The Norfolk post. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 1865-1866, 1865-06-29

that are dead and ought to be buried, and
take hold Of these living issues that have
an interest for ourpeople, and which will
always have an interest for them. Well,
1t is better also that we should get rid OF
these old issues because we can then bet
ter judge with an unbiased mind as to
what should be done in the future forthe
reorganization of the States. CHEERS. J
II our minds were filled with the old
prejudices on the question OF slavery, II
we allowed ourselves to be still kept III q
state of alarm and excitement about this
question of slavery, we would not be
able to consider fairly and disposition
ately, and with that calmness which the
magnanimity of the people demands,
this great question of the reorganization
of our government. BY reorganization
I mean all the States that have been in
rebellion. Therefore, the sooner we get
rid of the dead and bury them, the bet
ter for the living. Now, l believe, for
my own part, in the theory proclaimed
by Mr.. Lincoln for the reorganization OF
the States, and which has been sane
toned by the people at the Presidential
election, and which has been an
nounced in the proclamation Of An
drew johnson. (Cheers.) 1t is, | be-
lieve, satisfactorily known to everybody
that those who maintain different at
titude on this question, and who sat in
the convention at Baltimore that nomi-
mated Mr.. Lincoln, wanted to vote
against him and would have voted
against him if they had dared to. Mr..
Lincoln had announced himself agein
and again in different letters in regard
to the State of Louisiana, and again in
regard to the State of Arkansas, in q
letter of instruction which he addressed
to General Steele, as to the manner in
which the States should be reorganized,
and allowed to resume the functions OF
government. Well, the people Endorsed
these sentiments because they liked
them; and Andrew Johnson, true to the
pledges which were sanctioned by the
people in this eleet'cn, has issued his
proclamation for u; reorganization of
the government of North Carolina, and
several other States, in which he as
sumes the position maintained by Mr..
Lincoln i'm his last utterances-sai he !:
II don't know that these States have
been abroad" The States that have
been out of the Union, and the men
who maintain that they have been out
of the Union because there were certain
traitors in those States, is just as much a
secessiOnist as the secessionists them
selves who atteEiptedto carry these States
out. Cheese
Now, what is the difference between
that class of people? They act from diff
ferent motives, as matter of course, and
ought to have the benefit of their mo-
tives-but they maintain the Union was
actually dissolved by the declaration of
secession in the Southern States-they
must maintain it, because they under
take to lay on the Southern States con-
ditions which they do not put Oh other
States, and they say, we have authority
and power over these States that we have
not over other States. Now, every State
in the Union as heretofore held, has had
the right to decide and exercise the right
of suffrage as it chose for ITSELF Cheers. J
Rhode Island excludes large class of
it's foreign population. Irish and German
born, no matter how much property
they may have, or influence; no matter
whether they have a million in bank or
railroad stock, or own any amount of
real estate-and in the State of Rhode
Island they would have cut it very
small-(laughter) why man who does
not own freehold of the soil amounting
to certain value, cannot exercise the
franchise in the State of Rhode Island,
and Providence plantations. Who has
ever questioned the right of Rhode
Island in this respect? Who has ever
questioned the power OF any other
State to declare who shall have
the right Of suffrage in those States?
And now these gentlemen say that
these rebellious States where men have
usurped power, and put down the peO-
pie, and the government of the people.
that they have subjected themselves to
certain conditions-th they cannot
now return to the Union unless the Con-
gress of the United States prescribes who
shall be the electors in those States.-
Well, Andrew johnson, has put his foot
upon that proposition (cheers), and An
drew johnson was compelled to put his
foot upon it, if he was an honest man.
Who is most to blame in this matter?
The State Of Virginia voted by $4,000
majority against secession, and these
armies, these conspirators armed by the
officials of our own government, forced
the State out of the Union, and our gov
eminent stood by-aye, my friends, for
months after we had q Republican Pre-
Slucut duu llOC dlolC Wllll0 We udu "
President of the Democratic school-but
for months after we had a Republican
President, the government stood by
with folded arms, and refused to even
feed its soldiers who were cooped up in
the beleagued forts of the South. In
Louisiana an ordinance of secession was
passed by the so-calisd convention and
submitted to the people, and it is notori-
Gus it was voted down by a majority of
the people, and that those who had
been the .conspirators, seized the ar
senal of the State, and turned the
arms against the majority of the peo-
pie who refused to take the State out
of the Union, and drove the Union men
into this rebellion. That was the condi-
ton of affairs. People will say, and
people do say that these men-these un-
armed Union men of the South, who
were amajority ofthe people, ought not
to have submitted--that they ought to
have had their bodies torn asunder,
rather than submit to the Gismember-
ment of the Union after they were conn.,
PEELED by the Union to submit. Look
how these very men treat the question
when il affects other questions. 1t ie
notorious that the negroes built almost
all the Notifications that were erected tC
resist us at the South. Who else than
the negro is responsible for the thing
Does any man of sense hold him respOn-
sible? Would there not he an cutlery
made by that class of citizens who are
so revengeful against the othtr class OF