Year: 1879

for you TO accept it. Planting ourselves
on this broad ground, we welcome con


troversy. For the first time in eighteen
years the Democracy is back in power
in both branches of Congress. We pro-


pose to celebrate our return to power by
wiping from the statute books those de-
grading restrictions on free men, and


by striking away the shackles which
partisan legislation has imposed. We
do not intend to stop until We have
stricken the last vestige OF your war
measures from the statute books, like
those who were born of the passions in
cident to civil strife, and which looked
alone to the abridgment OF the liberties
of our citizens until we have an un-
trammeled election and an un-
supervised ballot and an absolutely
free right for a citizen to deposit
his ballot. II the gentleman from Ohio
is to be excused (for certainly he cannot
be justified) for parading before this
House the drgliment,im interrOrem OF a
veto that is cut and dried to be put upon
bill which has not vet passed, and If
he is TO be pardoned for warning the
House that the executive branch oil the
government will never yield its assent
TO this measure in its present form, |
ask whether l may not be warranted
and justified in employing equal
candor in assuring the gentleman
and his associates that the dominant
power in this Congress, the ruling ell
ement in this body, is equally deter
mined that until its just demands,
sanctioned by all laws human and di-
vine, protected and hedged around by
precedents without number, demanded
by the people of this land without re-
gard to section, clamored for, not by the
South alone, but in Philadelphia as well
as in New Orleans, in San Francisco and
Boston as well as IN Charleston and Sa-
vannah, are complied with, this side of
the chamber, which has demonst rated
its power, never means to yield or sur
render unless this Congress shall have
died by virtue of its limitation. Wild
applause on the Democratic side. A
principle cannot be compromised. IL
may be surrendered; but that can only
be done by its advocates giving
proof to the world that they are
cravens and towards, and lack the corr
age of their own convictions. We can
not yield, and we will not. Applause
and sensation. Let me assure my
friends on the other side that this is
restoration to power of party as old as
the government itself, which for one
hundred wears, almost, has stood the
boidest, freest and truest exponent and
champion and defender OF the doctrine
of constitutional Limitation against the
doctrine of tbe agrandizement of power


II is this organization that has come
back to rule and to rule in obedience TO
law. The issue is laid down; the gage OF
battleis sdeliyered. Liftit when YOU please
and we are willing to appeal to that
sovereign arbiter to which the gentle
man from Ohio so handsomely alluded,
the American people, to decide between
MS. We intend, to-day, TO DENY to the
President of this republic the right TO
exercise such unconstitutional powers.
We do not mean TO protract this contest
on the grounds of any objection to him
who happens, il not by 1.-THE grace of
God" by the "run OF luck" to be ad-
ministering the Office. II, from yonder
canvass Tpointing TO a picture hanging
TO the east of the Speakers chair the
first President of the republic should
step down 10 assume the powers which
the grateful people of an infant republic
conferred upon him as their
Chief Magistrate; if he were here, fired
10y that patriotic ardor which moved
him in the earlier and better days OF
this great Government, to him We
would never consent to yield unconsti-
tutional powers or to vest the liberty OF
citizens in any mans discretion, nor
would he receive it. 1t was not for the
earlier, but for the later executives of
this great Government to grasp and seek
TO retain such questionable prerOgatives.
1t is made on principle, not on policy,
and il cannot be surrendered. Standing
on such fairgrounds, ,clothedin the pan
oply Of, and resting his case on the broad
est principle OF Justice, we are content