The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1864-03-09

but the logical deduction which the his
tory of past ages fully confirmed. -
/ need not stop to speak Of the loss upon
both Sides need not talk of the heca-
tombs of our fallen countrymen which lie
scattered over hundred battle fields. I
need not speak ofthe widows and the or
phans, and of the immense debt which will
hang like an incubus upon the energies
OF this people for ages to come. The hor-
rors are enough to cause tears to How
down even Pluto's iron cheek. Es6ia1f
What then is our true policy: tell
gentlemen the history of other nations
leave US not in doubt as to this point
Before you can ever secure peace in this
country you must accompany the sword
with the olive- branck. You must, in ad-
dition to destroying the armed power of
the rebels, build up Union sentiment to
protect that country after you have with
drawn your armies from it. Louis XI of
France, by far the ablest Bourbon of them
all, by a conciliatory policy united the
several French dukedoms and Kingdoms
into one vast empire, over which Louis
Napoleon presides, and at whose power
even continental Europe trembles Char
les V won more by a conciliatory course
than he ever achieved by the sword
Henry VII of England by conciliatory
policy united and restored peace to his
distracted country. go ..is1a q pea
| need not go to other countries for ex-
amples in confirmatioE of the truth of this
position. Here in our own country we
have the most illustrious example of the
power of conciliatory course. When
our fathers had achieved our independence
when they came to lay broad and deep
the foundations of constitutional liberty,
they laid the very c,rner-stones in the
great and mighty interseetional doctrines
Of conciliation and concession. at. @"@
Sir, | do but quote the unanimous lam
guage Of the members of the Convention
that framed the Constitution, in declaring
that the Constitution was the ''result of a
spirit of amity and of that mutual defer
ence and concession which the popularity
of our, political situation rendered indis
pensably necessary" If those great men
who had endured the tolls and hardships
and priyations incident toa long and ar
luous struggle FOR liberty found them
selves constrained when they came to form
a Government to adopt principles of con.
cessiou, how much more indispensably
necessary is it to do SO now, when we,
their children, have grown from three mil
lions to thirty millions Of people, with a
country extending from ocean to ocean,
and having vast agricultural and manu-
featuring interests, With our commerce
whitening every sea, How can we get
along without harmony and conciliation?
How can We exist as nation, except by
adopting and adhering to the policy laid
down by our fathers2 On no other prin-
ciple can a free Government exist. Any
other doctrine is but the argument Of
kings, tyrants, and despots, and is not
adapted to this land of the free.
Sir, the distinguished gentleman from
New York, Mr.. Fernando Wood. in
his argument few days ago, adverted to
the fact that Shay's rebellion and the
whisky insurrection in Pennsylvania were
instances where the constituted aathori-
ties of the country negotiated with armed
traitors. In that whisky insurrection
there were, at one time, more than seven
thousand men in arms, Including portions
of the people of the great States of Penn
sylvania, Maryland, and Virginia. These
armed men seized on public property,
plundered the mails, assaulted, malterated
Federal officers. Some were killed, many
wounded. If there had been at that time
presiding over the destinies of the county
Charles / or George III or an bra
ham Lincoln. he would have put his foo
down firmly on these rebels, and demon.
strated to the world that he was at the
head of strong Government But, sir
the good genius of the great ashingtor
presided over the destinies of the nation
Commissioners were appointed, negotia
tions were entered into, and the rebellion
was ended, leaving hardly any evidence
to survive it.
Again, sir, when Missouri applied for
admission into the Union, the passieni
Of the people were excited to an extraor
dinary degree, and it was believed BY
many that the Union was in imminen
danger. But the fathers yet fingered
among their children, and the sage o
Monticello was aroused from his slumber
by the sound of the alarm bell at the hou
of midnight. Cancellation was resortec
to, and peace and harmony was, restoret
to the country.
s Again, in 1892, during the administra
ton Of Andrew jackson, they got. vi
what they called the notification rebellion
in South Carolina. The old general mad
the hearts ofthe people thrill by his mem
orable sentiment, sThe Union must AM
shall be preserved" And yet it must b,
borne in mind shat Congress modified tn
Objectionable law; and through eoncilia
tory policy that rebellion was ended.
Yet again, in 1850, when the infuriate'
passions of eur people had been lashe,
into a perfect tempest, when the Summer
and Stewards and Chases of the North an,
the jeff. Davises and 'Coombses and Yam
, eyx of the South disturbed the Halls O
Congress and we're unwilling to conced
anything for the sake of the peace an,
harmony of the country, the noble Ken
tuckian and the giant Webster, of Mas
sachusetts, and the great Douglas, OIL
illinois, stood mp in the Senate, aided b
the Union men of both parties; and whe
Clay waved aloft his magic wand Of com
promise, the stormy sea of human passion
sank to silent rest aud the glorious oil
ship of state sailed on in her grand career
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