CONGRESS, U. S. 



bear the interpretation given to them by the 

 speech and resolution of the honorable Speaker. 

 Before a resolution of this startling nature was 

 introduced we should have had the official re- 

 port of those remarks in the ' Globe.' If action 

 bo demanded for the expulsion of a Represent- 

 ative of the people, for the exercise of his con- 

 stil utional right of free debate, we should have 

 the most authentic record of that debate. As 

 I am informed, the language of my colleague 

 was so qualified as to make it far less objection- 

 able than the stateir.snt of it in the resolution. 

 Still, sir, it may be obnoxious, and yet there 

 may be no just ground for this proceeding of 

 expulsion. 



"Had I been in my seat yesterday, with all 

 due respect to my colleague, I should have 

 promptly risen and disavowed, on behalf of all 

 the delegation from Ohio with whom I have 

 conversed, any sentiments uttered by him or 

 any one else, looking to the recognition of the 

 confederate government as an independent 

 Power. So far as I can learn, there is not a 

 member acting with this side of the House, 

 unless it be my colleague, who is not opposed 

 in every conceivable view, directly or indirect- 

 ly, to such recognition. 



" Now, I propose to show that if the senti- 

 ments attributed to my colleague are unpatri- 

 otic and treasonable, the prominent men of the 

 Republican party are amenable, for similar sen- 

 timents, to the same condemnation. There is 

 scarcely a leading member of the opposite 

 party, from the Executive down, who is not 

 committed in doctrine if not in practice to the 

 separation of these States." 



Mr. Allen, of Illinois, said: "I believe that 

 the resolution of the gentleman from Indiana 

 (Mr. Colfax) is based upon the ground that the 

 speech of the gentleman from Ohio gives aid 

 and encouragement to the enemy. Well, sir, 

 that may be so, and yet an act which violates 

 the privileges of a member upon this floor will 

 also be calculated to give aid and comfort to 

 the enemies of the Government, since they will 

 see in it that revolutionary spirit which por- 

 tends the overthrow of the constitutional liber- 

 ties not only of members of Congress, but of 

 the people of the Northern States. Suppose 

 his remarks are calculated to give aid and com- 

 fort to the enemies of our Government, to the 

 rebels in arms against it, are we for that reason 

 by a resolution to exclude him from this House 

 in contempt of its rules, in contempt of his con- 

 stitutional rights and the constitutional rights 

 of his constituents? By so doing we bring 

 into contempt to that extent the Constitution, 

 the rules of the House, and the law by which 

 he holds a seat upon this floor. "We surrender 

 up these constitutional guarantees and place 

 ourselves at the mercy of a remorseless ma- 

 jority, who would override the rules of the 

 House, override the Constitution, and wreak 

 their vengeance on members of the Opposition 

 on this floor." 



Mr. Harris, of Maryland, in opposition to the 



resolution, said : " Mr. Speaker, when I cam* 

 here at this session of Congress I was solitary and 

 alone. I could not say for some time whether 

 anybody sympathized with me ; I felt myself 

 solitary and alone. Those who were here 

 around me were war Democrats. They never 

 invited me to their caucus. Those I knew would 

 never let me go into their caucus, and I never 

 intended to apply. I would starve among 

 them. I am a peace man, a radical peace man ; 

 and I am for peace by the recognition of the 

 South, for the recognition of the southern con- 

 federacy; and I am for acquiescence in the 

 doctrine of secession. Laugh as you may, you 

 have got to come to it. I thought I was "alone. 

 I began to take the advice of Cato to his son, 



'"When vice prevails and impious men bear sway, 

 The post of honor is a private station.' 



I felt like giving up my seat and leaving this 

 place. I stood here solitary and alone on this 

 floor; but now, thank God! there is another 

 soul saved. I feel that we can baptize my hon- 

 orable friend from Ohio (Mr. Long), and I am 

 glad to have svich able aid. I shall not go home 

 now. "When Cato gave that advice he had 

 fought his last battle, and had yielded to the 

 fortunes and ambition of Julius Caesar, great as 

 he was. He was about to take a victory over 

 himself by a Roman's death, because he saw his 

 cause was hopeless. Not so ours. I feel yet 

 there is a hope in this House. I feel through 

 the rustling of the winds there is a tornado 

 coming that will sweep away the present ma- 

 jority from power and give it into the hands 

 of men who will settle the affairs of this coun- 

 try ; men who have something like humanity ; 

 men who have regard for the principles of oui 

 forefathers. Ay, I recollect how my blood 

 curdled when I heard the discussion on the con- 

 fiscation bill. The gentleman from Ohio (Mr. 

 Garfield) said, let them be expatriated like the 

 Tories of the Revolution. The Tories of the 

 Revolution had the mother country to run to, 

 and were protected there. But where would 

 the gentleman send those whom he would ex- 

 patriate from the South, as gallant and noble a 

 race as ever walked upon the earth ; noble in 

 every thing that constitutes men of honor and 

 men of principle gentlemen? Sir, you would 

 expatriate those people, their wives and chil- 

 dren, and send them among strangers to starve. 

 Another member from Ohio (Mr. Spalding), 

 was not only for confiscating their property in 

 fee ; he, sir, went through the catalogue. He 

 was for confiscation, he was for expatriation, 

 and he was for extermination. He emphasized 

 every syllable of that word ; and when he did 

 so, I looked at his countenance, and I felt as if 

 I were in a den of hyenas. 



"I am not here for war, and will not be here 

 for war, so long as I have a heart humane and 

 Christian, when war is carried on upon such 

 principles. No, sir, war never did and never 

 will bring your Union together in such a man- 

 ner as to be Avorth one cent. I am for peace, 

 and I am for Union, too. I am as good a Union 



