Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1879-04-04
NLVIru CONGRESS -FIRsT SESSION.
HOUSE.


HOUSE.
SEQUEL TO GARFIELD SPEECH - CHALMERS
CHAMPIONS THE REyJLUTIONIsTs
WASHINGTON. April La reference to
Garheld'+ statement that southern demo.
Gratis in 1851 threatened to shoot the union
to death, Chalmers declared they made nc
such threat. The south had claimed the
right OF peaceful secession and had attempt
cd peacefully to seceio 1t was the north
that said. you shall not CO." You sem
grand armies after US; you hemmed US in
by land and sea you shot US to death with
the battle cry of The constitution as il
is, and the union az 1t was, you rallied the
whole north without regard to party in de-
fence of the flag.
Price-Where was the first gun fired
Applause on the floor and in the galleries.
Chalmers-The first gun was fired neal
iiarper's Ferry, when southern blood was
shed on southern soil. Loud applause on
democratic side and in the galleries
Price-The gentleman must know that
John Brown and his sixteen men were not
hghtIng to destroy the union and that the first
gun fired against the union was at Sumpter
Chalmers went on to say if the proposed
legislation was revolution, then the repub-
licsn party had accomplished revolution
alter revolution. One of the most iniqui-
tous acts OF usurpation ever perpetrated by
the republican party to violate the constitu-
tional right of the President, was the act
which President johnson protested against
Hawley asked whether it was not the fact
that the republicans had then less than the
two-thirds majority in Congress and could
not pass bill over the Presidents veto Z
Chalmers admitted that uas
Chalmers claimed that he had overthrown
the declaration OF Garfield that the Demo-
cratic party was inaugurating revolution
arY methods OF legislation, and showed that
1t was the purpose of the republican party
to starve the government unless it was per-
mitted to strangle the freedom OF elections
at tn. polls.
BelfOrd-You say the republican party
has been repudiated.
Chalmers do, and thank God it is
true. Applause on the democratic side.
Belfcrd-ln the last House sou had seven
ty majority to-day you have bat one.
Chalmers Asserted that the republican
party was standing on mere punctitiO with
chip on it, shOuideT) while the demo-
cratic party was standing on one of the
vital principals of liberty. Ii, said he, this
government must die, and die at the hands
OF such President, then the democratic
party can look in the face OF the dying
goddess OF liberty and say, Shake not thy
CORY locks at ne, thOl canst not say | did
1t. Applause on democratic and jeering
laughter on republican side. 80 this
complexion has it come at last, that the
majority must 60 like suppliant on bend
ed knee and pray to their nost worshipful
hlghness the minority to redress their
grievances. or that this government must
die? What was meant by tine threat Of the
gentleman from Ohio Garfield that the
government would be allowed to die with
out the firing of q hostile gun? 1t was not
mere bravado, not mere galvanie shock Of
el0quence intended to stimulate the spinal
column of tha President. 1t WAS Intended
a. threat to the American people, that if
We dared to redress a most grievous wrong
by putting its repeal on an appropriation
bill 1t would be denounced IS revolutionary
and the President with the army and navy
at his back would put down that reyolu-
ton. The name OF revolution has no terror
Tor u. Sneering demonstrations on the
republican side. Military despotism now
threatens Us on every side. Troops have
been assembled at the polls to intmidate
free people at elections. Troops have been
assembled at the federal capital to iutimi-
date the House in counting the electoral
vote. The battle cry OF 1880 has been already
started. The government of law is not
to be administered by the Judiciary but with
an army strong enough to enforce it when
ever 1t comes to q question between freedom
and despotism. The democratic party will
be found standing where our ancestors stood
in I776.
Conger-l desire to ask the gentleman
whether the second revolution OF ls6! had
any terrors for him2
Chalmers-The distinguished gentleman
is exceedingly witty. History tells US Eng
llsh kings were in the habit of keeping
testers at court with FOOLS cap and bells.
1t seems the republican Congress has sup
piled Itself IN the same manner laughter
but instead OF IDOLS cap ard jingling bells
(which might perhaps suit very well), it
has dressed its Jester in swallow tails. Loud
laughter on the democratic side.
Conger-l asked the heroic gentleman, a
plain. civil, simple question, and instead of
answering 1t, be jumps upon his music box
and makes grimace to the country and the
House. Counter demonstrations on the
republican side. Members clapping hands
and INDUCING in load laughter for a con-
siderable time.
Chalmers -The gentleman is mistaken. |
shall certainly net undertake to play the
game at which any monkey can beat me.
] Laughter on the democratic side
Frye said be did not know how long re-
publican members would be compelled to sit
still and listen to the charge that they had
for eighteen years made of the republic
o drunken despotism. and to the declaration
that this was military despOtism and that it
was for the democratic party to restore it to
tho millennium of parhapa thatr
ought to submit to being called remorseless
hyenas and make no sort of reply. lie had
the clerk read from Mississippi newspaper
an extract thanking God that the south
had captured the capitol. that in 1881 its
man would walk tho White House steps and
take his seat in the Presidential chair. that
then the glorious triumph of the south
would be complete, etc, etc.
Muldrow said that paper represented no
respectable element of Dississippi demo-
cracy.
Frye have heard again and again and
again that cry, as to the capture of the
capitol. You have been nearer 10 it than
you are to-day, but you never have put your
hand yet upon the capitol and under God
yon never will. Applause on the republi-
ran side and great excitement throughout
the hall
Frye said this was not the first
time attempts had been made to cap
ture the capitol. He quoted from the
fugitive slave. Burns, in Massachusetts,, in
1854. When 100 soldiers were mustered
INTO the United States service to take this
man. and after he had been landed in Vr-
ginia, bonfres had been built and huzzas
Tiled the air all over the South in honor of
the triumph which had been achieved.
There never had been time when the
south was nearer capturing the capitol of |
he country than at that time, and thou |
'ands had come to believe that when M,ssa- |
;husetts had been thus Inundated that the |
,apitol had been indeed captured The |
gentlemen Of the South believed 1t and made |
demand alter demand in rapid succession.
md the North in it, humiliation responded |
- rapidly, until in their pride OF power
hey asked too much and then the solid
North said, " Not one single step further
md then had come the war. not brought on
" poor old John Brown at Harpers Ferry
Y hen he frightened Virginia with fifteen men
nd soPe old muskets, but serious war. AT
mother time the South had its troops on
he heights above the capitol. Why had
rev not taken ii2 lie could tell his friends