National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1879-04-15
CAUCUS LEGISLATION.

speech before the Georgia Legislature, that by
a return to Congress the South might repeat
the experiment with the same success. He
(Mr. Blaine) had read that speech at the time
OF its delivery, and had little thought he
would live to see the prophecy fulfilled. But
now we see these measures matured in
Democratic caucus, in which the South has
an overwhelming majority Of two-thirds in the
House aud thirty out of forty two Senator'S thir-
ty.threo ofwhou, apositiveand pronouncedma-
iority participated in the war against the Union,
either in civil or military situations so that
our legislation Is shaped and fashioned by
caucus, In which ex-Conlcderatcs have ma
iority, and blr. Stephens prophecy is realized.
Very appropriately the Congress controlled by
the South says to the President, the remaining
branch of the Government elected on Repub-
lican principles, in opposition to the party now
in power, that he shall not exercise his power
TO veto a bill.
They ask If we call it revolutionary, contin.
ued Mr.. Blaine, to put amendments Oh appro-
priation bills? OF course not There have
been great many amendments put on such
bills, some mischievous aud some harmless
but | call it the audacity of revolution for
any Senator or Representative. or any caucus
of Senators or Representatives, to get together
and say that they will have certain legislation
or stop the Departments of the Governments.
That is revolutionary | do not think 1t will
be revolution. 1t will be revolution
that won't revolve IL won't work :! 1t is
revolution il persisted in, and, If not persisted
in, 1t must be backed out from ignominiously,
and the latter will probably be tho result.
Mr.. Blaine proceeded to say that the extent
to which the South controlled the legislation Of
the country was worth pointing out. That
section contained about one-third of the popu-
laton of the Union. III tho last House of
Representatives, of which lie was allowed to
speak, the South had twenty-five out of the
forty-two standing committees. In this Senate
it has twenty-five out of thirty-four commit
tees. He was not calling these things up just
now in reproach, but only showing what an
admirable prophet the Yce-Presuent of the
Confederacy was, and how entirely true all his
words have been, and how he has lived to sec
them fulfilled.
Mr. Blaine concluded rs follows | do not
profess to know, Mr.. President-east of all
Senators on this floor. certainly as little as any
Senator on this hoor-do | profess to know
what the President of the United States will
| do when these bills are presented to him. as
| suppose in due course of time they Will bo. l
certainly should never speak a solitary word
of dsrespect Of the gentleman holding that
exalted position, and hope l shall not speak
a word unbefitting the dignity of the office of
q Senator of the United States. But as
| there has hcen speculation here aud thore on
| both sides rs to what he would do. it seems to
| me that the dead heroes of tho Union would
rise from their graves if he should consent to
| be ntimidated aud outraged in his proper con-
| sttutional power by threats like these.
| All the war measures of Abraham Lincoln
are to be wiped out, say leading Democrats.
| The Bourbons Of France busted themselves, l
believe after the restoration, in removing every
trace of Napoeon's power aud grandeur, even
chisellng the IN" from public monuments
raised to perpctuate his glory; but the dead
mans hand from st. Helena reached out and
destroyed them in their pride and in
their folly. Aud tell Senators on the other
side of this Chambcr-I tell the Democratic
| party, North and South--South in the lead and
North following-that the slow, unmovng fin
ger of scorn from the tomb of the martyred
President on the prairies of Illinois will wither
and destroy them. Though dead, he speak
eth [Great applause in the galleries.
| When you present these bills with these
threats to tho living President, who bore the
commission of Abraham Lincoln and served
with honor in the army of the Union, which
Lincoln restored and preserved | can think
only of one appropriate response from his lips
or his pen. lie should say to you, with all the
scorn beftting his station, as thy servant a
dog, that he should do this thing"