Year: 1868

history Of the nation was the need ol


wise and experienced Legislators in


Congress, more earnestly felt by all


classes than now. The question OF


the hour is impeachment, and every


loyal man must be proud and graft


fed that in the House of Represents


tives we're found men who in point Of


ability and legal learning could cope


with the ablest jurists of the land


and who if they shall not equal the


forensic displays Of Burke and Sheri-


dan which tradition has handed down
to us as models of eloquence, will sur.
pass all the celebrated counsel in pre-,


vious impeachment trials in their


sturdy resistance to executive usurpa,
tion, and their manly vindication oi


the peoples rights. There is no doubt


in the minds of sensible men that the


past intellectual and moral superiority


of the Republican party in Congress
is due to the good sense Of the people,


who, during our last years Of trial


have, with unerring instinct, retained


in their seats those good and faithful


servants who by their patriotism, their
Industry, and their experience, have
proved themselves competent to fill


their positions and honest in the dis


charge Of their duties. Before the


war the political preponderance Of the


South was chiefly due to the fact that


a man who had proved himself capa-


bic and faithful in public Office was
generally retained while in the


North the pernicious system of rota-


tiOn in Office almost universally pre-


vailed. Where would the Republican
party and the country be were it not
for such wise and experienced men as
Stevens, Bingham, Boutwell,, Wilson,
Kelly, Schenek and others Of that
ealibre2 Such men know "by heart
all the legislation of Congress for the
past ten years. During the rebellion
they were actuated by one common
impulse of patriotism and love Of free.
dom, whatever might have been their
differences Of opinion on minor points.
They have felt during all that time
the pulse of the people; and they
knew instinctively what course of
conduct their constituents desired.
Thousands of letters passing to and
fro keep them in constant communica-
tion with their constituents, with
tried, trusted friends, with the thought
ful, earnest farmer, with the devout
Christian, with the excitable and busy
merchant, and with the widows and


orphans of our fallen heroes. They
are truly the representatives of the


people. They represent their eonstit-


uents politically in all their Interests,


passions and aspirations. Men Of
this character are too valuable to be


lost, and none know their usefulness
so we'll as we who are daily witnesses


of their acts and doings in Washing


ton. None but those who have been


concerned with business in the De-
partments know what a positive luxu-
ry it is to have to do with q member


Of Congress who knows what he is
about, and who has some idea from


personal recollection of what logisla-
ton has taken place, and what policy


has been pursued by the Government
during the last seven years. But
there is a higher and better reason


why men learned and experienced in


the legislation of Congress should be
retained in places which they have


honOrably and usefulIy filed. We are


passing through the momentous crisis


of the life of the nation. We are at
the turning point Of our destiny.


Since the firing Of the first rebel gun


on Sumpter, the loyal men Of the ma


tion have beon actuated by one i'm


pulse-the love of freedom and their


country. Through all the terrible


sacrifices and hardships Of the rebel


lion the people have steadily advanced


in their education in political princi-
pies, and now they stand foremost in


the van of Liberty's guard. Their
representative men have gathered in
spiration and courage from the hearts
of the people, and in turn have glad
dened their constituents by their firm


and unhinching devotion to the prin-


ciples which they knew were dear
and sacred to their friends and neigh


bors at home. A nobIer band in no.


bier cause the world never saw gath
cred together. The action of the
present is inspired by the memories
and the experience Of the past. Mu-
tually encouraged and always conf
ding in each other, the people and
their trusted leaders have presented |
an unbroken front in their majestic
march toward the grand destiny of !
the American Republic. Prominent
among tho leading men in the House
has been the representative from the
9Th district Of Ohio, Hon. R. W..
Clarke. Ineed say nothing to you Of


his many valuable qualities both of !
head and heart, which have won for !
him the affection and esteem Of his
friends at home; but I may state
somewhat that know of his eficien-
cy as a member of the House. It is |
generally said that it takes at least
two terms for a new man, however
able he may be, to get the chang" of
the House. so that he can manage his