Year: 1862




, strife. wonder That the reading oi
that did not carry him back to the time
. when England was involved in civil
war. If it had, would he not be as
7 tonished at the mildness and>forbear.
auce OF the Government in the course
it has pursued toward these traitors in
our midst? Sir, IT, you lopk at the old
records during those troubIous times
, you will find that mon on slighter evi.
dence than would impeach the gentle.
man were hung up by the neck until
they were dead, and yet he lauds the
mildness Of the British Government
It is remarkable fact, and I fear mol
entirely to our credit either, that while
we have been involved in this great re.
bellion, while this generation are taxed
and future generations will be taxed to
the utmost OF ftheir capacity to defend
themselves, while this ungodly war was
waged against the best government on
Gods earth, and it has cost the most
precious blood of this nation to repel
the heinsurrection, after whole year has
passed by, there has not yet been made
single example of treason, not one: no
attempt to take the life, nay, even the
property, of the hellish traitor that has
caused the sacrifice of our dearest and
most precious blood.


Sir, the man who invokes the Con-
stitution in for5earance of the law to
punish traitors, is himse a sympathi
ger. There never was a man who stood
up in this Senate, from the time when
Mr.. Breckinridge preached daily in "a.
vor Of constitutional guarantees until
now, and set up constitutional barriers
against punishment for treason but what
is in his innermost heart of hearts a
traitor. / do not want to hear any
more of man than that he is invoking
the forbearance of the Constitution and
the great barriers in favor of American
liberty to protect an internal traitor in
his course, to know that he is sympa-
thizer. Our Administration is assailed
because not having the technical evi.
dence in their possession to bring q man
to trial and Judgment of death,
they do not let him 90 at large
to plot against the life of the Govern
ment.


Mr. President, l have said great
deal more than I intended; but the
theme is very fruitful one. A ty-
ranny exists here, it is said. Sir, is it
not manifest to everybody that from the
time when this rebellion broke out,
when we had traitors in this Senate
proclaiming their treason on this floor,
when they conspired to take the life Of
your President on his way to the Capi.
tai, when they bcset your regiments
coming here for no other purpose than
to defend your capital, until now, every
scintilIa of Information that your Ex-
ecutivc has is communicated to traitors
on the other side of the river as
soon as it is to people on this side. The
Administration have attempted to put
that down; they have not succeeded;
and yet the Senator stands there and
says you should not arrest scoundrel
when you know his heart is with the
enemy, but who meanly skulks from
overt acts in their favor; you should not
imprison him; but you must let it all 20,
and permit the enemy to be perfectly
cognizant of every expedition and Of
every move you make. I am sorry
that the Senator does not remain on the
floor and meet the consequences of his
insinuations against the Administration
and against the committee.


Sir, it is perfectly manifest that if
persons are shut up in dungeons, and
restrained Of their liberty, it is that the
Constitution may live. I know it is
not in accordance with the principles
of our Constitution. In ordinary times
it could not for moment be tolerated;
but when, with all your caution, and
with all this pretended tyranny, you
have not been able, as yet, to conceal
knowledge of the most important expe.
dition Of your armies and your intend.
ed movements from the enemy as soon
as your own people possess it, the man
who stands up for rigid execution of
the haJeaS corpus and the law, as in
time of peace, is but sympathizer with
them. While l am up, Vet me say that
in times of revolution and rebellion,
like these, when whole States have come
out and proclaimed their intention TO
destroy the life of our glorious Govern.
ment, when they have their martial
hosts in the field, bent on its destruc-
ton, | understand them to be entirely
absolved from the protecting esis of the
Constitution. They have renounced it
utterly. They have struck at your life.
They would take your life's blood. They
proclaim themselves ready to do it. And
yet, sir, you are to treat them with leni
ty! Your Constitution presoribes that
no man shall be deprived of his life, or
despoiled of his goods, without due pro l..
cess FLAW. 1t guarantees to every man
the right of life, liberty, and property;
but are you not compelled to advance
into his country with your armies, and
plant your cannon, and destroy him by
whole armies together2 Is that con
stitutioual Ny Secession friend, if
there is any such here, why do you not
invoke the Constitution in opposition
to our cannon and our musketry against
these rebels The Constitution pro.
tects their rights. You do not invoke
it on the field of battle. You do not
try him there by jury, as the Cousti
tuition says-you shall. Why do you not
carry your doctrines to their Legitimate
end2 Why stop short? Does the
Senator from California pretend that
when our hosts march iu battle array,
and meet those Of the enemy, and it is
life against life, we should summon a