Year: 1866

AAouNo' ouG one house Tor Itself; the


constitution further declares that no


State shall be deprived of it's equal suf-


frage in the Senate of the United


States without its consent. Where do


we standP All that we have need of


is to finish the great work of resto-


ration, for the two Houses respectively


to decide the question. Oh; but saws


some one traitor might come in. The


answer to that is that each House must


be the judge of it and if traitor pre-


sents himself I cannot help it. The


House knows that he is a traitor. and


II he is traitor can they not kick him


out of doors and send him back, say


ing to the people who sent him you


must send us loyal men. cheers. Is


there any difficulty about that? cries


of no, no, and cheers. If traitor pre-


sent himself to the other House, cannot


that House say to him no you can't be


admitted into this body, go back. We


will not deny your people the right of


representation, but they must send us


loyal Representative. cheers. And


when the States do send loyal Repre-
sentatives, can you have any better
fidelity to the constitution and laws?


There is no one learned in the consti-


tuition and laws who will say that if
traitor happens to get into Congress
that body cannot expel him. After he
goes IN that makes assurance doubly
sure, and confines the action of Gov
ernment to the constitution of our
fathers. Hence, say, let us stand by
that constitution; and in standing by
it, the covenant will be preserved.


While have been contending against
traitors, and treason, and secession,
and the dissolution of the Union, I
have been contending at the same time
against the consolidation of power
here. think consolidation of power
here equally dangerous with separa-
ton. Cheers. The one would run
into anarchy, while the other would
concentrate and eventually end in
monarchy. But there is an idea abroad
that one man can be an usurper Mr..
Jefferson, the apostle of liberty, tells
us, and so does common sense, that
tyranny and despotism can be exercised
by many more vigorously and more
tyrannically than by one. What pow
er has your President to attain what
can he do? what can he originate? why
they say he exercises the veto power,
Laughter what is the veto power? a
voice, "to put down the nigger.
Laughter. Who is your President? ?
several voices" Andy Johnson" Is
he not elected by the people? The
President is the tribunal of the people
In olden times when tribunes were
first elected in the Roman Republic,
the people chose a tribunal and placed
him at the door of the senate, SO that
whenever that body ventured an op-
pressiye act, he was clothed with the
power to say veto, I forbid" Your
President now is the tribunal of the
people. thank God. am, and I in
tend TO assert the power which the
people have placed in my charge.
[Cheers. Your President standing
here day after day and discharging his
duty is like horse on tread-wheel,
and because he does differ in opinion
in regard to public measures, he must
be doomed as an usurper and tyrant.
Can he originate anything under the
veto power? I think the veto power
in its character and afir-
nation. All that can be done by the
veto power is to say when legislation is
improper, hasty, unwise and unconsti-
tutional. Stop and wait till this can be
submitted to the people and let them
consider whether it is right or wrong.
{ (Applause.) That is all there is it. I
say that tyranny and power can be ex-
ercised somewhere else than by the
executive, he is powerless, all that he
can do to is check legislation, to hold it
in state of allegiance until the people
can consider and understand what is
being done.


Then what has been done? I have
done what conscience required me to do.
So believing, [ intend to stick to my
position; rely ing on the judgment and
intelligence of the people-the soldiers
and sailors expressly. Chsers.] Then,
for my life. I cannot see where there is
any tyranny. 1t is very easy to i'm
pugn motives, and suspect the pure and
best motives of mans life. IF you
come forward and propose certain
hing, your motives are suspected and
and if you withhold your