The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1865-08-24
KEOKUK, IOWA:
THURSDAY MORNING, AUGUsf n

KEOKUK. IOWA:
THURSDAY MORNING, AUGUsf "a.
Speech or General Seheaek.o
Gen. RoBr. C. SoHEEcK, Of Ohio, made q
great speech at great gathering Of return ed
soldiers near Portsmouth, Ohio.
We make few extracts from his speech on
the location and commend them to the con-
sideration of our readers:
THE REBELLION NOT ExTINGUIsHED.
Although the war be apparently over, am
not one who thinks the rebellion ID ended.
Rebels, defaut, bold end numerous, have been
put down by force Of arms, and . great phys
zeal victory obtaiued for the Government; but
the rebellion itself, the rebellion proper, must
be considered as continuing in q great degree,
as long as there remains anything of the spirit
which animated them during or before the
war-as long as neutrality-suspicious., their words,
and acts have not accommodated themselves
to the requirement of the organic law and leg
islation of this great nation. hold, that we
have not yet had the proof, and the very his
tory of the day, and the necessity born Of that
history, establish the fact, that we have not
yet the proof that this disposition and temper
have been beaten into these rebels. All over
the South they talk submissively. Men who
were defiant few weeks ago, come up now
with apparent penitence, and with professions
floyalty upon their lips, ready to take the
oath of allegiance, knocking at the door at
Washington and praying for pardon. But ]
have been too famil lar with this treacherous
band, have known too much Of the character
of those who have been the instigators in this,
terrible wrong, to trust to every such promise.
1t may seem harsh to say so, but declare it
to be my conviction that this great lie Of trea-
son, has proved in the course of this rebellion
SO infectious in its influence upon the charac-
acter of those who have been engaged in ii,
that it seems to involve every other form of
falsehood. Oaths, promises, paroles, are all
well enough, but it does not follow that the
pledge or promise must be accepted upon its
face as full security for theconduct stipulated.
1t needs to be accompanied by the continued
exhibition of such character and conduct as
will satisfy us that those obligations have been
taken for no sinister purpose.
PRESIDENT JoHSsoS's EXPERIMENTS.
And in reference to those experiments,
may be allowed to say here, that had an in
terview with the President Just before I left
Washington. some ten days ago, before com
ing home to meet my fellow-citizens in the
canvass for the approaching election. sought
that interview for the special purpose of In
forming myself as to his views with reference
to the Executive power, and his general pur-
pose as to the restoration Of the rebellious
States knew the frankness of his character,
his devotion to the country, the energy with
which, having determined in his own mind.
what is right, he would pursue it to the end
knew the resolve. which he boldly expressed
on the floor of the Senate, in the commence
ment of the struggle, denouncing the traitors
as they deserved and / knew that, though he
might make some mistake, there could be no
mistake about bis patriotism, and that that
resolution would be carried out to its fullest
extent. With this confidence in our chief ru-
Ter, | sought an interview with him. In that
interview i expressed to him The doubt and
Jealousy that existed in the minds of the peo-
pie ofthe country and especially i'll Ohio, doubts
whether, under the policy he had adopted, we
were not going to fast in bringing back by
hurried processes these rebel States into full
communion with those that had never left the
Union fold. told him that that doubt might
perhaps rest on a misunderstanding as to the
extent to which he proposed to carry that
policy. said. and | think you will justify
me IN having said so, that if his purpose was
to establish temporary governments, expert
mental IN their nature, by the appointment of
these provisional officers, in order to test their
disposition to go ahead, and come back in
good faith, and the full purpose of abiding by
their obligations to the National Government;
and if in addition to that, he proposed to keep
enough of the military power stationed in dill.
ferent parts of the rebellious States to SUPER
wise their conduct, and reach forward the
strong hand, it necessary, to keep them in the
right way, we would be satisfied with such ex-
periments. And, moreover, said we would
a hntfnr dct,l Il y e 4
understand that ID was no purpose of the Elk
ecutiye to forestall the action of Congress. the
representatives of the people, but that when
they should assemble and determine whether,
IN addition to having their local Executive
privileges IN the States, these people were
ready to return to full communion with the
Government, by being represented in the
counsels of the nation.
am glad to be able to say that the assur-
ance had from the President justifes me in
saying that although this was the policy he
meant to pursue, II was only an experiment.
de SAID he had no purpose of interfering with
the action of Congress; the experiments being
made were but preparation of these people
tor better and more improved condition.
And so far as keeping watch over them by
armed force is concerned he pointed to what
had taken place in Richmond, Virginia, and
assured me that where they acted in bad faith
by selecting men for Office because they were
rebels, the military would be ready to sweep
away their work. [Cheers.
With this understanding, ], for one, as a
citizen of Ohio, and representing portion of
her people, stand here to-day, giving my I'M
qualified support to the course pursued now
by our President, intending to wait aud see
what will be the outcome of this erring
people.
These people, under provisional govern
ment with more or lsss good faith in their
purpose of coming back as loyal States, will
revise their organic law, will adopt new con-
situations, and send representatives elected
under them, bearing these new constitutions
to Washington, to be presented as showing
the extent TO which they will 90 in removing
evils heretofore existing in their local organi-
nations and laws. Then we shall have opened
the question whether they are ready to be
admitted back into full fellowship with the
rest of the States and in discussing this oues
ton, shall not hesitate to say what think
in reference TO it. and think nv views will
not differ materially from those of the most
loyal people
AMENDMENTS OF STATE CONSTITUTIONS.
The two heresies of free government. the
seeds of evil from which have grown ali our
late troubles, without argument or illustration
may assure you al understand to be seces-
sion and slavery. The doctrine that one mem
Der of this National Government NAV. nj its