Year: 1867

for restoring To the States lately i'm rebellion
their full political rights, being under consid
Grafton, MIR Eldridge, OF Wisconsin, spoke as
follows:


Mr. Eldridge.-Mr. Speaker, it is of
little avail, idle, perhaps, to attempt any
resistance of & caucus measure Of the ma
jority of the House. But it is hard, sad
to stand silently by and see the Republic
overthrowu. 1t is indeed appalling to
those accustomed from early childhood to
revere and love the Constitution. to feel
that it is in the keeping of those having
the power and determination to destroy it,
Good men, patriots, have hoped that the
mad passions Of the war would ere two
years had passed been succeeded 10y the
spirit and temper that characterized those
who originally formed the Union But
how great and sad their disappointment
must be seen in the destructive and re-
vengeful measures now pending in this
House With the passage of this bill
must die every hope and vestige Of the
government of the Constitution Never
was there q measure or movement fraught
with such fearful and fatal consequences
to the Republic 1t is indeed the final
breaking up ana dissolution of the Union
Of the States By the usurpation and revo>
lutionary act of Congress. If the bill it
self does not on its face and in express
words reiatc the fact, the speech # the
gentleman from Pennsylvania, (Mr. Ste
vens,) who introduced and has the man
agement of it, plainly declares that it is
revolutionary in spirit and purpose. No
rebel to this Government. north or south.
ever called with more bitter hate, scorn,
and contempt FOR the forces Of revolution
to unite and rally to overthrow it. No
leader ever had more supple and willing
followers, none was ever more complete
master of the situation. His word is law,
his call will be obeyed. Hear hum as re-
ported in the Globe


May | ask, without offense, will Cons
gress have the courage to do its duty Or
will it be deferred by the clamor of isnor-
ance, bigotry and despotism from perfect
ing a revolution begun without their cons
sent, but which ought not to be ended
without their full participation aud concur>
renee 4? Possibly the people would not
have inauguratcd this revolution to correct
the ralpablc incongruites and despotic
provisions Of the Constitution but having
it forced upon them, will hey be so un>
wise as to suffer it to subside without
erecting ;his nation into q perfect repub-
lic"


lie need not have asked, "Wil Cons
eress have the courage ?" The majority
will surely follow their bold and daring
leader even into revolution


"Wil it bo deferred by the clamor Of
ignorance. bigotry and despotism from
perfecting revolution begun without leir
consent, but which ought not to be ended
without their full participation and con-
currence? -


Wha. revolution Begun By whom !,
Without whose CONSENT To be concur
red in by majority OF constitutional
Congress? Or is the revolution referred
to the enc begun By secessionists, carried
on by rebels to the Constitution and the
Juion for the purpose Of dividing it. and
to prevent which all the people Of ali the
land, were made mourncrs. and future
generations burdened with untold millions
of debt AID this is the revolution in
which, by this monstrous bill, the gentle,
man calls upon his friends and his party
to fully participate and concur RcvoIu
ton it is--revolution to break up and di>
vide the Union. Precisely what secession
and rebellion. but for the valor OF the
army 0t the Union. would have accom-
plished


Possibly the people would not have


nauguratel this revolution to correct the
palpable incongruities and despotic pro-
visions of the Constitution"


What people? Not the southern Sc
cesSionists certainly, because there was
no doubt, no possibility of mstaking their
position. They are willing now the revo-


luton should ''subside ;" they willing
to submit to the Constitution as it is, aud
with all its "inconguite - they are will
ling the Reptile should stand They have
given upthe revolution, and the gentleman
and his party followers, by this bill, have
taken i. up and propose that it sail It
! >ubside till the ''palpable inconSruitles'
of the Constitution are removed.
1t is then clearly admitted by the gen
tleman that the purpose OF this bill is 10
correct or remove certain proposed I'm
cungruites in the Constitution by adopt
Ing and carrying forward the revolution
inaugurated by secessionists, eliminating z
in most bloody war, and which he says
possibly" without their beginning might
not have been begun.


There can lie no mistaking the object
of this bill as declared by the gentleman
from Pennsylvania. 1t is to avoid OF get
rid of the Constitution or some provision
of it. IT. revolutionary purpose is as clear
as the sunlight He says in the same
speech, advocating the bill, (and be it re.
menbered that speech was no extempora.


neous one. bnt carefully prepared


written and reserved several days after de-


livery fer revision y


"Thiak not would SANDER my nativ,
land | would reform it. Twenty year:
ago denounced II aS despotlsm. Then
twenty million white men unclaimed touI


million black men. | pronounce it nj


nearer to true republic now when twenty


five million of privileged class exclud,


five million from all participation in the


rights of government


Twenty years ago he denounced hi
"ustive land as a despotism,' and be pro


nounces it ''no nearer to true republic
: now" There were traitors, bad men ii
, 1860 and 1861 who did the same thing
a who nc bo ,astlv believed as he did that