The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1865-08-28

honest man If he believes in the Coa
Hstitution Of the United States, which he
swore to,cxeeute when lie took his oath
of olhce, he must put his toot on amy such
proposition,
Now. | shall not pursue this theme nj
all, becalse there may lie those here who
dissent from me, and simply, after sol
long an absence, come aud exercise my
right OF speaking my sentiments without
reserve, but ut the same time without
heat or partisan feeling.
But there is another proposition which
has an interest for ne and | speak OF il
because | have thought of il more than
lany other in my recent career. whilst
have lost SIGH! ofsnme Of The questions
which have aeitated the State Of Missoa-
ri. and cannot speak Of the great question
which was recently determined here. very
distinctly, although have Il lurking sus-
picion about it. But these general qucs-
tions have thought great deal about.
and the next question Is the manner in
which we shall treat the population of
the South. those even who have been Ia
the rebellion and borne arms. Upon this
question haven't had OCCASION 10 change
/ my mind since, spoke here last and quo
ted the language hf Senator Benton
7 That great man on one occasion gave NJ
/ teraMce To the sentiment that moderation
was the ornament Of Victory 1t was nj
4 moment. when he had ht.f triumphant
over his eaeinies. and bis tempho3a
efffsf,}s surrounded hing On all sides. aud
ichecr after cheer rose t5r him In The
midst OF al this txultati,n he said Ny
friends, exultatioa Is natural. hu, moder-
alton i- the .ruament ot sictor9
Now when We look back: and scan fr
. moneul the origin Of the rebellion. the
maunerin which II was brought to pass
vhen We ee-lor | refer 10 what Was
known to al Of veu when We see that y
few armed men III those southern States
armed ly cuasprator- who got their arms
from tie Government oi the United
States furnished by the Secretary Of
/ War. connivc,t at BY the PreSidei,t If the.
United States; when these men had got
the whole oi the States in their hand,
they turned their power. their arms against
men devoted t. the Union: and our Cow
crnment AZ Washington stool still, ana
lid nothing to protect and defend those
.puarmed .aen whn were 'nionists. but
allowed them To be i,rced into rebellion
:. Can We hold such men to = strict account
ability Who is blimeless IN this mat
ter and who i most TO blame.
Virginia voted by $4,000 majority
l.
urmed.by officials Of uur own GoA eroment,
forced Virginia ont Of the l'nion. and for
laonths af.cr We had Republican Pre~i-
3ent-nnt alone while we had prc-i-
sirnt 1t tl,, i,.',,ects,tic scl,5.s, tbs ;i,,.'
crifmen; ~soad hy with folded hands and
refu~ed even to feed its s6llieEs coope3
up IN the belea"ureA forts If the South
Ia Louisiana after the ordinance Of Sc
,eesion ws.s passed upon and submitted
To the peoI}r it Is notorious that it was
voted down hv large gnaiunty. but the
hand OF conspiIators scize1 the Arsenal.
refused 10 publish the, vnte. and drove
the nion mfn into rebellion
! That was the condition Of affairs. Peo-
pie viii say aud people de- say have
heard them say so--thst these unarnied
Union men 81 the South. who wcae ma
inrit- of the people. ought not To have
submitted, bgt ought TO have been torn
asun1er rather than submit But look
now how these men treat the subject
when it affects other questions aud per-
sohs Ii is notorious that the negroes
built almost al the toriifcations in the
South but who holds The negroes re-
sponsible for these thin@sz Would there
not be an outcry raised among those who
are so rcvenectul towards that other class
of people. if We should undertake to pun
ish those negroes for building the tortiti-
cations around Richmond Atlanta. and
Nickshurg? 1t would be absurd il
would be.ridiculous. to hold them reSpons-
ible for doing that work. because they
Fdid it reluetantiy-theX were compelled
: to do it. and this Government OF ours
had not the power to relieve them. And
50 it was with the vast majority of the
people of the South. in regard to the re-
bellion, and We all know it to III so.
| would have, instead of the sentiment
which | understand was uttered here the
other night-that these men shall not be
allowed to return to this State-I would
have the proclamatiou of the President
carricd out in good faith When an ann
nesty has been given by the President, an
amnesty should be given in good faith by
the people Now this thing of political
t persecution and execution, which is NOT
/ necessary for the safety of our Govern
ment, is intolera5le, and repugnant tc
every mans sense of justice and right II
IS contrary to the character Of the great
: and magnanimous people like that tt
! which we beiong-a people who have the
power TO maintain their own institutions
: against all adverse fortune-not like the
: miserable dynasties of Europe, that see
t suspicion lurking in every shade, and who
: are ready to hedge themselves round witt
e terror and to execute every man who ut
: ters Il sentiment Of disloyalty to then
0 crown-but we people are great and mag
: unanimous and can forgive, because the
4 principles which we uphold live forever
: and are indestructible. cloud cheers
7 And when war is ended. war should end
: and peace should begin, else. when cal
c We have peace! We would forever bC
] compelled to keep our arlnor buckled OF
; and maintain an army which would of it
/. self saddle US with debt and taxation tha
0 would be felt by our remotest posteritj
e and although the Republic has main
+ tained itself against intestine foes, yet i
c you keep alive this animosity, if the per
e scouting and unrelenting spirit is allowe,
to keep alive animosity and keep up a di
; vision it viii be productive of no good re
n suit. You know and you mast all fee
e that We have other enemies. The gentle
e man who addressed you few moment
+ ago (Col. Baker, alluded to the fact tha