Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1879-05-13
state Rights History Repeating
Itself Twelve Fraudulent Sena-
tors from the south -Thrilling
SpeechpS.

ical, legal argument of Mr. Edmunds of Yer
mont against the bill, demonstrating that it
was intended to take away from the ENccu-
tive constitutional and necessary right and
leave the national government ut the mercy
of the States The bill he said was the first
step in the direction of sweeping away every
thing which the wisdom of our fathers
achieved and the yalor of their sons pre-
served. Then came the brief and telling
speeches of Blaine and Chandler, declaring
in bold and mpassioned language the purpose
of the Southern conspirators and charging
them with their gigantic crimes against free
and fair elections and national sovereignty.
The remarks of the two latter are reported
in the papers as follows. Let no one fail to
read them.
Mr.. BLAINE oN STATE RI"HTs.
Mr.. Blaine of Maine, said
Mr. President: | want To make single re-
mark ON the hill itself if there i To be vote
upon it. although my remarks may be merely
"A repetition of what ha, been so admirably
said bv the honorable Senator from Vermont,
desire to put II punctuation point in the
progress of things rs they are now going ON,
and that punctuation point i to mark the
high tide which the ancient doctrine of State
RIGHT, is reaching in this chamber and in this
Congress This question has engaged the at
tention of the American people for Just about
30 wears. 1t ha, had its ups and downs. its
victories and its defeats. 1t was stranglcd
for time by Jackson 1t was dallied with
by Van Buren,. 1t rose to full strength un-
der Polk and Pierce and Buchanan. 1t mar
shalcd itself for a deadly struggle under
Brcckinrilgc and. if mistake not, majority
of Senators who sit on that side q. the Cham
Der supported Breckenridge when he embod
led that deadly hcrcsy. In whatever there
was in the issue between Calhoun and Jack
son. that side of the Senate Chamber repre-
SCENTS Calhoun. Whatever there was in the
contest div iding the democratic party between
Brcckinrilgc and Douglas, that side of the
chamber represents all the evil there was in
the policy of Breckenridge. and desire here
to affirm and point out. that there never was
before the rcbcllion--thcre never was at any
time in the history of this country-any such
assertion of State rights-any such assertion of
mastery of the State Government over the
Federal Government in its own domain IS is
here asserted by the heirs lineal of Calhoun
and Of Breckenridge. shall not debate this
lively debated The whole measure is a re-
moval of the Federal Government from its
proper domain and the installation of the
States into degrees of power that were not
asserted by Breckinridge We thought there
had been something gained on this question
in Il costly war and in amendments to the
Constitution: but the tide as it now sweeps
j. on the cbb and the power of the Mon
the power OF the Federal Govcrnmont-wa
never SO weak as these law and these pro-
cccdings will make it. Pass this bill While
warning off II t. National Government from
all interference or control over its own clcc-
tons YOU voted down on the other bill prop
ositIUn that armed men should not come to
the polls. You voted down ON the other bill
a proposition that armed men should not
come to the polls with the expressed intent
of interfering it'll the ri ght> of voters. and
You did it under the patry bubble that it was
not within the constitutional power of the
United States Government to warn bloody
handed ruf,ians from the polls. where the
representatives in the Federal Congress were
being chosen. Pass this bill Pass it as the
triumph of the rcactionary party against the
spirit of the MON Pass ii in defiance of all
the lessons and all the teachings that have
come from bloody and abortive rebellion.
Pass it, and mark it As high tide of that re-
action which, were it to rise higher. could
lead only to another and formidable rebellion
against the legitimate authority of the Union
Hos. /ACH. CHANDLER SPEARS.
Mr.. Chandler of Michigan said History is
repeating itself to-day There is Il proyerbial
saving that the Bourbons never learn any
thing and never forget anything. The pro-
verb is very applicable to the Bourbons of
this country In 1851, he said, the Bourbons
had control of this government. You had
majority in both Houses, and majority in
the Supreme Court, and the whole of this
government was under your control. You
brought up the repeal of the Missouri com
promise and forced your Northern men then,
as YOU are doing now, to vote for that repeal
and You did it by the same means. Then. sir,
you crowded your men till you crowded them
off the bridge. In 1851, when took my seat
in this body with JEFF. Davis Oaughtcr) there
were A democrats, 20 republicans, and two
independents in this body. OF those demo-
Gratis. - were from the South and lG from
Northern States. Then, rs now, the indie
pcndents in this body, upon every question
connected with slavery, voted with the South.
You. in caucus, then dccrccd that Stephen 4.
Douglas. because he asserted that he did not
care whether slavery was voted up or down.
should be degraded from the Craftsmanship OF
the Committee on Territories and there were
but three Northern democrats out Of the IL
who dared to resist caucus dictation And you
did degrade him ana put him off that con nit
tee. Then YOU crowded your men oil the
bridge, and they sank to man into tie wa
tors of Oblivion to rise no more forever. Sir
of these lG members, not solitary man from
the North ever came up to the surface of the
waters of oblivion. You crowded them OF
the bridge: Won compelled them to vote for
measures which the North could not, and
would not Withstand. Sir, to-day you are do
ing the selt-samc thing. To-day we have in
this body II democrats, % republicans and
independent. To-day, as % years ago. on all
questions connected with State rights, the in
dependent party is "A unit votes with the dem
ocratc party. To-day you have, as said
y members in this body-il leaving out the
independent part. You have II members
from the North, and they are arranged thus
From California. one; from Indiana. now a,
then, two; from New Jersey, two, now a.
then; from Ohio you have two now, You had
but one then; from Oregon Won have two
now, and you had two then; from Pennsvlva-
YOU have one now, YOU had one then; from
/ Rhode Island you have none now, but YOU
have one from Connecticut and one from New
/ York.