Smyrna times., 1865-11-22
Speech of Speaker Colfax.

Below we give synopsis of a speech deliv- |
cred by Hon. Schuyler Colfax, of Indiana, in
Washington, or Saturday night last. His
views are supposed to embody the collective
Judgment of large majority Of the Congress-
men, and are therefore important:
He has little faith in the professed loyalty of
the South, and thinks the results of the war
should not be frttered away by re-admission
OF Southern members until security for the fu-
ture has been amply guaranteed. The tone of
his remarks was adverse to their immediate ad-
mission.
In addition to the Presidents conditions,
that secession shall be declared null and void,
slavery abolished, and the debt repudiated,
MIR. COlfax thought other conditions should be
demanded.
First That the Declaration of Independence
must be recognized as the law of the land, and
every man, alien and native, white and black,
protected IN " the alienable and God-given
rights OF life, liberty, and the pursuit of happi-
ness. Mr.. Lincoln, in that Emancipation
Proclamation, which is the proudest wreath in
the chaplet of fame lapplauscI, not only gave
freedom to the slave, but declared that the Go
vernment would maintain that freedom. We
cannot abandon them and leave them defence
less, at the mercy of their former owners. They
must be protected i'll their rights of person and
property, and these trcemen must have the
right to sue i'll courts Of Justice for all lust
claims, and to testify also, so as to have sccur-
lty against outrage and wrong. | call them
= treemen, not freedmen. The last phrase might
have answered before their freedom was fully
secured but they should be regarded now as
treemcn Of the republic
Second. The amendment of their State con-
. Stltutlons, which have been adopted by many
OF their conventions SO reluctantly under the
pressure OF dispatches from the President and
the Secretary of State, should be ratified bv a
majority of their people. We all know that a
4 very small portion OF their voters participated
III the election of delegates to these conven.
tlons and nearly, if not all. the conventions
have declared them III force without any ratifi
cation by the people. When the crisis ha,
passed, can they not turn around and say thai
these We're adopted under duress by delegate
, elected by mcagrc vote under provisional 90
vernors and military authorities, and never ia
tilted by popular vote?
Third. The President on all occasions. in
sisted that they should elect congressman VIII,
could take the oath prescribed by the Act o
) 1868. But Ill defiance of this, and insulting t.
e the President and the country, they have, III
large majority OF Instances, voted down mcrci
q lessly Union men who could take the oath. am,
q elected those who boa,tcd that they could not
would not. and would feel dsgraced if the
could. Without mentioning names, one gen
>, tleman, elected IN Alabama. declared in his ad
dress to the people before the election, tina
y : the iron pen Of history would declare til
l. emancipation act Il, the most monstrous dee
:, OF cruelty that ever darkcncd the annals of an
- nation; And another, who ayowed that h
~ gave all possible aid and comfort to the rebe
lion, denounced the Congress Of 1862 as guilt
in enacting such an oath. voice" Pu
them on probation
z Fourth. While it must be expected that
Or minority OF these States will cherish for year.
r perhaps, their feelings of disloyalty the coul
Re try has right to expect that before their men
re bers are admitted to share in the governmer
of this country, clear majority of the poop
33 OF each Of these States should give evidence ,
% their earnest and cheerful loyalty-not by sue
32 speeches as are so common, that they sui
- United the issue to the arbitrament of war,
50 but that they are willing to stand by and fgl
Tor the flag of the country against all its en-
n mics at home or abroad
I'd The danger now is too much PRECIPITATION
OF Let us rather make haste slowly, and we ca
es then hope that the foundations of our Cover
ty ment, when thus reconstructed on the basis
ut lndisputable loyalty, will be as eternal as IL
r. stars In conclusion, can but echo the wor,
of our departed President, in his last inaugura
r. on the steps of the Capitol with malice t
in wards none, with charity for all, but with firl
ge ness to do right, as God gives US to see IL
ed right, and all will be we'll