New-York daily tribune., 1865-11-20
ADDRESS on SCHUYLER COLPAX.
The True Reconstruction Policy
POSITION or THE PRESIDENT.

Saturday evening" and in reply 10 the compliment made
the following speech:
| Ny FRIENDS hank you for the pleasant serenade
with which you welcome me on my return 10 ,ne
sphere Of public duty Since left here have a.eieu
many thousands Of miles the plains and
OF the Pacific slope and up that coast TO tho Brts
Possessions, In the extreme Northwest; but VIII
not detan YOU with any illusions to the scenery OF
incidents 0f my Journey as have already promised 70
speak in regard 20 them in this city next month NY
thoughts naturally turn this evening to the ausp
cious condition OF our country now as eor,Paienu u
with the closing Of the last Congress. linen q
hostile flag waved cities and forts aud camps ana
regiments and We went home in March TO Assist In
raising the troops called for by the President. NOW
there is peace over all the land and the flag OF the kepn
lie waves unquesiioned every acre OF our national
domain iCheers We never knew the value ol our nsii
tutions until the hour Of their peril I'VE had iaied
there would have been resurrection rOm tue tonio
| OF nations But thanks TO Our heroic defenders no
Gbbon will write the history of Americas decline anu
fall Cheers. shall hail the day when oil the states
shall reyoyo In their appropriate orbits around the
central Government. and when we can behold them
| distinct the blows. but one az the sea- But we
forget that history teaches as that II was egt
wears after the surrender Of Yorktown In the ReVou-
'ionary War though fathers we're of one mind as
10 its necessity before the Constitution was adopeo
and the Union thus established IL IS anspcious tna.
the abest Congress have seen during my knoWieuBe
OF public afairs meets next month. TO settle tue mo
mentous questions which will be brought before u.
viii not be governed by any spirit OF revenge, pa'
solely By duty 10 the country have no IiRhs 70 a.
81 paie iis action nor do bind myself to any iu'
flexible, unaiterable policy. But Inese iuess p vssu
10 me. and 1 speak Of them VIVID INC IL ni"nsns rass
| Last March. when Congress adjourned the States
lately IN rebellion renresented In hostile ,on
gres ard Cabinet, deyisng ways ana means loI 'no
destruction Of this country. IL may not be seneIhp
lnovn bat IL has Oeen repeated 10 me- on the testlmO
nv OF members Il the socalled Coniederlte SonsEess
that Gen. Lee. the military head OF ne heDeon'
sre last February In his official character, that the
con,es, vna utterly hopeless bat that their Congress
ard Cabnel determined 20 continue thc srrgse ana
10 900 men fli acr that time on Doth SIDES W ,ny oa.
,ies around Petersburg Richmond and elsewhere.
snca ,he adourument OF the United States Congress-
no, single rebe'lious state Voluntarily iuIEehdeIeu
| NOT an army laid down Its weapons not reglment
ahandoned their falling cause: bot the Union armies
con0ucred peace not by compromise or voluntary
| subnii~.ion bat by the force OF arms some oi
these members o. the called Confederate congress
ho az our adjournment last March were strneshg 70
bo, ,his nation from the map OF the world propose,
understand TO enter Congress on the opening das OF s
session next month and resume their former Duslhess
Of governing the country they r, I'm,
as N the burning cf the ships of our connsEce on me
ocean starting piscnsrs ON The land eHd sssf.s
shess rs,, until <ssIr new governments were recos
usrd hy confrvss. fCheers The Contribution which
termed for eve eoerssnsy gives % saeh nSa'e ~.
election returns Of its members, and appreherd bey
will exercise that right Congress having passed no law
on ReconsIIouop President psnson
10 their restoration 10 their former relations 10 the
Government | think this emincntly wise and pair,
otic lie declared first, that their Conventions Should
declare tho various ordinances Of Secession null and
yold-noi as somo have done merely repeating
ihem-but absolutely without any fnrcr and ehect.
