Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1865-1869, 1865-05-16
ans mEMpnls sInETIN0.
JUDGE swAYNES SPEECH on RECON
STRUCTION."

in the WIG remarkable speech was delivered
by Judge J. T. swayne, who, in 1860, delivered
the famous charge to the grand jury. lie said
that the time was one Of great soemnity, aud he
wanted to forget the last four years. The ques-
ton was, what shou they do. The war was
substantially ended In favor Of the Federal
Government" He added:
General Lee, not interior TO the greatest of
captains, living or dead, in his sagacity, and
knowing well she entire situation, has surren-
dered with that army that was the main support
OF the Confederate Government, that had aston.
ished the world by holding Ia check and at bay,
and often eonfounding, forces and military com.
binations against it such as never before have
been, aud never hereafter will be, successfully
resisted. The people of the Solth, evidently
weary of the war alread T., seem t. have accepted
this act OF The favOrte General as the end oil the
strife. We lind many Of those old familiar faces
that lett us carly, who built this city, who
planned and carried out those scenes OF public
progress and pub ic credit now returned and re-
tuning among us, seeing wisely the end and,
no doubt the lorerunners Of many Others, whose
heads and hearts are an honor 10 any commu
nit, all prepared to abide the issue, and as men
of honor, worthy of all trust, frank aud caadid
even IN err,r prepared for the future, 10 observe
and keep the obligali-n which the situation IN.
poses sacredy aid truly as any citizens in any
part Of the country.
And lsewhere, almost everywhere, as II the
Lord had accomplished his divine purpose in
this great war. whether it be an assurance so
signal that this country shall be aud remain
one or not, the federal arms are successful, and
the resistance Of the South diminishing. Where
may commisssries hereafter be safely gathered
tor Southern army Where may powder or
balls be made Where AIMS made or repaired
Where may President or Cabinet res ide -
Where may raiiIo ads or any transportation be
maiptlined by the South In other words
where may not Federal raids be success, fully
made When the Clytus and Lysimachus of
the j, deral army bisected the South from the
mountains 10 the ocean, aiierward led his
armies up the Atlantic slopes, traversing the
supporting parts of the South, destroying roads,
factories, and all the means and elements Of
maintaining war, the power OF the SOdth was
even then broken. Savannah fell which the
huge monsters from the sea could never take
Charleston fell, which proudly and defantly
withstOod the mightiest armament that ever
iioated on the broad breast OF ocean fell as if
by an electric touch. Wilmington fell, with the
vast trlde abroad, maintained benefcial,y 10
the COniedera cause against the power and
yigilence OF The most effective navy in the
world. And in consequence OF the same move
meut from atlanta, finally the strOnghods Of
Petersburg aud Richmond, the seat OF the Con-
iedetate Government, and of its power, fell as if
by the tJuch Of wand, and grand than all
fell that great Captain General and the Spartan
army he le ID in the pride OF its power
And nav comes the confirmed intelligence of
the SURF nder OF tho command OF Gen Johnston,
almost finale TO the fearful drama. As a sign
OF Gu minating pc ce, broad peace, over the far
land of my sunny South | mai! ii in the very
largeness of JOY. Ii is a grateful assurance that
no more useless war shall be waged, no more
blood battle fields. My countrymen, that bright
form of peace, which am now expecting hour
y % break upon Iur rapt vision, incliaes me at
this moment rather 20 iubilatUn than - the
consideration Ofthe hopelessness of further strife
and the consequent duty 1t teaches. As my
heart mourned when the war began, il is ready
TO leap with rapture when II ends. What
is the lesson OF all this, my untrymen | ask
you not where are y ur sympathies, or what you
would prefer Your sympathies are where those
Of the people Of the North would doubtless be if
similarly circumstsn ed, and your preferences
what theirs would be for the springs o. human
action are substantially the same among all peO-
pie. especially hose in most respects the same
pc. pie. The lesson briefly is it IN Gods will.
He setteth up one and puleth down another.
he reigneth IN the armies of men. And what is
this VIII IN detail Answer the question In an
swering, what we've the issues of the great civil
war Ior in legal contemplation in interna
tiOnal law, il ia neither an insurrection nor re-
beiliOn, blt civil war;
ISL Auht luis NOuuhg must w auu Ioluhlu buc
undivided.
ID That property in the negro shall cease.
do not think that more than these were the OBJ
isc.s of the war, or will be insisted upon by the
voice Of the country.
Ale you prepared 10 accept these as the issues
decided by war Why not Can you change
them Acceptable or not they must be accept
ed. They are the abitrament Of war, whose lie
crees axe as stem and unrelentng as its voice
The opinions aGd customs Of men and nations
and they may have been for long years cherish
ed; theS may be as the apple Of the eye-ale up
turned and rooted out and utterly set aside by
war. IL IS naught against us that we yield to
what we cannot prevent. No honor is lost by
the South or any in the South By SO doing. If
she felt wrong and justified in appealing 10 the
sword, she has been win icated BY the use of the
sWO ord and III that gallantry displayed which
will here at.T be The asst and praise of the com.
mon country, making IL, with lhat like gallantry
OF the North, supremacy respected and dreaded
OF all the nations OF the earth indicated,
though her every soldier has fallen vindicated,
though losing forever the independence she
sought and ali hope for it..
II matters not how many would have praised
who now ame, had the fortunes Of war been on
the side OF the south. IL matters not whether
the cause Of tie war were just or unjust, II is
enough that It's issues are decided and It ia wis
dom1Iow not TO resist them, and folly 10 resist
And in the same spirit, submit to you
the propr!ety OF yielding TO The other issue of
the war mentioned, that this country must be
and Ieml n one undivided.
But the question is, IS it not wise TO yield TO
this conclusion Is II hard TO do so Is il hard
to sing the songs we used to sing, the songs we
loved Though we have seen and felt and heard
enough 10 make us bitter as We think, IS all
that the fault CT our fathers work Was the
govern uent made 100 faulty by them Are
lnlftv 4 al a.
to us AL Is there net a history that is ours as
much as Others Aye was not that old flag the
flag Of our fathers, the same that waved over
them, that was their pride And has it not been
ours too May we not go back to these again.
and claim ia m still, the government thoie
memories that history, that flag that wronged
us never, and beneath which. it may be, and be-
meath il only all this noble Yalor should have
been If war must needs have been at all
And, as necessity ca Is you back, 90 back grace.
fully go back heartily; as men, not mesnly the
brave would not hail your coming thus. Abjec.
ton should be dtspised, North and South, and
those who entertain or enact 1t, can not, would
not, be brothers.
Alas! I was an ill-starred hour for North and
South, for the cause of healing sick, wounded
countr, when the vile impiOus wretch struck
down the heart that was then fullest of peace
and Cancellation, in which thoughts Of paciiea-
ton had taken all the place of those CT war; the
hand from which the sword had dropped, that it
might grasp the olive branch.
And let US love again the things that Wash.
ngton loved, and 60 forward, as people, to q
Qrander aud loftier oestiny, purified in the very
nres that have seemed as if they would consume
as. Away with longer strife, with further con-
tention. WOO the spirit of Cancellation, and not
of vengeance and vindictiveness be brothers
arain, and. 10 all this, invoke the aid of the
Prince Of Peace, and lean upon the arm that
encir, les men and nations.
GENERAL GRANT, on n recent journey in
railroad train, displayed, as usual, none of The
insignia If his rank. A youthful book peddler