Year: 1867

question of reconstruction. If, however
the gentleman can point to any specific
remarks which have been in violation OF
the rule the Chair will pass upon them.


Mr.. Mungen. The gentleman has not
alluded at all to the question of recon-
struction.


The Speaker The Chair will state to
the gentleman from Ohio that this qucs-
ton of reconstruction grows out of the
war in which the country has recently
been engaged, and the gentleman from
Illinois, in the commencement of his
speech, is laying a foundation for the
discussion of the question by refer.
ence to the commencement OF the war
and the circumstances surrounding it.
Mr.. Logan What I am anxious to
learn, Mr.. Speaker, is, upon what
foundation rests this flippant and gratu-
itous charge repeatedly made against
the Republican party, on this floor, to
the effect that we are trampling liberty
under foot and destroying the rights
and privileges Of portion of the Ameri-
can people? Wherein have we viola ted
the Constitution? Was it in crushing
the rebellion? have no doubt every
Copperhead in the North would say yes.
| We did carry the emblem of our national
glory and greatness from the rivers and
the lakes OF the West to tile bays and
the CULTS of the South, where it waves
to day, and will wave forever; but i'll
doing so we innocently thought, hoped,
and believed then, and still honestly
think, hope, and believe that we were
erecting around the Constitution i'm
pregnable bulwarks, and laying for lib
ertv deeper and broader foundation
in the gratitude, confidence. and affec-
tions of our people. We never dreampt
that for every rebel we killed in the
South We were to make an eternal enc
my in the North: and we do think it
amounts to a riddle beyond the co,npre
| hension of mortal wits how it is that
very many Of the brave men who fought
us, and whom we had to literally con
qucr. yet now that they are conquered.
are much more ready to ask forgiveness
| and forget the past and be friends, as
we all ought to be again, than are their
allies, Who, however deep their sympa
| thies with them may have been while
the war was raging, took special pains
TO let the danger pass before they gave
! it an airing God forbid that the day
shall ever dawn upon this Republic when
the patriots whose patriotism won them
crutches and wooden limbs, shall have
apologies and explanations to make for
their public conduct, to patriots who
boast of and abuse the privilege Of
euloeizing AS their brethren the men
whose sabers drank loyal blood and
whose bullets shot away loyal limbs.
The truth is, the great wrong that dis
comfited Dem ccracy feels deepest. is that
the people at home neither feel nor think
that there ought to be northern rebels
enough in this House to let the Southern
rebels. in.


The next greatest wrong that they
have to complain of is, that the men
who had the pluck to stand by those who
in the field had to fight our country's
battles, presumtuously aspire to make
our laws. l think thus far they have
vindicated their claims to the worlds
respect. alike in the field and in the Halls
of legislation. What is the basis upon
which they fought? Simply that rebel
lion was a crime. They triumphed.
Now upon what basis have they legisla-
ted Simply that rebellion was crime,
and they will triumph again. The pco,
pie will never, no never require us to
fight on one principle and legislate on
another. To shed our blood on the
field and then come here to make apollo





ped. hold now, and always expect to
hold, that no man las right to cross
the threshold of this House and claim
seat on this floor who did not dare dur
ing the war to openly stand by and
floats over this Capitol. The Govern
ment that is organized so loosely and
administered SO feebly that traitors of
to- morrow can neither long survive nor
long deserve to survive. And this Gov
ernment can have no enemies in the
South half as much to be dreaded as
that whining northern friend who would
clothe with power in this Government
to morrow the man whose blade was
drawn to stab the Constitution aud the
Union but testerday. When the South
can he Loyalty represented on this floor
upon the basis proposed hy Congress
tue problem Of reconstruction will cease
to vex the discussions of this Hall.


The prime. sole. and supreme object
Of the Republican party is to re-estabiish
this Government upon sure foundation
of loyalty. against which the frothy
waves OF treason may fret forever in
vain. We have survived one rebellion,
and the sage suggestions o. past exper


ence warns us that it will be wiser to pre-
vent another rebellion than to too conf
IDENTITY expect to survive it. Rebellion
secession, and treason are like all other
crimes and iniquties. and will crop out
in every direction upon the smallest per
ceivable pretext. Put forward. then the
loyal and true and held at respectful
and Indifferent distance the disioval and
untrue until we can see some voluntary
evidence that they have finally awoke to
the consciousness that they are criminals
and ought to he greatful that they have
not been igncminiously branded by the
judgment of competent tribunal as
such. The whole secret, however, of the
wailing and gnashing OF teeth that we
hear among the Democracy is not be-
cause we have insisted that rebels shall
he held under restraint and loyal men