Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1884-02-28

{
after the light and knowledge of year,
/ had made this great country the only
/ truo Republican form OF government
ever given 10 humanity.
And, Mr. Speaker, when the war was
| over We invited the States to reform
/ their governments and send their Rep.
reseniatycs to these Halls. They are
/ the peers of the gentleman from Mich.
| igan Applause. There isnot a manned
man who fought in that unhappy war
ON this floor VINO is not the peer of the
speaker, the President OF the United
/ States, and they are TO be taken into
| full fellowship as part aad parcel of
the country, and regret from my heart
| to hear such appeals from gentlemen
representing constituency III this
| Chamber. lie says "stand aside to
| American citizens. Fitz.John Porter is
an American citizen, YOU are American
citizens, every man on this floor is an
American citizen and is nothing more,
and IN the morning and in the evening
We should all thank he Almighty that
We are American citizens; and all those
/ inside and outside who obey the law and
stand Ly the Government Of this couu
try are peers. and no more, no matter
/ whether they are honored 10y official
position or in the walks of private life,
aud hold it to be the paramount duty
I aS il is the right of every member ot
tins House. no matter where from, or
what his gnteceieuts, To yoic on ques.
/ ton which involves the rights OF an
! American man.
/ After the war there was free for
/ giycues, OF those who differed from u
on principle, but as wc in the North be-.
! li.yed. attempted without cause to break
down the Government. Why? Mr..
! Speaker. il was because they believed
/ that they had just cause for resistance
/ that pro ougei the war. But for such a
measure OF sincerity in that belief they
could never have put vast armies in the
! field and continued until their whole
country was in desolation. Com
playni. running through many years
4 since the war, has constantly been made
/ that the Sou h is largely represented on
! this floor Is soldiers and brigadIers, as
| they are generally called. ! accept their
presence here as better men than thOs"
/ who sent them into the field to fight. |
/ take il for granted that IN the North a.
we'll as in the South the man who be
| lieycd he was right, although he was in
error, and fought in that great war, is a
! better man than the quhrtermaster,
/ the pas master, the sutler, or the con
/ tractor Of the army, and the gallant men
/ who persuaded them 20 20 out TO fight.
/ Great applause That Is tue class,
/ those are tine men who, on both sides,
+ in persuasive eloquaucc asked soldiers
/ to 20 into the war. From every battle
/ field came up expressions in sympathy
| with the people, and to every battle
/ field hearts aud prayer went out from
/ home.
The war left the South in poverty,
/ ABSOLUTE poverty. and II was not credi.
/ table in their poverty to send the carpet.
/ blggcr and the ,ihclal thief down there
/ to steal what little was lcit. Great ap.
/ plausc.
Yes, Mr. Speaker, the war left the
/ South lu poverty, and IL Is not unjust to
say that Co some extent % blisteroi the
/ morality OF the North as all wars demon
/ alil" people. Every candid man on tnl-
+ lloor will admit that IL will take Is long
time q blot ont the effect, Ui the war
even with those who were -Uc .r--iul.
/ We are uoH a krd to deal with soldier
sent 90 Wet Point from PyuusylyaEil
g man who for twenty years ha-
suffered injustice. Vet men uu the
other side of the Hon. turn tp u- here
and say that citizens ot the United
/ States. elected 10 ..pTr.u the people
at the Ju.i.l >at-.. has" "a" right o.
/ vote ou tAI. question and -houii stand
aside.
/ iu rhr speech of tLc witty gentleman
gum N.ranu Nr. IinI. there vls
{ WtsraHiafHl los another member uf the
/ House something about Agamemupn
aud Ajax, aul the Lord knows what.
/ .Grcat laughter. did rptuudsGstani
Iit then. aud fail 20 uul r.taui it now.
/ Renewed laughter. But ON. thing S..
+ all did understand, aud that wa- that
i five ;uiuutes wa. put into the speech OF
( the gentleman from Michigan by az
/ raugcmont; auybody could understand
/ that perfectly. You are asked to deal
/ with an Americas citizen. pnd each one
OF YOU here represent q part Of thu.
| great country, once more united, covered
| by the same Constitution. and with the
/ luton and the history Of our armies.
/ I ~ ~ was AShtht u Was llHItENlNtUtN
asked, that you should stand aside and
leave this quarrel to us.
Well, If you should leave it to the
Representatives Of the North, from the
| indications made on that side of the
| House, am not sure that Fitz-John
Porter would lose this bill indeed it
would seem from the opposition made
that the Republican members of this
House would not vote to continue the
stain upon him.
When | first saw Fitz.John Porter.
Mr. Speaker. he was young his eye was
brilliant his hair was dark he was the
model of a young soldier. 1t was at
Harrisburg, at the beginning of the war,
when Washington was shut out from us.
There were sixteen thousand militia
there that Porter desired to take TO
Baltimore. They were not clad, barely
armed, and no comforts for them cotid
be improyiscd at the lime can see
him now as lac then presented himself
when he said. "If you will give me this
army / win march it to Washington il I
have to march over the ashes of cities /: