Year: 1870

cratic party that war came. What
Republican ever raised his hand
against the flag of his country? What
Republican who voted for Mr.. Lin.
coin ever aided in planning treason
and rebellion? Who did il but the
leaders of the Democratic party in
this Chamber and in the other Hall,
who sat in their seats making laws
for the United States during the day
and then met in secret eOnclave all
through the winter of 1S6O-61 hatch
ing treason Tell me not that the
Republican party brought on the wal
and are responsible for the national
debt.


Sir, when the war came, had the
Democratic party Of the North been
true to the Government, it would not
have lasted six months. Having
taught the South to rebel, as the
northern Democracy did, by telling
the South that they of the North
would stand by them and sustain
them, when the war went on it was
the aid and encouragement given by
the northern Democracy to the South
that prolonged the war year after



against all the Democratic party.
That there were loyal men in it
gladly admit but / speak of it as an
organization. It was dislOyal from
the beginning to the end of the war.
When that convention met in the city
of Chicago and declared the war a
failure, and demanded cessation OF
hOstilities in order that peace might
be made with the rebels in arms, that
resolution was equal to an addition Oi
one hundred thousand men, fresh re-
cruits, to the rebel lines, and q cor
responding draft was made upon the
industry and the bone and the sinew,
and the life of the North to carry on
the struggle thus made the more des-
perate by the aid thus given to the
rebels by their allies of the North.
The soldier of the Union never went
into battle without feeling conscious
that he was fighting two armies, the
rebels in the front and the northern
Democracy in the rear.


Sir, it is not pleasant to review these
facts of history. should not have
done it but for the declarations made
by the honorable Senators from Della
ware and California that we have
brought upon the country the war,
and that we created this immense
debt. Sif, it was a Democratic rebel
lion and this is a Democratic debt,
the legitimate offspring of Democratic
rule and Democratic teaching, and as
such history will write down as the
facts, in my judgment, because they
cannot be denied.


Now, in reference to the bill before
the Senate let me remark that 1 am
not prepared to vote for the admis-
sion of Virginia with her present sur
rOundings and in her present cohdi-
ton because l have not confidence
that she will be true to the amend
ments of the Constitution of the Uni
ted States which she has ratified, and
because am compelled to believe by
concurrent testimony that there will
not be protection for the loyal people
of Virginia. Therefore 1 prefer if |
err to err on the safe side, to hold her
back until we have sufficient guaran-
tees-guarantees which shall not be
patchwork, which shall not be like
heaps of sand, to be blown to the
winds. l want those guarantees un-
der which all the people of Virginia,
Democrats and Republicans, white
and black, who obey the laws shall
enjoy the equal protection of the laws.
When ] am satisfied that such cOndi-
ton of things exists in Virginia then
| am ready to vote for her admission,
but not until then.


The honorable Senator from Neva-
da, Mr.. NYE, who has always been
so true to the cause of reconstruction
and to the cause of freedom, made
some remarks the other day which
fell upon my ears causing sincere
regret on my part. regretted to find
the shaft of his severe sarcasm turned
against those who thought it proper
to send here a respectful remOnstrance
against the admission of Virginia. l
regretted to hear him say that Virgin
ia, oppressed Virginia, lOng-suffering
Virginia, her very locks wet with the
dews of the night


Mr.. STEWART. I never could
have said any pretty things of that
sort. Laughter.


Mr.. THAYER. l am aware of that.
My friend from Nevada is not so poet
ical rs his colleague. He must not
imagiue that he gives utterance to all
the pretty things that come from the
State of Nevada. Laughter.


He GMr. NYE1 described with af-
fecting pathOs the hardships inflicted
upon this long-suffering, patiently
waiting State of Virginia! She has
waited till her very locks are wet with
the dews Of the night!


Sir, let me say to that honorable
Senator, whose impulses and whose
intentions are just that there are peO-
pie in Virginia to-day who are tired
of waiting, waiting, waiting for that
protection which this great Govern
ment of the United States has vOuch-
safed to every citizen who respects its
authorities and Obeys its commands.
They have waited in vain, and they
wait to-day for those guarantees and
for those assurances of equal prUtec-
ton, which he and enjoy and in
my opinion if this bill passes they
will wait in vain, and you will see
hundreds and thousands Ofthem leav-
ing Virginia, as l have seen some
within the the last three months, and
seeking homes in Indianaand Illinois
and seeking that protection of the law
which they cannot find in Virginia.


The Senator from Nevada also re-
marked that he was tired of this wO, k
of reconstruction. l am not tired of
the work of reconstruction, but / am
tired of being beaten in the work of
reconstruction by those who could
not beat us in the field. Sir, we
have struggled with the rebellion
from the very day that Andrew John
son betrayed his party and his cOHn-
try we have been struggling with
the rebellion in trying to carry out
reconstruction during the last three
years, and were struggling with it to-
day, in some of the late insurgent
States.


Senators have told us that we must
not judge Virginia by Georgia or
Tennessee. l say it is proper and
reasonable to judge of Virginia by
what has taken place in Georgia and
Tennessee. tits proper for us 10 avail
ourselves of all the lights of expert
enCe, of all the facts in all the lately
insurgent States which bear upon the
question. If Georgia has trampled
r i. l. g .