Year: 1862




nine To this freedom have held fast when al
most alone in this body and what have steadily vindi-
cated Tor myself against all odds shall never deny TO
another Therefore, II am the judge there Senator
VINO VIII not always be perfectly free speak and vote
ss ne ahall think best every question which shall
not 60 He shall not talk treason; he shall not parey
WIN rebellion; he shall not address to it words
OF sympathy and good will; especially, no shall
not recognise its chief in his pretended character
a. a.. resident nor shall he send to him improved
Putting aside all these considerations the case against
the Senator from Indiana is clear All apologies ali ex-
cuses utterly ia u is vain to say that the bearer Of
the letter was his feong friend 10 10 vain to say,
also that the Senator did dream that there wonId be
war The ars apology Is as feeble the second rs au-
dacious. II the Senator did not dream that there would
be war then why send to the chief Of the rebel
lionS To Jefferson Davis private citizen-to Jefer
occasion or motive for sending arms. 1t was
only to Jefferson Davis chief of the re-
belon that arms could be sent; and to him, in that
character they were SENT But even the rebellion
not at that time manifest in overt actsas clearly
was-still the sending of arms was positive provoca-
ton and contribution to its outbreak, especially when
the arms sent by Senator And now at the risk
OF repetton say again, it is not necessary that the
war should have been commenced on the rart of tho
United States It enough that the part of Jeer-
son Davis, at the date OF the letter, there was
and IN Gn war va or a. purpose TO LEVY
as the hrst-the guilt of the Senator Offering
arms, was. compete-eali i treason or cali il sim
ply disloyay III You will IL is vain that you seek TO
surround him this occasion with tho technical decnccs
of judicial tribunal This will not do. They are out Of





citizen arragned for his life may always presumed in
nocent t he is proved guilty But while zeaously assert
ing this presumption In criminal trial utterly deny it
In the present case The two proceedings radically
unlike. In the we think most OF the individuals in
the other we think most of the Senate. The flag officer
OF fleet, or the commander of garrison when sus-
pected only OF correspondence with the enemy ia with
out delay deprived Of his commando any techni-
cal presumpons of innocence be invoked in his defence
For the sake Of the eet for the sake OF the garrison
which must not be betrayed your duty 10 see that
Le is not deprived Of his command nor can suspected
Senator with all his
plomatc and exocutveexrect any tolerance that would
be denied to suspected flag officer. to suspected
right in himself he must not expect TO And strength,
purity and uprghness in any prcsumptions OF inno-
the Senate he must be deprived Of his place. Aerward
should he be arragned at law, he viii be allowed to
ploy all the devices and weapons familiar judicial pro-
ceedngs. But there is another illusion into which the
Senator had fallen and me that IN, Senator
from New YORK ana perhaps other Senator'S, have fol-
Senator Of his seat, we take something from him that
really his This is mistake. A Senator is simply
fidelity rs trustee s now drawn In question: and since
person allowed to continue trustee whose character
e not above suspicion..nspired, according 70 the
of the Senator should obviously be remanded 70
the State for which he ,till assumes to act.
will that State promptly return him to his present rust
and our judgment viii be generously reversed. The
sent himself but he represents lis State Of which he is
the elected most confidential trustee, and when ha
ndely openly mpcaCned tnerc lS no personal rlgnt
which can become his shield Tell me not OF the seat Of
the Senator. Let the Senator be cautious in his IAN
guage BY courtesy tho seat be HIS but in reality
the seat belongs to lndana and this honcred Seun,
surpassed in contributions to the patriot armies Of the
repubc-may justly protest against any longer mis-
But the Senator from Pennsylvania (Mr. Cowan) OK
caims-and the Senator from New York follows him In
saying-that the offence of the Senator Is "reason or
nohing For myself have hesitation in expressing
tho conviction that Is treason. II be not treason IN
Senator to send arms TO an open traitor whom ho at the
adj In frai r1ara
then 1t better to blot out the crime Of treason
from our statute book. and to erase its definition
from the constitution. Sir 1t is treason. But It
be not treason according TO all the technical require
Of that crine IL Is obviously and unquestonaby
Of disoyaly discreditable unworthy and SO
dangerous as 10 render tho duty Of the Senate Imperative
Is it nothing that the Senator should write friendly
letters make open Acknowledgements, and offer warlike
aid TO public traitor? is IL nothing that, sitting in
this chamber, the Senator should send TO the
chief Of the rebellion words of sympathy and
Of power? Is II nothing that the Senator should
address the traitor in terms Of courtesy and official
spectS Is nothing that the Senator should call tho
Of The Confederate states And is nothing that the
Senator should offer to the traitor thus addressed what
Of all things he most coveted destructive arms to be
turned against the constitution which the Senator has
sworn to supporr


