The Butler weekly times., 1882-05-10

The Old YermOnter Waves the
Bloody Shirt and Vest Del
uges it With the Clean
Water of Common
Sense.

Mr.. Edmunds. | ask for the read
ing of that section which it is pro-
posed to repeal.
The Acting Secretary read As fol-
lows:
Sec. 1918. No person who had
served in any capacity in the military,
naval or civil service of the so-called
Confederate States, or of either OF
the States in insurrection during the
late rebellion, shall be appointed to
any position in the army of the United
States
Mr. Vest. Mr.. President
The President PRO tempore. The
Chair would state to the Senator
from Missouri that it is within Il MIN
ute or two of two O'Clock. If he
wants to speak longer the bill had
better go over till tomorrow.
Mr.. Vest. l do not want to detain
the Senate. simply want to say,
as one of the class that comes within
the ban OF the law that is proposed
to be repealed, for | served IN the
military and civil service of the late
cortederacy, that | do not believe.
and am glad to say that do not
believe that the Senator from Yer
mont (Mr. Edmunds) voices the
sentiment of the American people
upon this question. l am glad to
believe, sir, that the people of the
United States, the great body OF
them, are anxious to obliterate every
mark and monument of the late war
between the States or between the
Government and certain States. l
do not believe that the people of the
United States in this age and with
our civilization desire to erect any
monument of that occurrence. Re-
cent events have shown, if they show
anything, that the great body of the
people of this country, north, south,
east and west, desire, above all
things, material advancement and
material prosperity without going
back to the obsolete ideas of sectional
hate and sectional strife.
Mr.. President~the Senator from
Vermont says the Government must
keep before the people the evidences
of its triumphs, that the Government
must preserve the fruits OF the war.
Does the Senator mean to say that
this statute is necessary to preserve
the fruits Of the war, to keep before
the people the successes ofthe United
States in the war? Your flag. our
flag, waves in triumph in every town.
ship in this broad Union. From
one end of the Union to the other
not one man, woman or child dis
putes the national supremacy. Your
taxes are collected; your national
name is respected. Sir, do the peo-
pie need ANYTHING else to recollect
that war except the graves of our
common dead and common gallantry
Of the soldiers of both sections
Will any Senator on, the other side
Of this chamber tell me that this
statute, conceived in the bitterness
Of the strife that came just after the
war when mems passions were afiame
as sword and bayonet had been
af1ame throughought the land, IS
necessary for any purpose except to
voice and express the hate that
ought to have died with the success
IF the national Government? Now,
say to the Senator
The President pro tempore. Two
clock has arrived.
Mr.. Edmunds: hope the Sena-
or will be allowed to proceed.
The President pro tempore. If
here be unanimous consent, the
Senator from Missouri may proceed.
Mr.. Edmunds. There is no OBJ
ection.
Mr.. Hawley. The regular order
will be resumed at the close of SEN
ltor's remarks.
The President pro tempere. Ger
aInly, unless the Senate order other |
wise
Mr.. Vest. Now l will say to the
Senator from Vermont, for one, |
peaking TO, myself, why object |
o this Statute.
When we were received back into
he Union-although believe the
logma of the Republican party is |
hat we were never out of the Union
we came back on the express |
erms of equality before the law, or
lse fraud was practiced upon the
ountry and upon its history. You
meet us to-day as co-equals here,
eprcsenting sovereign States.
SIX the Senator from Vermont, If a
var should be waged now with a
oreign nation, would you accept our