Year: 1862




iai1re. but in the people when they should
come 10 form State Constitution.


Now, | ask. taking the amendment 10 the
+ Constitution, and taking the three territorial
+ bills embracing every square inch Of territory


in the possession of the United States. how
much Of The slavery question was left ? W hat
better compromise could have been made
Still, We are told that matters might have been
F compromised. and that, if we had agreed to
compromise. bloody rebellion would not now
be abroad in our land. Sir, Southern Senators
are responsible for il. They stood here with
I power 10 accomplish the result, sud yet treach-
eronS'y. ard. | may say, tauuii1gly they left
this Chamber and announced that they had
dissolved their connection with the Government


Then, We were left in the hands Of those who
we had been taught to belieye would encrorch
upon rights they gave Us in the constitutional
amendment and in the three territorial bills all
that had evoT been asked and yel gentlemen
talk about compromise. Why was not this
taken and accepted? No; It was not com
promise that the leaders wanted they wanted
power they wanted to destroy this Govern
ment, so that they might have place and emol-
ument for themselves. They had lost conf
dence in the intelligence and virtue of integrity
of the people, and their capacity to govern
themselves and they intended to separate and
form government, the chief corner stone Of
which should be slavery, disiranchising the
great mass of the people, of which we have
seen constant evidence. and merging the powers
of government in the hands Of the few. | know
what | say. ! know their feelings and their
sentiments. ! served in the Senate with them
| know they were close corporation that had
no more confidence in, or respect for the people
than has the Dey Of Algiers. / fought that
close corporation here. | knew that they were
no friends Of the people. knew that S.idell,
and Mason, and Benjamin, and lverSon, and
Toombs were the enemies Of free government
and know 50 now. ! commenced the war
upon them before a State seeded and intend
to keep on fighting this great battle before the
country for the perpetuity of free government.
They seek to overthrow It. and to establish
deSpotism in its place That is the great bat
tie which is upon our hands. The great in,e-
rests of civil liberty and free government call
upon every patriot and every lover Of popular
rights to come forward and discharge his duty.


THE STRUGGLE FOR WHICH WE FIGHT.


We see this great struggle; We see that the
exercise Of the vital principle Of government
itself is denied by those who desire our inStitu-
tions TO be overthrown and deSpotism estab-
Used on their ruins If we have not the phys
ical and moral courage to exclude from our
midst men whom we believe 10 be unsafe depos-
itors Of public power and public trust-men
whose associates were rolling of honeyed ac
cents against coercion. and are now in the
traitors camp-if We have not the courage to
force these men from our midst, because we
have known them, and have been personal
friends with them for years, we are not entitled
to sit here as Senators ourselves. Can YOU eX-
pect your brave men, your officers and soldiers.
that are now in the tented field" subject TO
all the hardships and privation pertaining to
civil war like this, to have courage and to
march on with patriotism 10 crush treason on
every battle field. and when you have not the
courage to expel il from your midst Set
those brave men an example say to them by
your acts and voice that you evidence your
intention to put down traitors in the field by
rejecting them from your midst without regard
to former associations.


do not say these things in unkindness !
say them in obedience TO duty. a high constitu-
tional duty that owe to my country yes, sir,
that owe to my wife and children. BY your
failure to exercise the powers Of this Govern
ment, by your failure to enforce the laws of the
Union am separated from those most dear to
me. Pardon me, sir, for this personal allusion.
My wife and children have been turned into
the street, and my house has been turned into
a barracks and for what? Because | stand
by the Constitution and the institutions of the
country that have been raised to love. respect
and venerate. This is my oiiense. Where are
my sons in-law? One today is lying in pris
on another is forced 10 fly to the mountains
to evade the pursuit of the hell-born and he'll
bound conspiracy Of disunion and secession
and when their cries come up here to you for
protection, we are told. No; I am against
the entire conercive policy of the Government.


TIE QUESTION IN ITS PARTY ASPECT.


The speech of the Senator from California
the other day had the effect in some degree,
and seemed to be intended to give the question
a party tinge. If l know myself-although
as | avowed before am a Democrat and ex-
pect TO live and die one-I know no party in
this great struggle for the existence of my
country. The argument presented by the Sena-
tor from California was. that we need not be
in such hot pursuit of Mr.. Bright, or those
Senators who entertain his sentiments, who are
still here. because we had been 4 little diatOry
in eypelling other traitor0us Senators hereto
fore. and he referred US 70 the resolution Of the
Senator from Maine (Mr. FeSsenden) which
was introduced. at the special session in March
last, declaring that certain Senators having
withdrawn, and their seats having thereby be-
come vacant, the Secretary should omit their
names from the roll Of the Senate | know
there seemed to be kind Of timidity, kind
of fear. TO make use of the word expel" at
that time but the fact that we declared the
seats vacant, and stopped there. did not pre-
clude US from afterwards passing vote of
censure. The resolution. which was adopted
in March. merely stated the fact that Senators
had withdrawn and left their seats vacant
At the next Session resolution was introduc-
ed to expel the other Senators from the seeded
States, who did not attend in the Senate; and
my friend (Mr. Laham) moved to strike out
of that very resolution the word expelled
and insert e vacated = so that do not think
he ought to be much offended at it. l simply
allude to it to show how easy it is for Us to
forget the surrounding circums ances that in
fueuced our action at the time it took place. I
We know that year ago there was deep
and abiding hope that the rebellion would rot
progress as it has dOne-that it would cease
Il. h. i