Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1879-04-30

| NASHiNtTONt AnTll 20 lot's
Messrs. Editors AN important climax has been
reached to-day in the great political debate in
Congress, by the sending Of the army appropria-
ton bill to the President for his approval veto,
and by the passage Of the legislative bill by the
House. The situation may now be said to be at
its most interesting stage, as on
rHE ACTION OF THE PRESIDENT,
in regard to the army BILL depends the result OF
the entire contest between the two factions in
Congress. Nothing has transplred TO show what
the action Of the Executive will be- but the course
| which was outlined In this correspondence several
| weeks ago Is still believed to be the one which
| will be followed. The army bill will come before
| the Cabinet on Tuesday next for Its consideration
after which prompt acti, will be had upon it,
and II Is probable the bill will be sent back TO
Congress with the disapprova Of the President
| Many OF the democrats however persist in say
ing that the President will sign the BILL while
others Of the same party less sanguinc Of the
result and boldly assert that they will not yield
to the will OF the Republicans II the army be
obliged to dsband for lack of means All this is
the shallowest kind Of bravado, and no one at all
acquainted with the past course of this class Of
politicians will fear for the result. The only es-
| cape Of the democrats from complete surrender
in this matter is tn put off the evil day Of defeat
| by voting six months extension OF the present
appropriations, and then prepare themselves for
a renewal Of the battle at the December session
This is the only way out of their present dilemma
except square back-down, and one of these two
courses must be the result. The Republicans
are masters Of the situation, even though they
| are out-numbered in both houses Of Congress,
and they stand solid, firm and united In the con-
test now going forward. In fact the Republican
party has never presented a more united front to
the enemy in Congress than 1t does to-day.
The legislative bill passed the House to-day by
vote Of one hundred and forty to one hundred
and nineteen. General Garfield closed the de-
bate with particularly able speech. lie declared,
in closing, that 1t had been in the power Of the
humblest the greatest Of the democrats to have
| proved him to be a tra1ucer and sanderer. lie
had taken very grave responsibility in opening
the debate when he had quoted the declarations
of democratic members and had declared that
| these declarations il followed out, revolu-
| ton lie had declared that II the scheme was
not abandoned II would be the starvation of the
| government and its destruction lie had taken a
| very great risk, personally and politically when
he said that. lie had put it in the power of any
gentleman on the other side to prove that he had
| Inexperienced and misrepresented their pur-
| pose. The other side could have ruined him by
| the uttering OF this one sentence: ave do not
purpose to refuse to vote supplies to the govern
| ment," or by saying: We wish to get our leg
| slation in regard to elections, and everything
else, through II can constitutonally; but il we
cannot get II through under the Constitution we
will pass the appropriation bills like loyal repre-
| sentatyes and go home" But though forty-fve
| democrats had spoken, that sentence had not
| been uttered
| Thursday was field day in both the House and
Senate and numerous speeches were made,
| among them being
SPEECH by COLONEL JOYCE.
The House was crowded to its fullest extent by
one Of the largest and most brilliant audiences of
the week, and everything conspired to make the
occasion one of momentous interest as being
among the closing hours of the great political de-
bate. De La Matyr the champion greenbacker
from Indiana, had just spoken upon both sides of
| the question, and something stirring was needed
to wake up the House from the lethargy into which
it had fallen. Colonel Joyce gave them, in a fif-
teen. minute speech, the required antdote against
nattention which worked with n charm. The
| House became attentive listeners the galleries
| were electrified.
| The Colonel in the course of his speech, said
that he had heard in this debate men who had
been disoyal to their country pirate about the
constitution and lecture the Republican party
| about the freedom OF elections. lie had seen them
rise up and howl about soldiers at the polls, when
bands of armed men at the South took possession
| of the ballot-box stuffed it with tissue ballots
and killed men who would not vote the DEM
ocratic ticket Mere delicacy should be laid aside,
and the men OF the North should now resent the
insult, and again bid defiance to treason and mod
flied rebellion The people of the North had no
| further concessions to mako, but were determined
that the great principle settled by the war should
| be preserved and enforced at all hazards and at
| any cost; and the men who in 81 had barred their
breasts to the bayonet ready in 20 To again
stand in the breach and protect the constitution
| from the treason Of those who seeking
to destroy the government under form of law.
speech In the same vein was made by SEN
ator Conkling in the Senate on the same day
| The action of the democrats, he said, had been
called revolutionary, " but" said he, II is more
| than that; it is treason" Until now no madness
OF party no audacity Of sinister sectional par
| tisan design had ever threatened such things as
| had now come to pass in the two houses of Con-
| gress. The Senate had rung with the declaration
| that the purpose to coerce the Executive,
and as he would not in separate bill overthrow
| the shield of the ballot-box, the maiority would
incorporate the provision in appropriation bill,
| and il the Executive should not sign it with such
| provision, no appropriation would be made. The
| cloak and the purpose was by duress to compel
the Executive to give up his conviction of duty
and oath, AS the price to be paid to political