Why them the world and all that's int is nothing;
The covering sky s nothing; ,,..o o,,,,nr
If this be nothing


Sir, the is too plain for argument You cannot
argue that two and two make four; that straight line





shines In the sky All these palpabIe at once TO
and to sense, But, IT did not see before mo
honored Senator's valued friends, who think otherwise


should say that Senator, acknowledging In friendly
correspondence the chief Of a rebellion which was
Un ~ tss IN chief ars the onv Of which Can he
uphodng the rebeion has justly forfeited that conf
dence in his loyalty which much needed as his COM
mission entite him TO continue in this chamber The
Is very pan and VIC have taken too much time 70
consider 1t. We have been dilatory whom ought
to khave been prompt and have hearkencd TO TECH
d0fenses when ought to have surrendered 70
that Indignation which disoyalty Is calculated TO
arouse The Senator from New Hampshire (sfr Clark)
has reminded us-as John Quincy Adams reminded the
generation of his tme-of that beautiful work Of art In
the other wing Of the Capitol where the Of history,
with faithful PEN registers the transactions OF each day.
and hc trusted that against the record Of past
disoyalty, another page might beam with the just
work of art, famous art itself, and proceeding
| from its greatest master, which may admonish NJ
acting in the Of distant sovereign had entered
that sumptuous temple dedicated to tho trnc God where
the golden csndlcscks and where hung the vail
which yet unrsnt and profaney sought to reach the
very altar ITSELF suddenly at the intcrcesson Of
the high priest angelic horseman armed with thongs
dash the intruder upon the marble pavement
| and TO sweep him from the sacred presence. But
| now that disoyalty, in tho acknowledged name
OF distant traitor intrudes into this sanctuary OF the
there should bc indignant chastsement - swift 40 the
| tho angelic horscman that moves immortal In the
colors Of Ra1helle. In vain do you seek TO inter-
poso considerations OF lenity or forbcarance TAe
case docs allow them.e know well tho beauty and
the greatness OF Cnarlty. fOr the Scnstor nAVo.
charity but there bettery charity due to the senate,
whose solemn trusts are in jeopardy and even you
do accept completely the saying Of antiquity which
makes duty country the great charity which embraces
all other charities, you will not deny that Is at least


commanding obligation, by tho side Of which all that
wo owe to the Senator Is SMALL And sir do not forget
let the precious example be present in your soushat
who has taught US the beauty aud the greatness Of
charity was first who seized the thongs to scourgo the
| money changers from the tmple OF the Lord.
| Mr.. DAVIS contendcd that he had never said that
slavery was superior the constitution. always
attracted by grsndioquen, sophomore speeches. Tho
Senator shakes his imperial locks like Jove but he
not Of tho Senate Of the country There
other minds large his, who willing 70 give
rights to all the people Of the States Tho gentleman
from Massachusetts, in tho OF his sacred readngs
might remember Goliah, who thought himself irwin
cble the Senator does The Senator might perhaps
meet the same fate


On motion Of Mr.. LATHAM the Senate went into sxscu.
tive session.


Adjourned.


House Of Representatives.


WASHINGTON, Feb. 4, 1so2