Year: 1866

the throbbing power of the ballot and you
blast the hopes OF secessionists, whether they
rest on the power OF arms or the subtle de-
cisious of courts. Reinforce the Republic
with the votes Of those who wish it well, and
it may laugh at the efforts Of those who pur-
pose evil. Have we courage to do this l
fear not. But that am willing to do it and
accept the consequences, whatever they may
be to myself, desire to have entered upon
the records of this Congress.


Mr.. Speaker, very well know that strong
men dwarf in the presence of the proposition
which advocate. / know that many look
presence of impartial suffrage. That IRON
cased prejudice which frowns upon those who
stand by the right in political action and
evenhanded justice in national conduct will,
| fear, prove too strong for the plea which l
make. But in the face Of this fact, must
assert that the political future Of any number
OF members of this House is of small conse-
quence when compared with the triumph of
correct principles in the contest in which we
are now engaged and the security of the Re-
public. 1t is better for US to suffer individu-
al defeat than national disaster.


| Sir, beg the members Of this House to
remember that We are not acting for ourselves
alone, but that ON our action rests also the
veal or woe Of posterity. To us are commit
ted the treasures of those who are to come
after US; for what we possess we are indebt
ed to those who have preceded us. We have
discovered wherein they we're at fault. The
experience which we have. had it been pos
sessed by them, would have saved us from
the bitter trials through which we have pass.
ed. Whatever adjustment we may make Of
the great questions with which we are now
dealing should be weighed in the balance Of
that impartial justice which preserves just
division between thought for ourselves and
OF care for those who in future time are to
pass judgement on our action IN the light Of
the experience il will provide for them We
will be recreant to our duty if we leave any of
the work which we should complete to pass
from our hands unfinished to trouble poster
lty. We now have the power to break the
last hope Of the enemies of this Republic
Divide the political power of the insurgent
States. between those who carried them into
REBEL on and the race which the rebellion
emancipated, and we will have broken the
last link in that cham of ambition and preju-
dice which bound the possessors Of political
power in the South into a common mass of
hostility to the Government Of the United
States. This once accomplished and the peo
pie Of those States will divide into parties SO
nearly equally balanced on all issues that
there will be no longer danger to be feared
from the doctrine OF secession in whatsoever
form it may be presented, whether by State
action or by )vdicial decree. We will be safe
and postersty will be safe and here In the
language of J. Stuar, Mill


. beg very strongly indeed 10 press upon
the House the duty OF taking these things in
to serious consideration IN the name Of that
dutiul concern for pos,erity which has been
very strong i'll every nation that ever did any
thing great, and which has never left the
minds OF any such nation until, as in the case
| OF the Romans under the empire. it was al
ready falling into decrepituds and eeasing to
| be nation. aWha,.
ever has been done for mankind by theid of
posterity: whatever has been done for man
kind by philanthropic concern for posterty
by conscientious sense Of duty for posterity
even by the less pure but still noble ambi-
ton of beng honored BY them--ail this we
owe to posterity, and all that is our duty, TO
the best of our limited ability, to repay All
of the great deeds of the founders Of nations
and of those second founders Of nations, the
great reformers; all that has been done for
us by the authors of those laws and institu
iions TO which free countries are indebted for
their freedom, and well-governed countries
for their good governments all the heroic





have been died in defense Of liberty and law.
against despotlsm and tyranny, from Mara
! thon 10 Salam.s down to Leipsic and Water
| loo-all those traditions of wisdom and Of
virtue which are enshrined in the history aud
| literature Of the past-all the schools and uni.
versitles by which the culture of q former
time has been brought down 10 Us, s.aa ell that
culture itsef-all iaal we owe to the great
masters OF human thought, to the great mas
ters of hnman emotion-all this is ours be-
cause those who preceded US have taken
thought for posterity.


| Sir, these golden sentences are worthy of
England S great th.nser. They present to US
a rule Of conduct which, if followed, cannot
lead to disaster. They breathe the spirit Of
the American people of the days when our
Constitution was formed, when il was de-
clared;


We the people Of the United States, in
orcer Ito secure
the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our
posterity, do ordan and establish this Con-
stitution for the United States Of America. =
| Mindful of posterity were they who made
our Constitution; mistaken N some things. it
| is trae; Dat IN none in which We NAV no.
now correct, in none which we no not know
needs correction If we will but do our duty
as well as We know it, banishing those things
from our deliberations which are but personal
to ourselves or our party, we will leave to
posterity little ground to complain of us. We
know that impartial suffrage in the lnsurRent
States would leave but little for posterity to
quarrel over-but the fall elections lie between
us and posterlty, and some fear the result of
the former more thar ts2y consider tie weE
| ,sla O. tue ialler. Ii we were postsrity and
pdstertty us, our duty relative to our present
action would doubtless be modified, and the
result would be greater Wisdom than We are
likely 10 manifest. We will stop short of
what most of US know We ought to do. do
not expect my amendment to be adopted, snd
even It stops short Of what ought to be done.
Loyal men, Of whatever color, have more
right to the ballot than have disloyal men,
however white they may be. The Govosa.
ment needs friends ct the polls rather than
eneu.,es, put tue latter are more likely to ge.
there in the rebel States than the former If
tins he wisdom, the most made Of it will be
but little.


Mr.. Speaker, will vote for the best thing
we can get as evidenced by the last thing
upon which we may be called upon to yote
but hope this may not be the amendment oil
thu. gentleman from Ohio, Mr.. Mnahaml.
look upon that rs the embodiment of our
greatest danger. The President is opposed
to the reconstruction policy of Congress. He
is opposed to the exaction of cur other con-
ditions precedent 10 the fill representation of
tue rebel States in Congress than those which
he has already imposed. Adopt the amend
ment of the gentleman from Ohio, Mr.


Bingham and the door is thrown wide open
to the full representation of the rebel States in
Congress without tae least change having
been made in the Constitution of the United