The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1879-04-02

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this house and in the senate. What then
does this threat mean? Before him, when
| he made it, sat the secretary of state: be-
hind him sat the general of the army. We
know that the army and president are the
only instruments by which the republican
| party can carry out its threat If it was
not mere bravado, a mere galvanic
shock of elcquence, intended to
stimulate the spinal column of
| the President, it was intended as threat
to the American people, that if we dared
| redress a most grievous wrong. by putting
its repeal on an appropriation BILL it would
| be denounced as revolutionary, and that
the President with the army and navy at
| his back would put down the revolution.
| The name Of revolution has no terror for
u.s. Sneering demonstrations on the Re-
publican side We learned to love it In our
| childhood. 1t brings back to US that good
struggle for freedom when our revolu-
| tionary ancestors left their footprints
stamped in blood in the snow Of Valley
Forge so that ltheir children) may take
| heart again whenever the hour OF peril
shall be upon US. Military despotiSm now
threatens us on every side. Troops have
been assembled at the polls to intimidate
| free people at elections; troops have been
assembled at the Federal capital to intimi-
date the House OF Representatives in
counting the electoral vote; the battle cry OF
1889 has been already started-a govern
ment of the law. not to be administered by
Judiciary, but with an army strong enough
to enforce it. Whenever it comes to ques-
| ton between freedom and despotism the
Democratic party will be found standing
where our ancestors that in l776,
Mr., Conger-I desire to ask the gentle
man from Mississippi whether the sec
ond revolution Of 1861 had any terrors
for him?
Mr.. Chalmers-The distinguished gen.
tienan is exceedingly witty. History tells
US that Engllsh kings were in the habit Of
keeping Iestors at court with a fooPs-cap
and bells. 1t seems that a Republican
Congress has supplied itself in the same
manner. Laughter. But instead of
fool soap and the gingling Of bells. which
might perhaps suit very we'll, it has dress
ed its iestor in sWallow-tails. Loud laugh
ter on the Democratic side.
& Mr.. Conger-I asked the heroic gentle
man from Mississippi plain, civil, simple
question. and instead of answering it he
jumps on his music box and makes grim
maces to the country and to the House
| LCounter demonstrations on the Republican
side.
MIR. Frye said he did not know how long
the Republican members would be COM
PEELED to sit still and listen to the charge
that they had for Is years made of the re-
public drunken despotism, reeling and
recking through the land, to the decIara-
ton that this was military 6espotism and
that it was for the Democratic party to
restore it to the millennium of peace. He
did not know bow long they should have
10 submit to being told they were the
men to be forgiven, and have to hold their
voices for fear they might offend some
gentleman on the other side, or might
arouse the ghost of the old bloody shirt
He did not know but they ought to sit
quietly and submit to the charge that they
had become military des pots be-
cause United States troops had been
sent TO New York city to keep the peace.
He did not know but that they should
keep silent as to the fact that Democrats
Of New York city had murdered scores ol
black men before any United States troops
were sent there to keep the peace. Per
hapS they ought to submit to being called
remorseleaa hyenas, and make 20 sort Ol
reply. Two gentlemen from Mississippi
had spok-n to-day, and now he proposed
TO have read what Mississippi newspapel
/, had sal /. He sent to the Clerk desk ant
. had read an extract from the OkoIon
0 Southern States, thanking God they haC
captured the capital; that in 1881 their ma
I would walk up the White House step
. and and take his seat in the Fresidentia
chair; that thea the glorious triumph @
Eof tae So1:h would be complete" etc.
Mr.. Muldrow said that paper represen
2 tee Do respectable element of the Missis
sippi Democracy. One OF its editors wa
s a man who was carpet-ba -bapged from Obi
) t. Mississippi within the past four years.
: Concluded on second page)