The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1905-06-16
"reminiscences of Mjcbigan's Legisia-
ton During the Mar of the
Rebellion.
Continued from last week.

Continued from last week
To that end the following joint res
olutions were introduced and passed
by the house, February Is, 1865:
Whereas, the present rebellion
threatens the peace and perpetuity of
the union of the states. and requires
the united effort of all patriotic and
loyal citizens TO sustain the admins
tration in its efforts TO restore a per-
manent and honorable peace to the
whole country; therefore,
Resolved. by the senate and house
of representatives of the state of
Michigan, that we will sustain the adj
ministration with all the means in our
power, in all of its efforts To quell the
present rebellion and restore peace to
the union.
Resolved. that we unreservedly
approve the proclamation Of the pres
ident of the United States, issued on
the first day of January, 1903, emau-
cipating slaves in the iusurgent states
and districts Of the union, believing
it TO be an act of justice warranted by
the constitution upon military author
ity."
\ series Of resolutions. disloyal in
every sentence, were introduced As
substitute. I have time for only one
Of the substitute resolutions:
Resolved that the numerous ar
rests without complaint or process,
caused by the president Of the United
States, of loyal citizens Of loyal states.
and the arbitrary suspension of the
writ of habeas corpus. where courts
are devoted to the union and have
been faithful 70 the constitution and
laws, constitutes a most high-handed
and daring assumption of power,
which i without parallel in the his
tory of constitutional governments
and dangerous TO the constitutional
liberty of the American people; and
that the long incarceration of citizens
so arrested. in filthy forts and prisons,
distant from their homes and friends,
without examination or trial, consti-
tutes degree of remorseless cruelty
more BETTING the character of
Turkish despot than president OF
the American republic.
The discussion which followed was
filled with acrimouy and bitterness Of
the rankest kind. Lockwood Of De-
troit denounced the majority resolu
tions as partisan, and Beaks, an able
lawyer Of Ann Arbor, declared that
cit was the first instance in 200 years
that the writ Of habeas corpus had
been suspended. = Judge Pratt ;
reasonable and inhammatory speech
was without a parallel, scarcely in
history. Lashing himself into fury
with excitement, in a loud voice he
exclaimed: There. sir, is the damna
bic abolitionist Abraham Lincoln,
who administers the government; a
bigger autocrat never cursed the
earth! The people ought TO rise
up and by physical force hurl him
from the chair of state, since he Is
prepared to sacrifice the armies Of
the country. Then, in the eyes of
God and men, the people will be JUST
fed " He was Kissed and cheered.
He continued: you may hiss, my
fellows, you can't intimidate me!
They should do it, and l will go with
them" Renewed Kisses and cheers.
In lower, but more defiant tone, he
declared: 1.-The time is not far dis
tant, my dear fellows, tell you it is
very near, when you will not hiss in
vain.!" The excitement which fol-
lowed these declarations can be better
imagined than told. 1t was the gen
eral opinion that the house should ex-
pei him and would do it the next day,
but better council prevailed. The
house had a strong and united major
ity of loyal mem bers, who, if possible,
were more firmly united by such utter
ances and could well afford 70 allow
the disloyal members to do their
worst Judge William T. Howell an
swered these speeches. He was an
able man and a forcible speaker. Mr..
Lockwood had denounced the ma
jority resolutions as partisan. He
requested Mr.. Lockwood TO point
out one single sentence of a party
nature in the resolutions, which he