Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1879-04-10
Misfrllantous. q
The New Revolution.
The Democracy Arraigncd.
Powerful speech Of a..n. Garfield

In the House Of Representatives on Sat
urdsy. March 70 the grca, debate on the
proposed repeal of the section OF the law
providing for the use OF the army To pre-
serve the peace at the polls when necessary,
wa. opened by Gen. Garfield. " Ohio. The
repeating clauses were proposed to be at
tached TO the regular Army Appropriation
Bill. ard this was denounced by Gen. Car
field as follows;
CoEECIVE LEGIsLATiuS DENOUNCED
Mr.. Garfield. of Ohio. tooN the floor lie
began his speech by referring 10 the srav-
ily aud soiemuiiy oi the crisi, that had now
been brought upon the country, and de-
rlsrcd that the House had to-day resolved
TO enter upon a revolution against the Con-
stiiuiiou aud The Government, and that the
consequence of that resolve. II persisted In.
meant nothing short Of suhyersioH OF the
Government. He sketched the p lint at H.
sue between the two Houses st The close Of
the last Congress, and read from a report
OF one OF the Senate coniere-, to the effect
that the Democratic conierees on the part
OF the House were Determined. unless the
action OF the House was concurrcd IN. IN
refuse making appropriations TO carry on
the Government. and he also quoted from
the speech OF Senator Beck. (anothcr Of
the conferees. ) TO the effect that the Demo
Gratis claimed the light which the House of
Commons in Ensiaud had established afier
Two centuries OF conquest, TO say thai they
would not grant the money OF the people
unless there Mas a redress OF grievances
These propositions. continued Mr. Garfield.
in yarioC> forms. more or less yehemeutly.
acre repeated ia the last House. aud with
that situation OF affairs the session came
near it. close. The Republican majority
Ia the Senate, aud the Republican minority
10 the House, expressed the deepest posi-
bic solicitude to avoid the catastrophe here
threatened. They expressed their strong
ct desire to avoid the danger 10 the coun-
Try aud 10 IL buslHsss of an extra session
OF Congress. aud they expressed iier will
iuguess to let 90 what they considered the
least important OF the proposItions-no as
a matter of coercion Al all, but ss a matter
OF lair adjustment and compromised they
could be met in the spirit OF adjustment on
the other side. Unfortunately, no spirit OF
adjustment appeared on the other side to
meet their advances. And now the new
Congress Is assembled. and after ten days
OF deliberalion, the House OF Representa-
lives has resolved Substantially 10 re-a:iirm
the propositions Of it, predecessor-an on
these propositions We are met to-day.
The question may be asked why We make
any special resistance TO propositions which
great many gentlemen have declared are
- be considered OF no importance. SO far
as this side Is concerned, desire to say
this: We recognize you, gentlemen Of the
other side, as skillful pariiameutarians and
skillful strategists. You have chosen wise
ly and adroitly your line of assault. You
have put forward. perhaps. the least objec-
uonable OF your measures. but we meet
that a. one part OF your programme. We
reply TO II as an order OF battle, and we are
| as much compelled by the logic OF the sit
uation, TO meet you on the sAirmish line AS
We woaid be II you were attacking the in
, trepchments themselves. And, therefore.
on the threshold. We desire 10 plant our
case on the general grounds on which we
| choose TO defend it. Mr. Garfield then re-
| ferred 10 what he had said on the last day
| of the last Congress. as TO the division of
| the Government into three parts-the ns-
| tion, the Senate, and the people; and be
said foreigner could point dozen ways
| In which the Government could be killed.
and that not by violence. OF course. all
| Governments might be overturned BY the
| sword. But there were some ways by
| annihilated with out the firing Of gun.
| The people might say that they would not
| elect representatives. That. of course. was
| violent supposition. but there was no pos
sibe remedy for such n condition ofthings,
and without a House OF Representatives
| there could be no support OF Government,
| and consequently there could be no Gov
| ernment. SO the States might say through h
| their Legislatures that they would not elect
| Senators. The very abstention from elect
| ing Senators would absolutely destroy the
| Government, and there would be no pro-
| cess of compulsion. Or. supposing that the
| two houses were assembled In their usual
| order. and that q bare majority OF one in
either house should firmly bind itself to-
| gether and say that il would vote TO adjourn
| at the moment Of meeting each day, and
would do that for two years in succession.
Ia that case what would happen. and what
| would be the measure of redress? The
| Government would die. There could not
be found in the whole range OF Judicial or
/ executive authority any remedy whatever.
| The Executive had no power to destroy the
| Government. Let the Executive travel but
| one inch beyond the line of law and there
was the power OF impeachment. But il the
| electors among the people who elected
| Representatives., or If the electors in the
| state LegfeIaturts WHO Created StudtoFr,
or il Senators aud Representatives theuI.
| selves abstain from the performance OF
| their duty. there was no remedy. At first
view ii might seem remarkable. he said,
| that body of wise men like those who
framed the Constitution should have leiI
the Whole side of the fabric OF Government
open to such deadly assaults, but, on
another view OF the case. they were wise
What was their reliance? IL was on the
| sovereignty of the natiOn-on the crowned
and anointed sovereign to whom all Amer
lean citizens owed their allegiance. Thai
sovereign WAS the body Of the people ol
the United States. inspired by their love o
country and their sense of obligation Il
public duty.
Up TO this hour, he said, our sovereign
has never failed US. There had never beer
such xbstention from the exercise Of thoss
primary functions OF sovereignty Is ethel
10 cripple or eDdsnger the Government
And now. tor the nrst time in our history
(and I will say, for the nrst time in. =
least two centuries, in the history OF EDg
tlish-sreaking people, has is been ProPos