Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1879-04-23
CLARIFIED, Pa, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 28, 1879

nature and his Creator seemed 80 dc,
signedly to have fitted him that side
by side with the gentleman from Ohio
stood and voted Mr.. Rutherford B.
Hayes, with whose prospective veto
we are threatened. [Applause and
laughter. Now, sir, beg you to tell
me by what rule OF consistency does
the gentleman from Ohio come upon
this floor to faunt in the face of an
American Congress an anticipated ex-
ercise by this Executive of bis veto
when no and that Executive both
stand committed upon the record to
vote for his impeachment if he dares
TO employ il?
And while | am at this point might
ask by what soft OF authority either
that gentleman or any other comes
npon this floor 10 threaten us with the
probable or possible action OF that Ex-
ecutive at ALI What provision of the
Federal Constitution, what law enact
ed by any preceding Congress under
takes to clothe anybody, either that
President himself or one of his privy
council, even including bis premier,
the Secretary Of State, TO sit as he did
on the floor of this Chamber on Satur-
day of last week and by bis presence
and his indications of approval seek to
intimidate, overawe, [Cries OF "Oh |"
on the Republican side] and browbeat
an American Congress Who COM
mssioned tho gentleman from Ohio to
tell us that VIC had best be careful be-
cause the issue was made and the Ex.
ecutive would not be coerced into a
message Of approval?
Mr.. Chairman, | am advised that
thirty minutes Of the hour allowed me
have expired and the remaining por-
tion OF my hour | am compelled by
agreement to yield to my friend from
Louisiana, Mr. Gibson1
Mr.. GARFIELD. | hope the gen.
tleman will not be cut off.
Mr.. HUNTON. | move the time
of the gentleman be extended. [Cres
of "Go on" from both sides of the
House.
The CHAIRMAN. There is no ob.
lection, and the gentleman will pro
coed.
Mr.. BLACKBURN. Then, Mr..
Chairman, | thank the House for its
kindness. would ask, does the gen
tleman from Ohio or does any other
gentleman, put SO low an estimate up
on the selfrespect, the integrity, the
courage, and the manhood OF this
House, without regard to party, as TO
believe that snch treat so flaunted is
to intimidate the law.making branch
Of this Government to shape its action
on measures of legislation? / cannot
think that we are measured by so
short standard.
But, sir, / am not through with the
speech which the gentleman has made.
He tells us:
"The proposition now is, that after
fourteen years have passed, and not
one petition from one American citizen
has come to us asking that this law be
repealed; while not one memorial has
t9nDd 'ts we Z. a. cas- defks ccogmsnc,sinipg
Democratic House of Representatives
holds that If they are not permitted TO
force upon another House and upon
the Executive against their consent
the repeal Of law that Democrats
made, this refusal shal be considered o
sufficient ground for starving this Gov
ernment to death. This is tho prop
osition which we denounce as revolu-
tion.'
And that was received with applause
on the Republican side.
Does the gentleman from Ohio mean
TO stand upon that declaration BY
that significant nod he says that he
does. Does he not know that the Con.
gress just expired bore upon its files
petition after petition, memorial after
memorial, in contested. election cases,
sent by the House to its committee,
protesting against the presence of the
military OF the polls and denouncing
the usurpation, demanding its repeal,
in order that free ballot might be
had2 Does the gentleman fail to re-
member that the State of Louisiana,
q sovereign State of this confederacy
once more, thank God, sent her me.
mortal to these Halls, in which in
thunder tones she uttered her anathe.
mas against the very practice which
this amendment seeks TO correctg
But that gentleman did more he
went further and, if possible, he did
worse. | mean TO deal in exact fair
ness. ] even mean to bc liberal in the
construction | put upon his utteranccs.
Mr.. Chairman, it is generally true
that the grave suflices to silence the
tongue OF detraction. II is not often
that its darkened portals are invaded
TO pronounce severe criticism, even
though richly deserved, If il is to be
pronounced upon the dead. But the
gentleman from OHIO forgetting him
self in his speech on last Saturday, for
got also to observe this manly and
magnanimous rule. By that speech he
certainly must have sought or, If not
seeking, be was unfortunate in produc-
ing the impression that a distinguish,
ed dead Senator from the State OF
Kentucky had introduced into the
Federal State Chamber tho bill which
we by this amendment seek TO repeal,
and TO send his name down to posteri-
ty to bc blasted by the act, il indeed
be had performed ii, and that charge
to rest upon that gentleman's own high
authority. ! hold in my hand the very
bill, No. 81, which was introduced up.
on the 9th of January, 1864, by Sona-
tor Powell, Of Kentucky. There lies
before me on my desk the manly,
statesmanlikc, and patriotic, bold ut
terances that he delivered in the shape
of a speech upon the consideration OF
that bill | challenge tho gentleman
to find within thc'limits Of this meas.
ure a single, solitary provision, line,
sentence, word, or syllable that this
amendment seeks 10 repeal.
| Does not the gentleman know-il
he does not, il is his fault--that the
amendment incorporated upon this bill
which we now seek to repeal was in
corporated and ingraited upon il, not
when the Senate was in Committee o.
the Whole but in open Senate, upon
motion Of Senator Pomeroy, and wher
the vote was taken upon that amend
J ment by yeas and nays, every solitary
Democrat in that Chamber voted
] IA Al -l l..