Year: 1870

few years, the honorable Senator to tell US
what free institution we have, if he car
name one.


Mr.. POMEROY-Yes sir; l call them
free Institutions when they are accessible
to every human boing our literary insti-
tutIons, the ballot box, onr scboolsend our
churches. It Is the crownlng glory Of
American institutions that they are open
and free to all citizens without distinction
of nationality. This is IN one respect the
genius and spirit of free institutions


Mr. SAULSBURY-"W Where they are
accessible to everybody" VIII you tell
me one that is accessible to everybody?


The President pro TEN. The question
Is on the motion to reconsider.


Mr.. SUMNER-On that l ask for the
yeas and nays


The yeas and nays were ordered.


Mr. FOWLER addressed the Senate
His remarks will be published hereafter


Mr.. SAULSBURY-Mr. President, I
have been a member of this body for near
ly twelve years. In the commencement
Of my humble senatorial career l used to
indulge somewhat in debate, but as have
had more experience l have become very
much averse to participating in public de-
bate. | come here day afteI day in the
hope of of being allowed to vote upon the
questions of Importance that may suggest
themselves to the consideration of the
body. do not wish now to protract this
debate. If vote could be taken l would
very gladly resume my seat, and as an
experiment, | shall do so in a few min b
utes, notwithstanding that many things
have been said to day and during the
course Of the debate on this question cal
culated to provoke discussion


! have heard gentlemen of the domin-
ant party rise up on this floor and appeal
to the Declaration of Independence as the
basis of their action, and we have been ci-
ted to the principles there enunciated as a
justification for the policy which some
gentlemen have chosen to adopt on this
occasion. wish to PROFOUND question
to the gentlemen of the majority of this
body, which, if this debate continues, l
shall follow up at some length, and that is,
what cause was assigned by your fathers
in that Declaration of Independence for
their separation from the English king and
the English government which you as a
political party have not been guilty off,
What, SIR has 1T come to this, in view of
your record in the light of the experience
Of the last six or eight years, that mem
beEs of your party will deliberately rise
on this floor and cite the principles of the
Declaration Of Independence and commend
them to the favor of the American people?
Turn to it, sir, and in that instrument read
your own condemnation. Let me cite one
or two:


"He has dissolved epresentative.Ihou-
ses repeatedly for opposing with manly
irmness his invasions on the rights of the
people"


Sir, what has your party done since it
has come into existence? Have YOU not
dissolved legislative bodies for opposing
with manly tirmness your infringement of
the rights of the citizen?


"He has endeavored to'prevent the pop
ulation of these States, for that purpose
obstructing the laws for naturalization of
foreigners"


Most opportunely, for if the proper title
were given to the bill now before the Sen
ate it would read "An act to prevent the
population of these States, by obstructing
the naturalization of foreigners" Sir,
appeal to you, | appeal to the gentlemen
of the majority of this body, if the whole
basis of your support of this measure is
not now to render naturalization imprac-
ticable as far as you can do it? While
you can enfranchise hundreds of thousands
of negroes, simply because you suppose
they will vote for your party you see there
is an element in this country, there is =
population arising here whom you call the
Ignorant Irish" that you mean this
whole naturalization bill for You mean
to obstruct naturalization, and therefore
! to prevent the population of these States
by free American citizens.


"He has made Judges dependent on his
will alone for the tenure of their offices
and the amount and payment Of their sal
aries"


Review your own history. Have you
not laid your hands upon the Judiciary of
this nation2 Have you not imprisoned
the members of the Judiciary Of the States
simply because they would not render
themselves subseryient to your will?


"He has erected a multitude of new Of
fees and sent hither swarms of officers to
haFass our people and eat out their sub
stance"


Review your own history, gentlemen,
and tell me if you have not done that?


He has affected to render the military
independendent of and superior to the
civil power"


Sir, have quoted enough from this in
| strument which You yourselves have cited
to day as the justification of your action.
| You have not only affected" but you
have actually rendered the civil subordi-
nate to the military power. Talk to me
| about those great features of our govern
ment which command the admiration Of
the intelligent foreigner Sir, go down
into that vast military domain which you
| hold in absolute subjection and by the ty-
rants will, where you have rendered the
| civil entirely subordinate to the military
power, view the work of your own hands
| and then come into the Senate of the Uni
| ted States and talk about the Declaration
Af Independence You who have caused
/ q mlldew to fall upon every field or prom
Use; you who have put q blight upon ev-
cry political hope, come into the Senate o.
the United States and appeal to this dec,
laration of the principles of justification
every sentence of which is a withenng
condemnation of your own actionl


"He has combined with Others to sub,
iect US to Jurisdiction foreign to our Con
stitution and unacknowledged by our laws
giving his assent to their acts of pretended
legislation"


Review your history. Where is tn,
right of the States? Have you not sub
jected me and others in your past history
to a jurisdiction foreign to the laws of my
own State, by driving members OF the par
ty opposed to you from the polls, by car
rying elections with the bayonet agains
the will of the people?


For protecting them, by mock trial
from punishment for any murders whlcl
they should commit upon the inhabitant
Of these states"


Again, see the lineaments of your owl
countenances depicted in this paper t,
which you have invited my attention to
day. Sir, if there had been no existing
evils at that time, and if the wisest maj
in that day had been called upon to writ
that which men combined against human
liberty might do, and to write their con
demnation, and to say what they woult
do in the future, he could not moro pow
erfully and emphatically have portraye,
the enormities to which the party woul,
come.


For imposing taxes on us without ou
consent"