themselves. And, therefore, on the
threshold, We desire to plant our case on
the general grounds on which we choose
TO defend it"
Referring to the dangerous course 9
the Democrats he said that tile trainers Of
the Constitution placed full reliance on
the people, and made no provision iol
continuing the government II, for instance
the people refused TO elect Representa-,
tiyes.=
What was their reliance? It was on the
sovereignty Of the nation-on the crown.
ed and anointed sovereign TO whom ali
American citizens owe their allegiance
That sovereign was the body OF the people
Dotthe United States, inspired by their love
OF country and their sense Of obligation
10 public duty. Up TO this hour our sovcr.
eign has never failed US. There has never
been such abstention from the exercises
Of those primary functions Of sovereignty
as either to crippled endanger the govern.
ment. And now, for the first time in our
history land l will say for the first time
in at least two centuries In the history
OF English.speaking people,, has It been
proposed, or at least insisted upon, that
these voluntary powers shall be used for
the destruction OF the government.
want it understood that the proposition
which l have read, and which Is the pro-
gramme announced to the American peo-
pie to-day, is this, thatif we cannot have our
way in q certain manner We will destroy
the government Of this country by using
the voluntary power, not OF the people,
but OF ourselves against the government
to destroy it. That's the granite iounda-
ton Of our structure. Nothing in this
republic can be law that has not the free
consent Of the House, the free consent OF
the Senate, and the free consent OF the
Executive. Or il the Executive refuses
his free consent, then 1t must have the
free consent OF two-thirds OF each
body. Will anybody deny that? Will
anybody challenge line OF that statement
that free consent is the foundation rock
Of all our institutions? And yet the pro-
gramme announced two weeks ago was,
that II the Senate refused to consent to
the demand ofthe House, the government
should stop. The proposition was then,
and the programme Ia now, that although
there is not Senate to veto it, there is
still third independent factor in the leg
islative power Of the government which Is
to be coerced at tho peril OF the destruc-
ton Of the government
Victor Hugo said in his description oil
the great battle OF Waterloo that two ar.
mics were like two mighty giants, and
sometimes a chip under the heel OF one
might determine the victory. 1t may be,
gentlemen, that there is merely chip
under your heel, or it may be that you
treated 1t as a chip on your shoulders.
But whether 1t is under your heel or on
your shoulder, it represents matter oil
revolution, and we fight for the chip as il
it were an ingot Of the richest ore. Zap
plause.l
He then referred to the history Of the
law allowing troops at the polls, and said
when 1t was originally passed every Dem
ocratic Senator voted for 1t, and every
Senator who voted against ltwasG Repub'
lican. 1t was alleged by Democrats that
in those days Of war, there was interior
ence with elections in the border States,
There was no charge OF any interference
in the States where war did not exist. Bul
lest there might be some infraction OF the
freedom OF elections, q large number Of
Republicans in Congress were unwilling
to give any appearance whatever OF inter,
iering with the freedom Of elections, and
voted against this law as IN expression oil
their purpose that tie army should not be
improperly used in and about any cleo
ton.
Mr.. Wood Dem, n. W said that he
never voted for this measure except as {
substitute for something more objectiona
BILE.
Mr.. Garfield continued-I desire to ash
the forbearance Of the gentlemen on the
other side for remarks that dislike t
make, for they will bear witness that
have in many ways shown my desire tina
the wounds Of tho world shall be healed
and that the grass that God plants owe
the graves OF our dead may signalize thu
return of the spring Of friendship ant
peace between all parts OF the country
But | am compelled by the necessity OF til
situation TO refer for moment to chap
tor OF history. The last act OF the Demo
cratic domination in this House eighteen
years ago was stirring and dramatic, but
was heroic and high souled. ThenthC
Democratic party said: Ifyou electyou
man as President OF the United States W
will shoot your Union to DEATH" An,
the people Of this country, not willin
TO be coerced, but believing the
had a right TO vote for Abraham
Lincoln II they chose, did elect hir
lawfully as President, and then your lead
ems, in control Of the majority Of the othe
wing Of this Capitol, did the heroic thin
OF Withdrawing from their seats, and you
Representatives withdrew from their seal
and flung down TO us the gage OF mortI
battle. We called II rebellion, but we az
mitted that It was honorable, that 1t va
courageous, and that It was noble to civ
us the fell gage Of battle, and Fight It OF
in the open field, That conflict, and viii
,, followed, we all know too well; and t,
day, alter eighteen years, the book Of you
dominationi opened whore you turnC
down your leaves IN 1850, and 20
are signalling your return to poV
or by reading the second chlptI
mot this time an heroic one) that declar,
that II we do not let you dash a statute OF
OF the book you will not shoot the Unio
!, Ito death as In the FIRST chapter-but star,
4 4 4. n