Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1863-04-22

undertook earnestly and respectfully tC
maintain, with the same sense of duty tC
my constitutional obligations to State
rights, so long as they renamed under
the Constitution, that required me tC
support the system of slavery. and the
same sense of duty and right after they
had gone out from under that COnstitu
ton, caused me TO follow the dictates O
my own conscience, uutrammeled. -
! Cheers So, my friends, you see, how
ever misjudging may have been, and
speak 10 my old Democratic friends,
claim we went along. step by step, up to
that POINT, and we should still 90 along
step 10y step; for, except the right to hold
slaves was made part of the compromi-
ses made by our fathers in the Constitu-
ton, and if their State rights were to be
respected because of our allegiance TO the
Constitution and our respect to State
rights, yet, when that sacred obligation
was taken away, and we as well as the
negroes We're disenthralled, why should
not we follow the dictates of Gods law
and humanity? Tremendous applause.
and cries of Bravo, Bravo" By the
eXegencies of the public service removed
! once more 10 another sphere of action, at
New Orleans, | found this problem to
come in another form, and that led me to
examine and see how far had progressed
this civil commotion, now carried on by
force of arms. | found, under our com
plex system of States and an iudepend-
ent Government, and the United States
covering all, that there can be treason to
the State and not to the United States,
and revolution in the State, and not a.
regards the United States, and loyalty to
the State and disloyalty to the Union,
and disloyalty 10 the organized Govern
ment of the State. And, MS an illuStrl-
ton, take the troubles which almost late
ly arose in the State of Rhode Island,
where there was an attempt 10 rebel
against the State Government and to
change the form of the State Government.
All of you are familiar with the move
ments of Mr.. Dorr; there was no intent
of dIslOyslty against the United States,
but gIeat deal against the Stale Govern
ment. | therefore in Louisiana found Il
State Government that had entirely
changed its form, and had revOlutioniked
itself so far as she could created courts
and imposed taxes; and | found, so far
as this State Government was concerned,
it was no longer in and of itself one of
the United States of America. 1t had so
far as it could changed its State Govern
ment, and 10y solemn act had forever Sc
ceded from the United States of America
and attempted to join the Confederate
State; and | found, | respectfully submit,
a revolutionized State, There had been
a revolution beyond an insurrection and
infraction of the law; beyond the abne-
CATION and setting aside of the law, and
L new State Government formed, that
was being supported by force OF arms
Now, upon what thesis shall | deal with
these people? Organized into a commu-
nifty under forms of law, they had seized
a portion of the territory OF the United
States; and | respectfully submit | must
deal with them us alien enemies. Great
applause. They had forever passed the
boundary of wayward sisters great laugh !
ter and applausel unless indeed they er-
red as Cain did against his brother Abel. !
They had passed beyond that and outside |
of that. Aye, and Louisiana had done |
this in the strongest possible way for she |
had seized on territory which the Govern |
ment of the United States had bought |
and paid for. Therefore | dealt with |
them as alien enemies. Applause. IL
And what rights have alien enemies, cap
tured in war? They have the right, so |
long as they behave themselves and are
to be free from personal
they have no other rights: and
therefore, II is my duty to see to it, and |
believe the record will show, | did see to
It. Great applause and loud cheers. IL
did see to it that order was preserved,
md that every man who behaved well.
md did not aid the Confederate States,
should not be molested in his person. ! |
held everything else they had was at the
mercy of the conqueror lcheersl, and 10
give you an idea of it, permit me to state
he method in which their rights were
lehned by one gentleman of my staff
He very coolly paraphrased the Dred
Scott decision, and said they had no
lights which a negro was bound to re-
'pect. Loud and prolonged laughter
md cheers And dealing with them, |
,ook care to protect all men in personal
afety. Now | heard friend behind me
ay, but how did that affect loyal mem?
The difficulty with that proposition is
his: in governmental action the Govern
nent, in making peace and carrying on
var, cannot deal with individuals, but
With organized communities, whether Or
,anized wrongly or rightly Icheersl, and
ii could do, so far as my judgment
aught me, for the loyal citizen, was TO
ee to it that no exaction should be put i
lpon him. No property should be taken
way from him that was not absolutely '
necessary for the success of military ope-
atlons. l know nothing else that could ,
10. l could not alter the carrying on of {
he war, because the loyal citizens were I
like Dog Tray, found in I
ad company laughter, and to their |
ersOns, and to their property, even, all '
ossible protection | caused to be afford I
d. But let me repeater it is cutie {
ecessary 10 keep it in mind, and | am {
fraid that the want of this is why some {
f my old Democratic friends have got t
ost, IN getting from one portion of the
ountry to the other, in their thoughts
nd teelings-let me repeat that, in MAX i
lg war or making peace, carrying on i
Governmental operations of any sort, gov /
and their representative, so
ir as am instructed, can deal only with i
rganized communities, and men must 9
I'll or rise with the communities in which v
hey are situated. You in New York a
lust follow the Government as expressed i
the VIII oi the majority of your State, t
nth you can revolutionize against that S
oyernment; and those loyal at the b
outh must, until this contest comes into =
rocess of settlement, also follow the ac- O
on OF the organized majorities in which S
heir lot has been cast, and no man, no Il
It OF men, can see the solution of this r
any other governmental problem, as .
tecting States except upon this basis.- 1
ow, then, to pass from the particular to t
he general, to leave the detail in Louisi- Fl
IA, which | have run down the account f
rather as illustrating my meaning than t
.herwise, l come to the proposition, o
hat Is the contest with all the States "
lat are banded together in the so-called r
onfederate States? Into what form has s.
come? 1t started in insurrection it C
'ew up a rebellion; it has become a a
'volution, and carrying with it all the a
ghts CT a revolution. And our govern V
ent has dealt with it upon that ground. n
hen they blockaded their ports, they a