Year: 1879

| statute DOCKS, porn oil passions In


cident TO civil strife, and which
looked alone to the abridgement oi
the liberty of the citizen, until we
have an untrammelled election and
an unsupervised ballot box, as con


dItions precedent which we offer to
you for the passage OF this bill. II
The gentleman from Ohio is to be
excused-for certainly he cannot be
jnstlted-for parading before this
House the Grgumentuna an terrore of q
veto upon the bIli which has not yet
passed, and has to be pardoned fol


warming the House that the Execu-
tive wlil never yield his assent to
this measure, i ask whether l may
not be warranted in employing


quail candor IN assuring him and
his associates that the dominant
power in ;his Congress, the ruling
element in this body, is also equally
dett-i mined, until it's just demands,
S netloned by all laws, human and
d vine, protet ted and hedged around
b precelents without number, de-
manded by the people OF this Hand
without regard 10 section, clam 1red
tnr not by tue South alone, but in
Philadelphia as well as In New Or
leans, in San Francisco and Boston
a. we'll as Charleston and Savan
nah, are complied with This side
o the chamber never means TO yield
or surrender unless this Congress
shall have died by virtue of It's linn
itatirn. Wild applause on the
democratic side. A principle can
not be compromised. 1t 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 courage
Of their own convictions. We can
not yield, and we will not yield.


Applause and sensation. Let me
assure my friends on the other side,
This is the restoration to power o.
party as old as the government
it>ell; which Tor 100 years almost
had stood the bOldest, treest, truest
exponent and champion and de-
lender of the doctrine of constitu-
tioual limitations against the doc
trine of aggrandizement of power
1t is this organization that has
come back to rule, and to rule in
obedience to law. The issue Is laid
down. The gage of battle is given.
Lift it when you please, and We are
willing to appeal to that sovereign
arbiter to which the gentleman from
Ohio so handsomely alluded-the
American people-to decide be
tween us We intend to deny TO
the President of this republic the
right to exercise such uncOnstltu.
tional powers. We do not mean to
pitch this contest on the grounds ol
objection to him, who happens, II
not by "the grace of God"-by the
run of luck" to be administering
that office. If from yonder canvas


pointing TO a picture hanging to
the east of the Speakers chair the
first President of the republic
should step down to assume the
powers which the grateful people OF
an infant republic conferred upon
him, ii he were here, fired by that
patriotic ardor which moved him in
the earlier and better days OF this
great government, to him we would
never consent to yield unconstitu-
tiOnal powers, or rest the liberty OF
citizens in any mans discretion.
Nor would he receive it. 1t was
not for the earlier, but later Chief
Executives, to grasp and seek to re
tain such questionable prerogatives
1t is made on priHciple, not on pol
icy, and it cannot be surrendered.
Standing on such broad grounds,
clothed in such u panOplv, resting
this case on the broadest principle
of justice, we are content to appeal
to the people. There is No tribunal
before which we are not willing to
carry this case of contest. and we
are ready to allow Him who rules
the destinies of men to Judge be-
tween us and give victory to the
right. / do not mean to initiate
the gentleman from Ohio; L dis
Lain any authority to state what
others may do, but l do mean to
say that it is my deliberate cOnvic
ton that there is not to be found
single man on this side OF the
House who will ever consent to
abandon one jot or little of faith
that is in him. He could not sur
render if he would, and he would
not if he could. We are planted on
our convictions; there we will stand.
He who dallies is a bastard, and he
who denies is damned Loud ap-
plause,


When Mr.. Blackburn concluded
he was surrounded by colleagues.
who CONGRATULATED him