Year: 1879

We propose to celebrate our return to |
power by wiping from the statute
book these degrading restrictions on free men !
and by striking away the shacklea which par |
tend to stop until We have stricken the last ves-
tige of your war measures from 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 an untrammeled election
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 argumentum
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 its
present form, 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 in this body, is also
equally determined until its just
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-





Francisco and Boston as well as in Charleston
and Savannah, are complied with. This side
of the chamber, which has demonstrated its
power, never means to yield surrender un-
less this Congress shall have died by virtue
of its limitation. wild applause on the
Democratic side).


principle cannot be compromised, it 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 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
party 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. It 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 80 handsomely alluded the American
people, to decide between US. We intend to
deny to the President of this republic the
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 yonder
| canvas (pointing to picture hanging to the
east of the speakers chair) the first President
of the republic should step down
to assume the power which the grateful people
of an infant republic conferred upon him as
their chief magistrate, if he were fired by that
| patriotic order which moved him in the earlier
and better days of this great government, to
him we would never consent to yield uncon.
stitutional powers or to rest the liberty of the
citizen on any mans declaration, nor would
he receive 1t. It was not for the earlier but
Tor the later executive of this government tt
grasp and seek to ruin such questionable pre-
negatives. 1t is made on principle, not on
policy, and it cannot be surrendered.


Standing on such broad grounds, clothed ir
such panoply, resting this case on the broad
est principle of justice, we are content to ap
zeal to the people of this land. There is M
tribunal before which we are not willing tc
| carry this case of contest, and we are ready tc
allow him who rules the destinies of man tc
| judge between us, and give the victory to the
right.


do not mean to initiate the gentleman from
Ohio. disclaim any authority to state what
Others may do. I do mean to say that it is my
deliberate conviction that there is not to bs
found single man on this side of the House
who will ever consent to abandon one lot o.


little the faith that is in him. I woulc
not surrender if he would. We ar,
planted convictions. There W,
will stand. He who dallies is bastard and hi


who denies is damned. cloud applause


When Mr.. Blackburn concluded his speech


he was surrounded by his colleagues, who con


graduated him upon it.


Speeches upon the legal aud constitutions
! questions involved were made by Messrs. Glib


son and Turner, and the House took recess.