Year: 1879

we propose TO celebrate our return 20
book these degrading restrictions on free men !
and by striking away the shackles which par
tisan legislation has imposed. We do not in
tend to stop until we have stricken the last ves-
tlRe OF your war measures frsm the statute |
book, like those which were born of passions
incident to civil strife, and which looked alone
to the abridgement of the liberties Of the citi-
zen, until we have untrammeled election !
and an unsupervised ballot and an absolute,
free right for citizens to deposit their ballots,
are the conditions precedent which we offer to
you for the passage of this bill.


If the gentleman from Ohio is to be ex-
cused, for certainly he cannot be justified. for
parading before this house the arRumentum
interrorem of vote that is cut and dried to be
put upon bill which has not yet passed, and
if he is to be pardoned for warning this house
that the executive branch of the government
will never yield assent to this measure in it's
present form, I ask whether may not be war
ranted and justified in employing equal candor
in assuring that gentleman and his associates
that the dominant power in this Congress, the
ruling element aa in this 4;t body; is also also
demands. sanctioned by all laws, human
and divine, protected and hedged around by


precedents without number, demanded by the
people of this land without regard to section,
| clamored for not by the South but in Phila-
delphia as we'll as in New Orleans; in San
|
| and Savannah, are complied with. This side
of the chamber, which has demonstrated its


power, never means to yield or surrender un-
| less this Congress shall have died by virtue


of its limitation. wild applause on the
| Democratic side).


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 cannot


yield, and we will not yield. applause and
| sensation.) Let me assure my friends on the


other side that this is the restoration to power of


a party as old as the government itself, which


for one hundred years almost has stood the
test, the freest. truest exponent and champion


and defender of the doctrine of constitutional
limitations against the doctrine of aggrandize-


ment of power. 1t is this organization that
has come back to rule, and rule in


obedience of law. The issue is laid down.


The gage of battle is delivered. 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 between US. We intend to


right to exercise such unconstitutional powers.


We do not mean to pitch this contest on the


grounds of objection to him who happens. if
not by the grace of God but by the run of luck


to be administering that Office. If from yondel


canvas (pointing to picture hanging to the





of the republic should step dow1
} to assume the power which the grateful people


of an infant republic conferred upon him q,
: their chief magistrate, if he we're fired by tha
patriotic order which moved him in the earle
and better days of this great government, t,
him We would never consent to yield uncon
stitutional powers, to rest the liberty of thu
citizen on any mans declaration, cor woul,
he receive 1t. It was not for the earlier, bu
8 Tor the later executive of this government t.
! grasp and seek to ruin such questionable pre-
1 negatives. 1t is made principle, not OF
, policy, and it cannot be surrendered.


Standing on such broad grounds, clothed il
: such panoply, resting this case on the broad


est principle of justice, we are content to az


zeal to the people of this land. There is n
+ tribunal before which we are not willing t


carry this case of contest, and we are ready t
y allow him who rules the destinies of man t
t judge between us, and give the victory to th
t right.


l. 1 do not mean to initiate the gentleman fror
,r Ohio. disclaim any authority to state wha
% others msy do. do mean to say that it is m
y deliberate conviction that there is not to
1t found a single man on this side of the Hous
IS who will ever consent to abandon one jot
d little the faith that is in him. I woul
It not surrender if he would. We a,
se planted our convictions. There Y
70 will stand. He who dallies is a bastard and
It who denies is damned. cloud applause
d When Mr.. Blackburn concluded his speec
1t he was surrounded by his colleagues, who CO,
le graduated him upon it.


+, Speeches upon the legal aud constitution
as questions involved were made by Messrs. Gi
e, son and Turner, and the House took recess.