Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1864-12-22

We are TO get to be one people, Ike France
one in our ideas, having them arranged IN
triumphal procession, with one leauel'
When our race seeks success, VIC must seek
to be melted into one element--Amerlcah'
When Massachusetts, man, or a New
Yorker. or Pennsylvania, or Palmetto
are no more of national account than q
Yorkshire man or Kent; when they Sud
side into distant perspective, and know
nothing but America; when they have Du'
one idea and one nationality, theu
America will take her own pliic"
exert her own influence and develop mel
own idea in the sisterhood oil States. Now
nleasr hear i'm mind that these elements are
almost Indispensable in all great nations
and then leteus look at our future, De-
liere that our military position is so br,Htd'u
that in all human probability he neat JON
rears ,,iW see the ipdr ended, and the honest
statcsmanship oxthe country VIII De called
,,pon to reap tx.. x..harvest of which Sherman
and Grant arg planting the seeds to-day
TGrpat applause And believe that Sher-
nd,i,having done that unequalleu deeu IN
all military history-careered across the
continent unchecked, and watered his horses
in the Atlantic-[applause] ]-cqn do anything
,oLen he chooses. [Applause.] 1 believe that
Grant ,cH take Richmond tchen the time s,stts
him. [Applause.] AndI belteue, for dHhdt,
that neither of those evetts ,ciH END the acar'
We have a strong, tough job behind those
still. 1t seems to me, that with far military
success the question of craftsmanship and
reconstruction is likely to come upon us
necessarily in the course of two, three or
four years. 1t is time, therefore, that we
should consider the elements which go to
hatquestion. Ri
From the preceding extract it will be
seen that Mr.. PHILLIPS, while he rates
SHERMAN's geperalship as of character to
enable him to do anything he pleascs, and
while he feels confident that GRANT will
take Richmond whenever it suits him, does
not fly to the conclusion that the War is as
good as over. He looks upon our situation,
in military point of view, as $50 brilliant
that, in Human probability thenert -four years
,ctu see the Ww ended" Whatever may be
thought of Mr.. PnILLIPs' peculiar notions,
he usually looks at our military situation
dispassionately; and we think. that he does
not exaggcrate the probable duration Of
the War.
Mr.. PHILLIPS says further:
"My friends, lay it to heart. All your
money. all that your sons blood has gained.
when Grants cannon comes home, Is all you
will see for fifteen or twenty years. Make
a mistakenow and you stereotype it; the
nation will not hear of reform nor REFORM
ers: it will want nothing but material pros
perity and comfort. France, after her con-
vulsion. lapsed into mere pedlar in the
hands of Louis Philippe, and let him do
what he pleased. She rose again, tore his
throne to pieces, and struggled to realize
an idea. Napoleon conquered it, aud she
lapsed again, contented huckster, giving
up ideas altogether asking only, as the R0-
man did, pdRem et tutiliSseme, bread and
amusement" Delude not yourselves with
the idea that if we gain half we agitate i'm
mediately for the other halt. Not bit OF
it. Neither you nor | shall have an oppor-
tunity Of doing that work. 1t Will be all
journed-how long, we do not know-untll
events precipitatc it upon ms. so much the
more consequence, therefore, that before the
door closes, before Grants cannon comes
home, before the parchment is signed and
sealed we make the nation comprehend all
it needs. and getit if possible. Applause
Now, gentlemen, said nationality necessi-
tated one idea. That idea is democrati; in
stitutions; man as man, without regard 10
caste, 80 color, 10 education, TO wealth, or
to nationality. That is the primal, central
idea that has made'the North. 1t is the ag-
itation of that idea that made 1861 possible.
Now that idea has kissed the gulf beiorewe
have nation. Understand me. l do not
suppose YOU can educate five millions of
people in year. What | claim of this ma
ton is that it shall begin the process, that
/. shall clear or the ground for the growth. /;
will take ten or fifteen years for the growth.
but want the ground clear for The growth.
Now for that, what Is necessary? Now,
Mr.. Lincoln's idea, the idea of Congress,
the idea largely of the Republican party, is
an amendment of the Constitution pfohlb-
iting slavery wherever the flag floats
Well, that is a great gain If we can get it. |
No doubt it is an immense stride. 1t makes |
our parchment perfect so far as it goes. But |
Now, the project which j
want to unfold to you is the planting OF
seeds which will gradually model that
structure. If you do not plant them, You
leave not chattel slavery, but aristocratic
all the same. -
general Banks has reconstructed Louis
lana. How? On the idea that negro
cannot take care Of ITSELF Now.
| do not 90 into discussion of Gen. Banks
theory. He presents an array of statistics
which are all errors, and an array of facts
ll lies. But am willing to accept of all
without doubling any of them, and still
saw. as an Abolitionist, he is reconstructing +
Louisiana on the basis that negro cannot
take care of himself. Well, now, either hc
is fool or have been fool for thirty |
years. for have been maintaining that ane-
gro could take care of himself. ] say that |
as an Abolitionist. As citizen | say this, |
that if General Banks is right, the more pity |
the Union. lfhe is right, then neither you |
nor |. men over twenty. will ever see this
Onion reconstructed. If there is no black
timber to use in that reconstruction, neith-
er you nor 1 will ever see the building
+ Laughterl am not speaking, now mark
You, for the negro. God has lifted his
cause ont of your hands and mine, and Ia
ken it into his own keeping. [Applanse.l
Whether this nation survives or perishes Is
far less matter of anxiety TO the negro than
to us, for his fate Is us certain as the exist
enee of the justice of God. [Applause.l
But for you and me it is an immensely i'm
portant question whether the negro is ca
pable of forming part of the basis OF demo-
cratic institutions, whether he can be trust
ed like the white man to make his own con-
tract. If he cannot, then Louisiana is in
cvitably an aristocracy, and JEFF. Davis di-
vides the continent with us. 1t Is not the
negro's anxiety, it is ours. Nat. L. Banks,
in his whole argument, is humbug.
An amendment to the Constitution. there
fore, does not abolish the essence of slavery
in a reconstructed State. Governments are
not made, they grow. You must plant the
elements of government in order TO make
freedom; and you must plapt the elements
of freedom in a State II you want freedom.