St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1879-11-14
Senator Chambers Noted Speech.

ITO IdtSL uOldDlO VI oCHbboA
Chandler was made late at night on the
Sd of March, when the Senate was con-
sidering the amendment of Senator
Hoar excluding jefferson Davis from
the benefits of the provisions of the
Mexican War Pension bill. Senator
Lamar had made fiery speech, declar-
ing that secession was justifiable and
that Jefferson Davis was not a traitor,
but a noble and high minded man.
Other Democratic Senators, including
Nh. Thurman had apolOgized for or de-
Tended the secession movement. AT
this iuncture in the debate, Mr.. Chan
dler took the floor and ended it by the
following crushing, whitening speech
Mr.. President: Twenty-Five years
ago Tomorrow, in the old hall of the
Senate, now occupied by the Supreme
Court of the United States, /, in COM
paDy with Mr.. Jefferson Davis, stood
up and swore before Almighty God that
| would support the Constitution of the
United States, and took the oath with
me to be faithful to this Government.
During four years | sat in this body
with Mr.. Jefferson Davis, and saw the
preparations going on from day to day
for the overthrow of this Government.
With treason in his heart and perjury
upon his lips, he took the oath to sus-
tain the Government that he meant to
overthrow. Your armies were
scattered all over this broad land,
where they could not be used in an
emergency your fleets we're scattered
wherever the winds blew and water was
IN IN loot -lN,.s IAx Il
not be used to put down rebellion; your
treasury was depleted until your bonds
bearing 6 per cent, principal and inter
est payable in coin, were sold at 80
cents on the dollar for current expenses,
and no buyers. Preparations were
carefully made. Your arms were sold
under an apparently innocent clause in
an army bill providing that the Secre-
tary of War might, at his discretion,
sell such arms as he deemed it for the
interest of the Government to sell.
Sir, eighteen years ago last month
sat in these halls and listened to Jeffer-
son Davis delivering his farewell ad-
dress, informing us what our COnstitu-
tional duties to this Government were,
and then he left and entered into the
w luC
that he had sworn to support | re-
manned here, sir, during the whole OF
that terrible Rebellion saw our brave
soldiers by thousands and hundreds of
thOusands-aye, | might say millions
pass through to the theatre of war, and
| saw their shattered ranks return. /
saw steamboat after steamboat and
railroad train after railroad train arrive
with MANNED and wounded. | saw with
my friend from Rhode Island Mr.. Burn
side, when he commanded the Army of
the Potomac, and saw piles of legs and
arms that made humanity shudder. /
saw the widow and orphan in their
homes aud heard the weeping and wall
ing of those who had lost their dearest
and their best. Mr.. President, little
thought ut that time that should live
to hear in the Senate of the United
States eulogies upon jefferson Davis,
living-a living rebel eulOgized on the
floor of the Senate of the United States
Sir, am amazed to hear it; and can
tell the gentlemen on the other side
that they little know the spirit of the
North when they come here at this day
and with bravadO on their lips, utter
eulogies upon man whom every man.
woman and child in the North believes
to have been a dOuble-dyed traitor tC
his Government