National Republican., 1879-04-02
fORTY.SlXTH CONGRESS.


those laws and was willing to have them mustered
out Of service. In 1867 the Democratic party had |
wanted the suspension OF INC military doinine.
language which was now on the appropriation |
bill lie deprecated the attempt made to blacken
the names OF Senators Powell aud Reverdy johnson |
by saying that they had been advocates of using |
the army TO keep the peace at the polls.
In reference to Mr. GNffeld's statement that the |
Southern Democrats of 1861 threatened to shoot the |
Union to death, he declared that they had made no
such threat, The gentleman was, as far from the |
truth of history when he made that statement as |
he was when he charged the Democracy of 1864 |
with having advocated the clause in the law which |
1t was now proposed to repeal. The South had |
attempted peacefully toscccdc The South had not |
only made no threat to shoot the Union TO death, |
but II had said what Abraham had snid to Lot LET
there be no strife between us. II YOU go TO the
North. will go to the South" It was the North
that soid you shall not 60" You sent grand ar
You not only threatened to shoot, but you shot us
TO death. With the battle cry OF THE Constitution
as II Is and the Union MS II was you rallied the
whole North without regard to party, in defense of
the old flag.
Mr. PRICE Where was the first. gun fired? Zap.
plnrsc on the floor aud In the gnllerieS
Mr.. CHALMERS. The first gun was fred near
Harpers Ferry, when Southern blood was shed on
Southern soil. loud applause on the Democratic
The Chairman gave notice that F such demon
stretions, were repeated he would order the gal
Mr.. PRICE. The gentleman must know that John
Brown and his sixteen men were not fighting TO
destroy destroy IN me Union and M mat lhe hrst gun hred
Mr.. CHALMERS went on TO say that if the pro.
posed legislation was revolution then the Repub.
lcan party had accomplished revolution after
revolution. One OF the most ubiquitous acts of
uSlrpation ever perpelraied by the Republican
party was the attempt 70 violate the constitutional n
johnson protested against
Mr HiwLRY asked Mr.. Chalmers whether, he
more than two.thirds majority IN Congress, and
could pass the bill over the Presidents vetol
Mr. CHALMERS admitted that that was so.
Mr. BELfoRD asked him whether in the last cleo
ton campaign any State convention of any part
OF The country had demanded that the President
the polls, or that the election laws should be re-
pealed?
that had been made by the last Congress, aud thut
Democratic candidates went before the country
ana those issues were sustained
In continuation of his speech he claimed that he
had struck TO the ground The declaration of the
gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Garfield that the Demo-
etnliG party was ina,gurating revolutionary meth
ods oil legislation, und showed that it was the pur
pose oil the Republican party to starve the Govern
mcnt unless II was permitted 10 strange the free
dOn of elections ut the polls.
has been repudiated.
MIR. CHALMERS. I do; and thank God 1t is true.
lApplause on the Democratic side.
Mr.. BELFoRD. Inthe last House YOU had seventy
majority. and to-day you have but Que.
Mr.. CHALMERS proceeded with his speech, md
asserted that on this question the Republican party
was standing on mere punCtillO, with chip on It's
shoulder, While the Democratic party was stand.
ing Oh one OF the vital principles OF liberty. IT, he
said, the Government must die, and die al the
hands of such Il President. ttren the Democratic
party can look In the face Of the dying Goddess of
Liberty and say shake not thy CORY locks at me {;
thou canst not say | did IT, lApplause on the
Democratic side and Jeering laughter ON the Rcpub-
40 this complexion has it come at last'-thut
me majority must go, like alPpliant;. on bended
Knee and pray to their Most Worshipful High.
esscs OF the minority to redress grievances or that
this Government must die. What was meant by
the threat of the gentleman from Ohio (Alr. Gar
feld) that the Government would be allowed to die
without the firing OF n hostile gun? That gentle
man knows that his party is powcrless In this House
mean? Before him. when he made II, sat the Sec
Ieury OF State. Behind him sat the General of the
Army
only instruments by which the Republican party
can carry out its threat II 1t not mere bravado,
not mere galvanic shock of eloquence intended
to stimulate the spinal column of the President, it
was intended as threat TO the American people,
that If we dared to redress q most grlevous wrong
by putting its repeal OH an appropriation bill it
would be denounced Us revolutionary, and that the
President, with the army and navy at his back,
would put down that revolution.
