Year: 1864

vote TO stop the ratlons Oi the sOioer na'os nv


whether the be right or wrong the soldier must DO


paid TO starve him tatesmanke plan by which 10
stop unjust Yet that was precisely the vote gwen
by the gentleman from Ohio who now delivers lecture
10 the House upon the subject OF American PATRIOTISM


There stands recorded There is Nemesis OF pohucs
which comes back to avenge injustice and inqmy IL
comes to torment and plague the gentleman from
Ohio 1t ayenges the wrong and outrage which no seeks
to nct upon bis colleague it comes now In The lace OF


the soldiers OF this war aud tells them that the gentleman


from Ohio would leave them to beggary aud want IL no
should become dissatisfied with this war as no was with


the against Mexico What man has done man WIN do
again. .


Dir accept no lecture upon the subject of patriotism
from such source But at the same time freely admit
that the gentleman from Ohio had the right, the moral,
legal and political right to introduce the resolutions in
regard the Mexican they embraced his sentiments


would have neither expelled nor censnred him LOT MS
action They were wrong in my judgment. but II they
were right in his then he right in Offering them
am for toeraton in all matters OF opinion. We cannot
all think alike God did not make us You remember


the parable sometimes thought to be taken from Scrip


ure but said to have been uttered by Benjamin Franklin
this great question Of freedom of opinion Aram was


sitting evening at the door OF his tent when wayiar-


ing came by. Aram invited him to go and sup with
him. The wayfarer did Aram asked hun 10 bless De-


fore he broke bread The said no. that was not
his way OF thinking immediately Aram arose IN wratn
took his stick and beat the stranger wounding and brus


ing him. and driving him from The shelter OF his roo In


the silent watches of the night however the voice OF GOD
came to Aram, asking him, Where Is me stranger
Why" said Aram al asked him to bless and return


thanks before he patOok of bread and he refused 30
drove him hence" But said the voice OF the Almighty


have borne with that have known his opinions


have allowed him to live; have beaten him and
sent him forth into the wilderness. Co. Aram, and hnd
the victim of your miserable conduct bring him back
and pour oil into his wounds feed him. and lay him on your
best bed and take of him until he ia WE'LL Such is
the voice Of Divinity favor Of freedom Of speech free
dom of thought freedom of private conscience implore
gentlemen not to attempt to strike down error


if error it be- exist long truth left free to combat
it In the beginning Of these two principles were
made They have walked the earth together ever since
They have roaed the earth for six thousand Truth
and have been combating on helds OF reason on
baftle fields, every where. ff


You the abolition party back thirty years to the
beginning OF your own organization Wnat was IL you
then most warmly contended for What but the rlght
the immortal right to speak your sentiments TO denounce
your political and to stand before the world as
freemeni Suppose this gag law, this instrument OF
tyrants this odious relic of babarsm again revived In
this Hail. had been applied to some men now sitting
around me- protest before the living God that never
knew man wearing the shape OF man whom would not


stand by and protect in his right of free speech We're no
to utter his in decOrous and becoming man
Your party inscribed everywhere on their banners
Free speech" Deny to day if you dare Trample it
Ia the dust. Spit upon and despise 1t II you Will Inc
world will despse yoU when you do tho act History VIII
rake up the deed and preserve it, and the historian will
despe you writes 1T down Posterity will desPlse
this day in all the calendar of time as the one on which


liberty was murdered in the Capitol The heart and
judgment of the world will execrate you for the deed just
to-day the memory of the bloody monster
Robepierre; just it recalls the memory OF Marat TO
IL recalls tne OF iontuo
There are your models Go back further Nelo was an
early founder Of your school of politics. Some one man.
suppose do all the thinking here So Nero thought
So the boodsained monsters OF the French heyouion
thought So the odous tyrannca bigots OF the English
revolution of 1640 thought These your examples
impore you to discard them. Walk out in the light OF
liberty and appeal to the people Tell them you VIII trust
them. What commentary on the intelligence OF the
people


You will not allow the gentleman from Ohio to speak
Perhaps next you will not allow me to speak o.hsr gen.
nL.- r~n,, MAJ York and
others around me Whyf Are you afraid you cannot
argument Are you afraid the people Will not
be just and true7 Are you afraid they will not have IN
elgence enough to that you right and we are
wrong7 Are you afraid they have not virtue enough to
follow the right and discard the wrongf You must be-


evs that they have not that intelligence or that they VIII


ing them discriminate between right and wrong
Sir trust the people. challenge you before that great
tribunal willing to stand fall by its decision, and
always have been If you crush before the American
people, before that tribunal where free speech has full
sway, will 90 down without murmur Ii can drive
you from place and power in the arena by the same
means, if youare honest men you will submit also with
out complaint But il you think because yoi have the
power to-day that You can gag me- that you can tie my
tongue that you deny to the right to speak then
woe to this nation When you undertake to carry that
purpose into effect the day Of doom will be upon 1t
be done; you know it cannot be done without
couaagraton that shall light up the very arches OF the
sky from to Are you ready Tor this issue
Do you want it II you do it can be made by the expu
sion Of the gentleman from Ohio. This will no longer be
American Congress We will be chained slaves, aud
the ext question TO determine will be whether OF
honor we cau remain and wear the yoke.


SIR this is painful theme to me- feel more OF sor
than of anger such ISSUE Let me appeal to
the sense of Justice which know animates breasts
on the her side of the chamber Let not msunder
stand each other Let deal with each other honest
men, striving for common purpose-tbe restoration OF
unhappy country You may have your views of what
policy conducive that end you have the right to
your opnions have the right to mine but because of
this difference Of opinion in regard to accomplishing The
object by all that hold dear In the present and
by oil hopes OF the future let not cut each others
tbroats and precpitate strife and violence here and all
the land The civilized world would cry shame upon
such scenc and the latest generations OF our posery
will heap reproaches on our memory.