Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1865-08-26

II. PENDLEToN, of Cincinnati. The follow
ing is the speech as reported in the CSncin-
natl Enquirer: .."','
REMARKS OF THE HON. GEORGE H. pENDLE-
TON. '.
Mr.. Pendleton said he would not detain
the Convention long; that this was not the
time nor the place for much speaking; that
he would not enter into details nor discuss at
length the topics which appropriately be-
long to this campaign. He spoke of the
harmony which had marked the pro-
ceedings of the Convention-of the excel
lence of the Ticket, and of the good omens
which attended this commencement of the
contest.
He congratulated the Convention that at
length grim visaged war hath smoothed his
wrinkled front, and the questions now to be
considered belonged to the domain of argu-
ment and not arms. He congratulated the
country thatthe Democratic party still lives,
in all its vigor, to confront these questions,
and to put their solution to the crucial test
of those principles by which it so long and
so safely and so prosperously administered
the Government.
"The Democratic party is dead" say our
opponents. Let them look here upon us,
this day, and believe that in numbers, at
least, it is formidable. Let them look into
the history of parties and the philosophy of
the Government, and if they answer hon
estly, they must say that so long as free
government shall last, there must be, there
will be, a party, asserting our principles,
advocating our policy, and probably bearing
-our name. The war is over. Its avowed
object, ofbreaking the military power of the
SOutl1,is accomplished. The evacuation of
Richmond announced it,. The surrender of
Lee confirmed it. The capitulation of ev-
cry armed force between the Potomac
and the Rio Grande ratified it. The
march Of Sherman to Washington, the
| review of the armies, the mastering out of
| regiments and brigades, and divisions
and corps, establish it. And yet here
and there, and especially now, when the
eXigency of elections requires the eXer-
else of arbitrary power or the support
| of extreme positions, we hear from some
| eX-Major General, who wants an office, or
shoddy contractor, whose NAV is not yet
| filled, or fanatic, who wants more power,
that the war is not eryet. Why not? Has
| not the Federal power been established
| Have not the Constitution and thelaws been
asserted over the seeded Statespl On the
| 22d day of July, 1861, the Republican party
| in Congress declared that the war is Waged
| to defend and maintain the supremacy of
| the Constitution, and preserve the Union,
with all the dignity, equality and rights of
the several States unimpaired. Was this
| true? Then the objects of the war are ac-
| complished, its purposes are attained, and
| all that belongs to q state of war should
! cease. We can not be deceived. 1t is a
| false preteXt to cover over illegitimate ends.
| 1t seeks screen for the use of usurped
power. Courts-martial, military commits
| sions, suspension of habeGS corpus, suppress
sion of newspapers, interference with free
| speech and free elections, these have been
| the fashion for years past. When we re-
monstrated, we were told they were the
! necessary incidents of state of war, and
aids to the war-making power; that when
the war ceased they would cease. Then
they were maintained to support war; no,o
the war is maintained to support them.
| The war is at an end. Many of its effects
can never be erased. The, deep burrows
which it has left in our social and govern
mental system can never besmoothed over.
Its influence on the feelings and character
of ourpeople will remain. The relations OF
the people and the sections can never be
exactly restored. The questions which it
has raised must be settled. The result
which it has brought about must be accept
ed. We can not recall the past. We can
not undo what has been done. We can not
| re-establish exactly the old order of things;
but we can be Just and true. Wecan brave
| ly and honestly meet new issues, and, like
wise men, accepting the unavoidable, yield
ing to accomplished facts, we can, as near
| ly as possible, adhere to old landmarks, and
thus secure to ourselves all the blessings
| of good government.
| "Let the dead past bury its dead" Let
us forget the war, except for the lessons
which it teaches. Let us Danish it as the
memorylof horrid calamity, in which the
| innocent and the guilty, the pure and the
| wicked, the unfortunate and the undeserv-
| ing, the cOnqueror and the conquered alike
! suffered common woe. If any would re-
/ call it to nourish hatred between the Sec
| tions, or to excite the people of either Sec
| ton against each other, let his nameand his
fame be accursed; let him be anathena mar
| dndthd. ". - > f-'l
| When Mr.. Lincoln delivered his Inaugu-
| raj Address, he said suppose you go to
| war; After much suffering on both sides,
| and the advantage on neither, you will have
the same questions Of intercourse to settle
| which you have now" He was right. We
/ have had war-we have had much suffering
| land what are the questions remaining
| The status of the negroes In the States, and
the relation of the States among themselves.
To Democrat these questions appear easy
of solution. He brings them to the test OF
| the Constitution. The Constitution declares
r that the powers "not delegated are reserve
ed.or 1t also defines the relations of the
| States. No power has been given to the
i Federal Government, or any of its depart
ments, to interfere with the status Of the
people of the States, or to change. or define
| the relations of the States to each other. II
the war was waged to omaintain the suprem-
| acy of the Constitution, surely the success
Of the war and the attainment of peace
should not be made the occasion of impair
ing it,- These questions must be left with
the States themselves --f
| If the war was Tor another purpose; il
Black Republicanism was ALA lie; if coer-
cion was a base preteXt, and armed Tevolu-
tion was the real design, we confront an
7 other question: What ought to be, not
what is. the Constitution? And to this
Question we are being brought. Men high
in authority PROFOUND it to us. L see that
a citizen of our own State, now on the
stump, an aspiring mana member OF
Congress s--announces that he will never
consent to the admission to Congress
Of Representatives and Senators from
Southern States, until they shall, by their
votes, have adopted the pending amend
ment to the Constitution, and another,
changing the rule Of representation, until
they shall have shown theiraptitude for free
Government, as he mockmgly terms 1t, by
the faeility,with which they can put their
hands ON their mouths and their mouths in
the dust, and, like fawning sycophants, de-
grade themselves by base servility. ~ :.
4 lam In favor of no change in the Consti-
tuition. i would leave the question Of suf-