Evansville daily journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1863-1866, 1865-10-13
Mr. Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen

Mr. Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen:
Some six months ago the banner
which it 10 proposed to present tonight
should have been presented TO the citl'
gems Of Wayne county, AMI especially
to WAYNE township as testimonial to
their great zeal, and the contributions
they have made in behalf OF our soldiers
The distinguished honor has fallen to
Wayne county Of having contributed
more to the relief Of the sick and woun-
ded soldiers in the field, 70 the Indiana
Sta o Sanitary Commission, than any
other county 10 the State. And ii was
promised long ago that 10 the county
contributing the most banner should
be presented as testimonial TO their re-
gard for the soldiers But as | have
something 10 say in regari 20 general
politics and the condition Of tbe country,
have been advised 20 sIeak first on
these subjects, and al the conclusion the
ceremonies Of the presentation will take
place. I'll
desire, 10 the first place, 10 remark
that to me the general condition Of the
country is more promising and favorable.
know there are those who take gloomy
views Of what Is called Reconstruction.
Bat to me the prospects seem highly IA
y0rable. The war terminated suddenly,
and the submission on the part Of the
Southern or rebel States has been more
complete, and IL has been more studded
than had expected And from all that
I can learn, | believe that all idea OF
secession or further resistance to the
Government OF the United States, or the
continuance or the establishment of
slavery, ara effectually and forever ban
ish from the minds OF the majority Of
the Southern people. There 10 much
evaporation Of feeling down there, and
there will be for months and years to
come. There are many persons who
take a narrow view OF things, who have
lost every thing in this war, and who are
amarting Under the humiliation OF de-
feat, that are deeply exasperaled, and
utter occasional dlsloyal sentiments and
fhreats about the future. But the great
majority Of the Southern people are
thoroughly submissive. believe all
further ideas Of secession, the establish
ment Of Southern Confederacy, are ef-
fectually extinguished, aud there Ia ON
more danger OF accession now in South
Carolina or Georgia than in the State of
Indiana.
We csnnot expect that the people Of
the rebel States will come 10 love us 10
the course of few years. We cannot
aspect that people who have been so
completely subjected, who have 80 nearly
lost everything they bad in the struggle
with IN, should come to live in harmony
with ne in this short length OF time.
The great point now 10 be considered 10
the question whether there isany longer
in the Southern mind an intention 10
aecede from the Union and resist the
authority OF the Government OF the
United States, and to establish South.
ern Confederacy. ] say believe that
the idea Ia oxtinguished forever Things
have changed very much in the South
from what they were before the war; and
IL there are those who expect that par.
ties will resume their old relations, and
that one party can sustain again the
South the relation IL sustained before
the war, such expectations may be BAN
ishoG ut once and forever. Slavery, the
lie that bound the party together, North
and South, 10 gone, and instead OF hay
ing bat one party in the South, substan-
italy, 90 heretofore, we shall now have
the same parties in the South as we have
in the North. should not be surprised
myself, il, in the course Of few years,
the Southern States should become the
most radical States in the nation. i
should not be surprised even IL the State
OF South Carolina should grant suffrage
90 her colored population before the
State OF Indiana does TO hers.
MFR. johnson was elected by the Union
party OF she nation, aud he 10 Untitled
10 have that party support his admins
tration, unless bio shall commit some i'm
portant error, or shall depart in some
vital particular from the principles on
which no was elected. The impression
has got abroad in the North that Mr..
johnson has devised some new policy,
by which important facilities are granted
for the reconstruction Of the rebellious
States; and that he ia improperly and
unnecessarily pushing forward the work
OF reconstruction; that he In presenting
improper facilities for restoring those
who have been engaged In rebellion TO
she possession OF their several political
rights.
IL is one Of my purposes here tonight
10 say TO you that so far as bis policy OF
amnesty, and reconstruction 10 concern
cd, that he has absolutely presented moth
hing new, but that hs has simply pre-
scented continuance of the policy that
President Lincoln laid befort the country
ON the 9Th Of December, 1863. Mr..
Johnson's amnesty proclam'''"1 a'fNrs
from, Mr.. Lincoln's only in some ,es,rlcss
ton II contains that Mr.. Lincoln's did
mel sontain. His plan of reconstruction
10 absolutely and simply that of Mr..
Lincoln's; nothing more nor less, ex-
cepting one condition, that Lincoln ra.
quired one-tenth of the people should be
willing 10 embrace his plen before they
were entitled to its benefits, whereas.
johnson says nothing about the one
tenth, and ms far as the plan has been
acted upon, Il has been with the approval
of larger number even than that
believe that the one thing which has
contributed TO cause suspicion to rest
upon Mr.. Johnson's policy more than
any other, 10 the fact that it has been
endorced by the Democratic party.
This may be regarded by many honest
persons as suspicious circumstance;
but am sure that Mr.. johnson is not
justly responsible for that The Demo-
cratic party could net have lived another
year upon the policy which they have
advocated for few years past.
IL was policy opposed TO the war;
policy in favor Of the rebellion, and
against the Government of the United
States And when we we're triumphant
the Democratic party could no longer
stand upon its rotten policy. Hence we
nnd thet in the State of New York, ct
the recent Democratic State Convention,
they NOT only adopted Union platform,
eut with one exception nominated Re-
publicans for candidates That excep-
ton was John Van Blu rem, whohas been
everything by turns and nothing in par.
ticular. -
Now. propose 10 contrast the nlans