Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1863-04-07

under that Constitution, caused me to fol |
low the dictates Of my own conscience, |
untrammeled. LCbeers.l So, my friends, |
you see, however misjudging may have |
been, and 1 speak to my old Democratic |
friends, | claim we went along, step by |
step, up to that point, and we should still |
20 along, step by step; for, except the |
right to hold slaves was made part OF |
the compromises made by our fathers in
the Constitution, and if their State rights
were to be respected because of our allie
glance to the Constitution and our res
Dect to State rights, yet, when that sa-
cred obligation WIS taken away, and we
as well as the negroes were disenthraled,
why should not we follow the dictates OF
Gods law and humanity Tremendous
applause, and cries of "BraYo, Brave" +
By the exigencies of the public service
removed once more to another sphere of
action, at New Orleans, found this prob
lem 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. l found, un-
der our complex system OF States and an
Independent Government, and the United
States covering all, that there can be
treason to the State and not to the United
not as regards the United States, and 10y
atty to the State and disloyalty to the
Union, and loyalty to the Union, and dis
loyalty to the organized Government of
the State. And, as an illustration, take
the troubles which almost lately arose in
the State of Rhode Island, where there
was an attempt to rebel as inst the State
Government and to change the form OF
State Government. All of you are famil
lar with the movements of Mr.. Dorr;
there was no intent of disloyalty against
the United States, but great deal against
the State Government. 1 therefore in
Louisiana found State Government that
had entirely changed its form, and had
| revolutionized itself so far as she could;
created courts and imposed taxes; and l
| found, so far as this State Government
was concerned, it was no longer in and of
| itself enc of the United States of Ameri-
ca. 1t had so far as it could changed its
State Government, and by solemn act
had forever seeded from the United
States of America and attempted to join
the Confederate States; and I found, 1
respectfully submit, revOlutionized
| State! There had been a revolution be-
yond an insurrection and infraction Of the
law; beyond the abnegatiOn and setting
aside Of the law, and new State Govern
menl formed, that was being supported
by force of arms. Now, upon what thesis
shall deal with these people? Organized
, into a community under forms oflaw, they
had seized a portion Of the territory Of
the United States; and l respectfully
submit l must deal with them as alien
enemies. [Great applausel They had
forever passed the boundary of wayward
-, al
| less indeed they erred as Cain did against
his brother Abel. They had passed be-
yond Aat and outside Of that. Aye, and
Louisiana had done this in the strongest
possible way, for she had seized on terri
| tory which the Government Of the United
States had bought and paid for. There
fore I dealt with them as alien enemies.
IApplause.l And what rights have alien
enemies, captured in War2 They haye
the right, so long as they behave them
selves and are non-combatants, to be free
from personal violence; they have no
other rights; and, therefore, it is my duty
to see to it, and believe the record will
show, did see to it. [Great applause and
| loud cheers 1 did see to it that order
was preserved, and that every man who
behaved well, and did not aid the Confed-
crate States, should not be mOlested in
his person. held everything else they
had was at the mercy of the conqueror
Tcheersb and to give you an idea Of it,
permit me to state the method in which
their rights were defined by one gentle
man of my staff. He very coolly para
phrased the Dred Scott decision, and said
they had no rights which a negro was
bound to respect. Loud and prolonged
laughter and cheers And dealing with
them, took care to protect all men in
personal safety. Now l heard a friend
behind me say, but how did that af-
feet loyal men? The difficulty with that
proposition Is this: in governmental ac-
ton the Government, in making peace
and carrying on war, cannot deal with in
dividuals, but with organized communi-
ties, whether organized wrongly or rightly
IcheersL and all could do, so far as my
Judgment taught me, for the loyal citizen,
was to see to it that no eXactiOn should
be put up IN him. No property should be
taken away from him that was not abso-
lutely necessary for the success Of mill
tary operations. know nothing else that
could do. could not alter the carrying
on OF the war, because loyal citizens were
unfortunately, like Dog Tray, found in
bad company laughter, and to their per
/
sible protection caused to be afforded.
But let me repeat-for it is quite neces-
sary to keep it in mind, and 1 am afraid
that the want Of this is why some Of my
old Democratic friends have got lost, in
getting from one portion of the country
to the other, in their thoughts and feel
| ings-let me repeat that, in making war
or making peace, carrying on government
| tai operations of any sort, governments
and their representatives, so far as am
instructed, can deal only with organized
communities, and men must fall or rise
| with the communities in which they are
situated. You in New York must follow
| the Government as expressed by the will
/ of the majority of your State, until you
can revolutiOnize against that Govern
ment; and those loyal at the South must,
until this contest comes into process OF
| settlement, also follow the action Of the
organized majorities in which their lot
has been cast, and no man, no set of men,
can see the solution of this or any other
| governmental problem, as affecting States
| except upon this basis. Now, then, to
pass from the particular to the general,
| to leave the detail in Louisiana, which
| have run down the account of rather as
illustrating my meaning than otherwise,
1 come to the proposition, waat is the
contest with all the States that are band
/ ed together in the so-called Confederate
States2 Into what form has it come? 1t
started in insUrrectiOn; it grew up re-
bellion; it has become revolution, and
carrying with it all the rights of a reYOlu-
ton. And our government has dealt with
it upon that ground. When they blocka-
ded their ports, they dealt with it as a
revolution; when they sent out cartels Of
exchange of prisoners, they dealt with
these people no longer as insurrection-
lists and traitors, but as organized revolu-
tionists, whOihad set up government for
themselves upon the territory Of the
United States. Let no man say to me,
Sir, let no man say to me, "why, then you