Year: 1866

attacked upon all sides, when attacks are
made upon our people because they are
not willing to bear the yoke, [ cannot
support the policy.


Mr.. Speaker, | will not abuse the Pres.
ident personally. never do that thing.
predict, with the honorable gentleman
from Illinois, that we need not fear the
contest. We live in an age of advance
ment, when bibles and churches and
school houses are scattered all over the
land, when men are expected to respect
a man because he is man, when men are
expected to do justice to all men, white
or black /; and say the day is not far
distant when this miserable comprehend
party, that has no love of principle, that
does not stand by its professed principles
during more than one campaign, that has
changed them in my own State twenty
times within my own knowledge, when
this Democratic party that derided John
son, that slaudered Lincoln-yes, sir, for
they did deride, villify and slander him
all over the land, calling him a low buff
foon, while to-day they come up and hyp.
ocritically sing praises to his memory
say that the day is not far distant when
this Democratic party will sink into OBJ
livion covered with the curses of the peo.
pie it has deceived.


This same party rallies around Presi-
dent johnson by night and by day. Go
to the White House anytime you please
and you will be sure to see some of them,
and always the shadow of some of the
Blairs [Laughter1 I have scarcely
ever gone there without meeting some of
the family. l have seen the old man,
who is almost ready to fall into the grave,
there. 1t was the same during Lincoln's s
Administration ho was always there try
ing TO lead the President away from the
people, in order to give Office to the fam
lily.


! feel like the man in my own State at
the time that President Jackson removed
the deposits, lie said 81 didn't wish
General Jackson any harm; but / should
not care if the Almighty took fancy for
him." Laughter


No family in this land, so few in num-
Der has done 80 much to aleinate the
President from those who we're his friends
as this family Of Blairs.


/ have been drawn off into this person
ality. How could / help it i? The Union
organization by which | have stood since
the first tocsin of arms was sounded at the
attack on Sumter, / have followed it.
never stopping to inquire whether man
who adhered to it was a Democrat or
Republican, and it was this organization
and its policy that saved the country. |
have met these men who call themselves
Democrats everywhere. know where
they stand, and how they long for the
flesh pots of Egypt. But have always
found myself right when | have sustained
the Union organization in my own State
Months ago trembed for the President
elected by Union votes, when saw those
men about the White House trying to
steal him away, fattering him, eulogiz-
ing him, and debating policy for him.


When / saw, long since, in the State
Department, pile of pardons as high as
twenty family Bibles, laughter. and a
man carrying lot Of them out, | saw it
was wholesale business, and was inform
&C by gentleman there he had carried
out thousands of such


Well may we tremble for the President,
when we reflect how much depends on
his fealty to his true friends.


But as my friend from Illinois DIr.
Ingersoll] has well said the Union party
will survive and save the country.
glory, sir, to-day, in the record of that
party. There never has been party in
any country that has done 50 much for
liberty. 1t has saved this government
from destruction. While the soldiers
met the rebels in the field of battle and
defeated them, the loyal men of the
North met their allies in the political
field at the polls, and defeated them.
repeat, this Union party has saved the
country in its hour of trial, and it will
triumph in the end, not so much on ac-
count of its numbers as because it is right
As my friend from Chicago [Mr. Went
WORTH remarked the other day, aGod
will sustain us if we sustain the right


l repeat, then, the Union party i:
bound to triumph. | may not indorst
all that is done here by it. I am moi
quite satisfied with the report Of the Com
mittee on Reconstruction, and shall vote
to amend this proposition. But the In
ioR party will live in spite of adversely
Already the political axe is falling upor
! the neeLrs af our friand- Haods ara 4. n