The name of revolution has no terror for us.
[sneerlng demonstrations OH the Republican side ]
We learned to love IL in .our childhood. II brings
back to us that grand struggle for freedom when
our revolutionary ancestors left their footprints
stamped in blood in the SHOWS OF Valley Forge, so
that we, their children, may take heart ngain "
Military desposm @ % now w threatens us one on every side
Troops have been assembled ut the polls TO ntlmi-
dute free people at elections; troops have been as
scmbled at the Federal Capital TO intimidatc the
House OF Representatives in counting the electoral
vote.
The battlecry of 1850 I,s been already star!ed,o
Government of law, not to be administered by the
judiciary, but with an army strong enough TO en-
force 1t. Whenever 1t comes TO the me question pc
tween freedom and despotism tile Democratic
party will be found standing where our ancestors
stood IN 1T76.
Mr.. CoNGER desire to ask the gentleman from
giust,
Mr. GHAIMERs. The distinguished gentleman Is
@ WHY sSry tells ri ose1s snas a mnsS eanr
with the fools cap and bells, IT seems that Re
publican Congress has supplied itself IN me same
aud jing,lng bells (which might, perhaps suit very
WclD II has dressed its jester in swalow-iaiis
loud laughter on the Democratic side.l
Mr. CoNGER. asked the heroic gentleman from
Mississippi plain, civil, simple question, and IN
stead of answering it he jumps upon his music box
and makes grimaces to the country and the House
Counter demonstrations on the Republican side
members capping their hands and indulging in
loud laughter for considerable timel
Mr.. CHALMERS. The gentleman is mistaken.
shall certainly not undertake to play game nj
which any monkey can beat me. Laughter on The
Mr.. FRYE next obtained the floor, He com.
mcnced by saying that If the discussion had beer
confined to the simple statements made by the gen
the other gentleman from Ohio (Mr McMahon), he
would have had nothing to say, but should have
been entirely Sllisied with thNt presentation oil tnt
case. But the discussion had wandered away from
that point
The other side did not dare to meet square in thC
face the issue whether or not the majority was at
tempting to coerce the Executive. They preferred
to go back to the merits of the question as tC
whether or not soldiers should be allowed TO kecI
the peace at the polls. He did not know how lonl
Republican members would be compelled to ST
still and listen 10 the charge that they had fol
eighteen years made of the Republic drunker
dcspotsm, recling and reeking through the land
to the declaration that this was a military deSpOt
ISM and that 1t was for the Democratic party Il
restore ii to the millennium Of peace.
He did not know how long they should have L
submit to being told that they were the men to bC
forgiven, and have to hold their voices for fea
they might offend some gentlemen on the othe
side, or might arouse the ghost of the old "bloodl
shirt" He did not know but that they ought TO 81
quietly and submit to the charge that they had be
come military despOts because United States troop
had been sent to New York city to keep the peace
lie did not know but tlat they should keep silcn
to the fact that the Democrats of New York city
had murdered scores Of black men before AM
United states troops were sent there to keep TIN
peace
Perhaps they ought to submit to being cale(
TemOrseiess hyenas and make no sort of reply
Two gentlemen from Mississippi hadspokcn to-day
and now he proposed 10 have read what Missis
sippi paper had said. lie sent to the Clerks desl
aud had read an extract from the Oklahoma SQHheI1
SUITES al extract thanking God that the South hal
captured the Capitol that in lsS0ts man woulI
walk the White IIOilsp and take his scat ii