Second that their Legislatures should Tnttfy tho
Constitutional Amendment aboiishing Slavery. that
this cause OF dssepEion and rebellion might be utterly
e1tirpaed. Third. that they shall formally fepodato
the Rebel debt though by its terms, it will be a
long while before 10 falls due az IL was payable sn
months after the recognition of fne ConiedTaey oy the
4 United States. tCheers THIS reminds me OF an oid
ficnd In Indiana who said be liked 20 give his notes
navahlo 10 days aner convenience Laughter and
cries N Good Good y Bnt there are other terms
on which think there Is no division among the Ioya
men OF the Union Firsi-That tho Declaration OF ihde
nendence must be recognized as the law OF the land,
and every man alien and native white and black. pro-
tected in the Inaenabe and God given rights OF fe
liberty and the pursuit o haspiness MI Lincoln ~
thnt apoipaon proclamation which Is the prOndest
wreath In bis chapet ol fame cheersl not only gave
freedom 10 the slave u declared that the Government
would maintain that freedom. Applause Meeahnot
abandon them and lcTe them delenseless at the mercy
Of their former They must be protected In THEN
rights Of person and property and these reemen must
have the right 20 sue IN courts OF uslce ior All us.
claims and TO testify that they have security against
outrage and wrona call them freemen. not freedmen
The last phrase mgk have answered before their iTee
dom was sy scored; but they should be regarded now
as freemen OF the Republic. Loud and enthusiastic
cheers seoond-TLe amendments OF their State Con
sttutions uhci have been adopted by many oil theiT
Con venons 30 nuctany. under the pressure OF dis
patches from tie President and secretary Oh stare;
should be ratild by majority Of their people we all
know that bat avery small portion OF their voters par
ticpated In theeection Of Che delegates TO those Con
yentions and narly II not al tho Conventions nave
declared them In force without any ratification by the
people Whenthis crisis has passed. can they not turn
around and ~ that these were adopted under duress
by delegates eicted by apeagor vote under
Governors su military authorities, ana never ratihed
by popular yei And could they not turn over the
anti lecomptu argumoat against Us and INSIST as we
did that Constitution not ratlfeu ny tne people may
have effect bit no mral effect whatever. Ibird-Ihe
/ Dros al
elect Congresmen Who could take the oath prescribed
by the act OF H62; Tut In defiance OF this and insulting
the Prosden and the country. they nane, ,n Iarge
majority of instances, voted down merciessy Union
men who cold AXE the oath, and elected those who
boasted thaitby could not and would feel disgraeed
| n they coud without mentioning Names one
| genteinan lssted In Alabama by q large majority
declared In h address 10 the people, before the election
that the roiptn OF history would record tne emnncpa
top act as DC most monstrous deed OF cruelty that
drkoed the annals OF Any ana u%S 10 ss
Rebellion and denounced the Congress OF 1902 Tor en-
acting sI.h an oath. a voice" Put them on proba-
ton fhe South Is filled with men VINO cannot take
the oad IL declares 81 have not voluntarily taken
mart The Rebellion" Every conscript ID the southern
an take that oath because he was forced into the
| rank by conscrpton. and every man VINO stayed at
bor, and refused TO accept q civil or military ONCE
ooI take that oah but these were not tue choice OF
States lately in rebellion. Fourfh-Wnile IL must
| b, expected that a minority OF these otatos VIII
oersh for years perhaps ,se ex,oct ~ tha,
eforc their members are admitted to share in the
government Of this country majority OF the people OF
cheerful LOYALTY not by such speeches as are 50 common
that they submitted the issue to the arbilrament OF
war but that they are willing to stand by and light for
the flag OF the country against all It's enemies at nome
ar abroad The danger nov Is In too much precpita-
tion Let us rather make haste slowly. and We can
then hopo that the foundations OF our government when
thus the basis OF ndisputabls loyalty
viii he az eternal as the stars Applause In Presi
dent johnson / have mistaken confidence cannot