Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1865-11-30
ADDRESS Of SCHUYLER C0LFAx
The true Reconstruction Policy
POSITION OF TIE PRESIDENT


Mr.. Colfax was serenaded iu Washington
on Saturday evening, and in reply to the
compliment made the following speech:
My FRIENDS: thank you for the pleas
ant sorenade with which you welcome me on
my return to. the sphere of public duty.
Since left here have travelled many thous-
ands of miles over the plains and mountains
of the Pacific slope, and up that coast to the
British Possessions, in the extreme North
West but ! will not d,tain you with any
illusions to the scenery or incidents OF my
journey, as have already promised to speek
in regard to them in this city next month.
My thoughts more naturally turn this even
ing to the auspicious condition of our ceun-
try new as compared with the closing OF the
last Congress. Then hostile flag waved
over cities and forts and camps and regi.
ments, and we went home in March to assist
in raising the troops called for by the Presl-
dent. Now there is peace ever all the land,
and the flag Of the Republic waves unques-
toned over every acre OF our national do
main. [Cheers.l We never knew The val
ue of our institutions until the hour Of their
peril. If we had failed, there would have
been no resurrection from the tomb of ma
IlOUS, Dut, tuaukS 10 OuI ieIOlJ uticHucis,
no Gibbon will write the history of Amcri
hail the day when all the States shall revolve
in their appropriate orbits around the cen
tral Government, and when we can behold
them distant as the pillows, hut one as the
sea-" But we cannot forget that history
teaches us that it was eight years after the
surrender of Yorktown in the Revolutionary
War, though our fathers we're of one mind
as to its necessity, before the Constitution
was adopted and the Union thus establish
ed. 1t is auspicious that the ablest Con-
gress bave seen during my knowledge of
public affairs, meets next month, to settle
the momentous questions which will be
brought before it. 1t will not be governed
by any spirit of revenge, but solely by duty
to the country. l have no right to
antici pate its action, nor do l bind myself
to any infexible, unalterable policy. But
these ideas occur to me, and speak of them
with the frankness with which we should al
ways express our views. Last March, when
Congress adjourned, the States lately in re-
belion were represented in hostile Con-
gress and Cabinet, devising ways and means
For the destruction of this country, 1t may
not be generally known, but it may have
been repeated to me, on the testimony Of
members of the so called Confederate Con-
gress, that Gen. Lee, the military head Of
the Rebellion, declared last February, in his
official character, that the contest was utter
ly hopeless, but that their Congress and
Cabinet determined TO continue the 3trug
gle, and 10000 men fell after that time on
both sides in the battles around Petersburg,
Richmond and elsewhere Sinds the ad-
journn,ent of the United States Cougress.
not single rebelious State voluntarily sur
rendered, not an army laid d,wn its Weapons
not a regiment abandoned their falling gcause;
but the Union armies conquered a peace
not by compromise or voluntary submission,
but by the force of arms Some of the mem-
bers of the so-called Confederate Congress,
who at our adjournment last March were
struggling to blst this nation from the NAB
of the world, propose, understand, to enter
Congress on the opening day of its session
next month, and resume their former bust
ness of governing the country they struggled
so earnestly to ruin. They say they have
lost no rights 1t seems as If the burning
of the ships of our commerce on the ocean,
starving our prisoners en- the land, and rails
ing armies to destroy the nation, would i'm
pair some Of these rights until their new
government were recognized by Congress.
Cheers. The Constitution, which seems
formed for every emergency, gives to each
House the exclusive, right to judge of the
qualifications of the election Of its members,
right. Congress having passed no law on
Reconstruction, President johnson prescrib.
ed certain action for these States. which he
deemed indispensable. to their restoration to
their former relations to the Government.
| I think this eminently wise and patriotic.
He declared, first, that their Conventions
should declare the various ordinances of Se-
cession null and ved-not, as some have
done, merely repeating them-but absolute.
" without any force and effect Second,
that their Legislatures should rstify the
Constitutional Amendment abolishing Sls
very, that this cause Of dissension and rebel
lion might be utterly extirpated. Third
that they shall formally repudiate the Rebe
debt, though by It's terms, it will be long
while before it falls due, as it was payable
six months after the recognition Of the Con
federacy by the United States Cheers.
This reminds me of an friend in Indiana
who said he liked to give his notes payable
10 days after convenience. Laughter, anC
cries of Good" Good" But there ar,
other terms on which think there is M
division among the loyal men of the Union
First-That the Declaration Of Indepen
dence must be recognized as the law of th,
land, and every man, alien ard native, whit
and black, protected in the inalienable ant
God given rights of "life liberty and tn
| pursnit of happiness" Mr. Lincoln, in tina
emancipation proclamation which is tn
proudest wreath in his chaplet of fam,
tcheers. not only gave freedom to the slave
but declared that the Government woul
maintain that freedom. [Applause,l W
. cannot abandon them and leave them d.
fensoless at the mercy Of their former owl
: ers. They must be protected in their right
of person and property, and these freedme
must have the right to sue in courts of ju
: tice for all just claims, and to testify thi
they have security against outrage an
wrong. Il call them freemen, not freedmen
o The last phrase might have answered betol
their freedom was fully secured; but tn,
should be regarded now as freemen Of tl
Republic. Loud and enthusiastic cheers
Second-7The- amendment of their Sta
Constitutions, which have been adopted
many of their Conventions so reluctantl
p under the pressure of dispatches from Il
President and Secretary Of State, should
- ratified by majority of their people. v
ID all know that but very small portion
their voters participated in the election
Il the delegates to those Conventions, oil