The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1865-11-03
Volume R-sNdmii5er "a

process OF Reconstruction OF rebel
States. His manner was as cordial,
and his conversation as free "a in '83,
when I met him daily in Nashville.
His countenance Is healthy, even
more so than when l first knew him.
l remarked, that the people Of the
North were anxious that the process
of reconstruction should be thorough
and they wished to support him in
the arduous work. but theft ideas
wero confused by the conflicting re-
ports constantly circulated, and
Especially by the present position Of
the Democratic party 1t is industri-
ouslyl circulated in the Democratic
Clubs that he was going over to them.
He 7laughingly replied, "Major, havo
you never known q man who for
many years had differed from your
views because you we're in advance
of him, claim thein rs his own when
he came up TO your stand point?"
/ replied, / have often. lie said,
80 have /, and went on: the Demo-
cratic party finds its old position un-
tcnablc, and is coming to ours, if it
has come up to our position, j am
glad of 1t. You and / need no prep.
aration for this conversation, we can
talk freely on this subject for tho
thoughts are familiar to u.s.; we can
be perfectly frank with each other
He then commenced with saying that
the States are in the Union, which is
whole and indivisible. f!I9y9Is
Individuals tried to carry. them
out, but did not succeed, as q man
may try to cut his throat and be pre-
vented by the bystanders and you
cannot say he cut his throat because
he tried to do it. .T .Ht nfa1s
individuals may commit treason;
and be punished, and q large number
Of individuals, may constitute. a re.
bcllion and be punished as traitors.
, Some States tried to get out OF tho
, Union, and we opposed it, honestly,
, because we believed it to lie wrong,
: and we have succeeded in putting
, down the rebellion. The power OF
: those persons who made the attempt
! has been crushed, and now we wans
: to reconstruct the State Governments
=, and have the power to do nj The
. State ins litutions are prostrated; laid
I ont on the ground, and they must be
. taken up and adapted to the progress
:. of events; this cannot be done in a
:, moment. We are making rapid pro-
> gress, so rapid sometimes Idcannot
: realize tit appears like asdream.
We must not be in too much Of q
! hurry it is better to let them recon-
:, struct themselves than to force them
n to it; for if they go wrong, the pow
!, er is in our hands, and we oan check
| them at any stage to-thc end, and
4 ob!ige them to correct their errors (;
i We must be patient with them. 1
a did notcxpcct TO Keep ont all who
. were excluded from the Amnesty,
. or even largo number of them, but
f | intended they should sue for par
don, and so realize tho enormity OF
I tho crime they had committed.
=, You could not have broached tho
/. subject Of equal sulFragcg at the
p North, seven years ago, and VIC must
=. remember that the changes ut the
. South have been more rapid, and
:, they have been obliged to accept
:. more unpalatablc truth tilan tho
a. North has, we must give them time
Il to digest part, for we cannot ex.
~ pect such large affairs viii be COM
- pretended and digested at once
10 We must give tliem time to under.
~ stan, their now positien9nlo
. have nothing to ooDeeal i'm these
matters, and have no desire or will
lingncss to take indirect COURSES to
ohtsin what we want
0nr Government is a grand and
lofty structure; in searching for its
foundation, we find 1t rests on tho
ii broad basis of popular rights, The
of elective franchise Is not u natural
G. right, but a political right. am OPP
N posed TO giving the States toomuch
!d power, and also TO n great cOnAolida-
,d tion Of power in the, Central Govern
Z. lment,
ifI IfIfhterrered with the vote In the
&c rebel States, to dictate that the negro
it shall vote, might do the same thing
r for my own purposes in Pennsylva-
l. mia. Oar only safety lies in allowing
erch State to control the right of vo.
ID ting by It's own laws, and we have
st the power TO control the rebel States
mt il they 20 wrong II they rebel, we
have the army, and can control them
o. by it, and If necessary, OY Legislation
e, also. Ii the General Governmcn
lt cpntroi5 tho right tn vote lin the
he States, il may establish such rule'
ID rs sill restrict the vote, to 4, ,enal
or number OF persons, and thus create
te central drspotism. i'i' - "a
n. My position here is aditferentaron
al what itlwou!l be III was N Tennes
Is sec. ......rl tr,o, 7i,ds
There shoull try to introduc'
ur negro suffrage gradually; first, thos
he who had served in the army: thos
n who could read and write, and per
1t, haps a proper qualification for Others
lie say $500 OF S2j0.u1 y.'j az
in 1t would moi do to let the negroes
have universal suffrage nav, it,wonlo
Ia breed war OF races. .'''"' '''
or There was a time in the Southern
m, States .Nhen the slaves OF large own
he ers looked down on the non slave
/, tlnu 1iI not