Western sentinel. [volume] (Winston [i.e. Winston-Salem], N.C.) 1856-1886, 1879-06-05

lie welfare. Has this been done :?
The record of our proceedings is
evidence that it has not. The
staple of the arguments in opposi'
tion has been as wide of this ob
ject as it is possible for human i'm
agination to conceive. Que Sena-
tor, as his argument, cries out re
6eLLioaa +; another cries out eeces-
sion another exclaims with alarm
that rebel soldiers are here in these
halls: another claims that the
North pays the larger part of the
direct taxes, and nearly all Of the
taxes collected on imports; anoth.
er sees a goblin in the shape of a
Democratic caucus another holds
up his hands in holy horror in con-
templating the fact that there is
absolutely a Democratic majority
in both branches of Congress and
yet another sees ruin in a solid
South ; and last, but not least, one
Senator exclaims in the famine Of
argument, Jefferson Davis )" and
that is the contribution that be
furnishes TO the literature of the
country.
These various and logical ap-
peals have not even the merit that
the old negro groom attributed to
John Minor Bolts race-horses !;
for when taunted with the fact that
his horses could not beat anything,
he congratulated himself that at
all events they could beat each
other These apologies for argu-
ments cannot even beat each other
in aosurdity. An honest judge
will be compelled to decide that
the race is a drawn one and all
bets are off.
If our proceedings, Mr. Presi
dent, were in the nature of a COM
plant and answer, there is not
court in the land but would be
compelled to order that the an
swers put in here by the Republi-
eau defendants to these bills be
stricken out as frivolous, and that
a judgment be rendered in favor of
the plaintiffs. l will not recapitu-
la,e the arguments in favor of
these bills. They are before the
country, and will be properly
judged in due season. | desire
only to make few observations in
reply to these sectional appeals.
Mr.. President, who made the
South solid p? The answer is as
plain and unmistakable as it is
possible to make anything to the
human intellect: the Republican
party is responsible for this thing.
At the beginning of the late war
almost the entire Wing party OF
the South, with large and infu-
entail portion of the Democratic,
were in favor of the Union, and
deprecated with their whole souls
the attempt at its destruction, but
through love of their native States
and sympathy with their kindred
and neighbors, they were drawn
into tue support of the war. What
became of them after the war ?
Their wisdom in opposing it was
| justified by the ruinous results /;
their patriotism and courage were
highly appreciated, and when
peace came this class were in high
favor at the South, while the seces.
sionists as the original advocates
, of disastrous policy were down
in public estimation.
If you, gentlemen Of the North
/ had then come forward with liberal
terms and taken these men by the
hand, you would have established
q party in the South that would
have perpetuated your power in
this government for a generation
provided you had listened to the
views of those men and respected
their policy on questions touching
their sections. But you pursued
the very opposite course; course
which compelled almost every de
cent, intelligent man of Anglo
Saxon prejudices and traditions tt
take firm and determined stan6
, against you; a course which con
solidated all shades of poIitica
4bIo OdO 1CoOlulO lDdSS ~
defend what they conceived to b.
! their ancient forms OF government
l laws, liberties, aud civilization it
r self. By confiscation and the dc
struction of war, you had alread
. stripped US of property to the ex
!. tent of at least $4,000, 100000, an
= left our land desolate, rent, an
8 torn, our homes consumed wit
0 fire and our pleasant places
s wasted wilderness.
Peace then came-no, not peace
: but the end Of war came no, nc
0 the end of war, but the end of le
gitimate, civilized war; and fc
}, three years you dallied with u
i One day we were treated as thong
: we were in the Union and 9
II though We had legitimate Stat
n governments in operation anothe
e day we were treated as though "
y were out of the Union and or
e State governments were rebellion