Year: 1867

the beautiful language OF Campbell
often came to my mind, giving me
confidence and hope:


"Where'cr degraded nature groans and pines,


From Guinea's coast to Siber's dreary mines.


Truth shall peryade the unfathomed darkness


there,


And light the dreadful features of despair"


But the chains of slavery, welded by
the passions and interests of so many
generations, seemed too strong to be
snapped asunder by human, or even
divine agency, and l fancied in my
gloomy hours that the grave-fowers Of
many returning spring time would
bloom and fade upon my sleeping dust
before that good time promised would
come; but "my ways are not your
ways, neither are my thoughts your
thoughts, saith the Lord" and | live not
only to welcome the morning but also
to rejoice in the "high noon" of that
illustrious day; and more than all that,
honored as have been with a seat in
this Hall, with the representatives of the
people from the great State of Ohio, to
me is now given the long coveted priv
Ilege of seeking to inaugurate move
ment by which the last stain upon its
glorious record may be removed forever;
and if now | could be induced by any
mOtivs to turn aside from duty, should
regard myself as meritiug a deeper
oblivion than that of nameless craze.
For one, cannot-I dare not-assume
such responsibility; and here, as l
stand upon this floor, with the sacred
obligations to my State aud Government.
aye, and the world, upon me-here,
before the alter of my country; yet
crimsoned with blood, and glistening
with the tears of helpless orphanage
and desolate widowhood-here, before
the great God of Heaven, to whom /
must account for this, and every other
act of my life, "wash my hands in
innocency," and pledge myself now and
.iorerer to the enfranchisement of all
men.


But, Mr.. Speaker, while l am thus
positive as to my own obligations and
convictions, do not design to reflect
upon the motives which may govern
other members of the House; by no
means. | accord to them, in following
the promptings of duty to themselves
and to their constituents, an exhibition
of fidelity and constancy, more to be
commended than censured; but, ! think
that the time has come when we can
change front, and be true to our con-
nts;-when we must change front
and be true to the inter ests of our
country and our party. If now we do
not finch, but meet the issue before us,
like men who "know the right, and
knowing dare maintain" the future of
our party organization will be as glorious
as the past, and its pernanency will run
parallel with the life of the Government.
We may have to brave fierce and ter
rible storm of passion and prejudice
our enemies, true to the instincts of
their degeneracy, may seek to infame
the public mind and poison the public
heart; they may even go further than
that, and in their last blind effort to
grasp the pillars OF our nationality, con-
tinually feel for them in their distress
and piteously plead for returning
strength that they may lean against them
for destruction; but all such efforts,
cursed as they are by God and man,
will be fruitless, and our institutions
made more permanent, because built
upon the eternal principles Of truth and
justice, shall stand forever.


But have already tresspassed upon
the time of the House and justice to
you prompts me to yield the floor and
yet, Mr. Speaker, | ask to be INDUCED a
few moments longer, while | say to the
few survivors of the once great and
powerful Democratic party that regret
their inability to read in history the
curse of God burning into the very soul
of moral, mental, physical or political
oppression, and that. their antagonism
to the elevation of humanity will finally
crush out their feeble party organiza-
ton.


| cannot conceive how it could have
descended from its high mission unless
it be because ofits alliance withtreason,
and its enveloped sympathy with the
enemies of our Government. remem-
Der well when, in its palmy days, it
proclaimed nobler sentiments, and
boasted of a sublimer destiny, and
think that am simply doing justice to
its memory when say that the demo-
cratic ideas of Government which it
then projected and taught, shook ty-
rants upon their thrones, and gave to
the seething masses of the old world
struggling up to a higher national life,
confidence and hope. Ireland, mar
tyred Ireland, still twines those grand
old creeds with the shamrock OF her
nationality, and sings it in its sac. wall
ings over crushed hopes and too long
delayed promises of liberation. Hun
gary, crushed and bleeding Hungary,
wreaths those sublime aspirations with
the weeds of her wldowhood, and
mixes il with the cup of sorrow which
she holds 10 the lips of her devoted
sons; but now the "democracy" of the
later day casts aside those ennobling,
dignifying. Democratic American SEN
timents, and seeks to regain its long
lost-forever lost--position and power,