Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1865-09-22

HIOuSly pIUEcIGu uo. CU IdI do 1 Oil COn-
cerned, personally, / am uninhuenced by any
question, whether it affects the North or the
South; the East or the West. Istand where
T did of old, battling for the Constitution and
the union of these United States. In doing
so know I opposed some Of you gentlemen
of the South when this doctrine of secession
was being urged upon the country and the
declaration of your right to break up the
Government and disintegrate the Union was
mode. I stand to-day, as [ have ever stood,
firmly in the opinion that if monopoly con-
tends against this country the monopoly must
90 down and the country must go up. Yes,
the issue was made by the South against the
Government, and the Government has tri-
umphed and the South, true to her ancient
instincts of frankness and manly honor, comes
forth and expresses her willingness to abide
the result Of the decision in good faith.
While / think that the rebellion has been ar
rested and subdued, and happy in the con-
sciousness of duty well performed, [ want
not only you, but the people Of the world, to
know that while I dreaded and feared disin-
tegration Of the States am equally opposed
to consolidation or concentration Of power
here, under whatever guise or name; and if
| the issue is forced upon us | shall still en-
deavor to pursue the same efforts to dissuade
! from this doctrine Of running to extremes
| but I say let the same rules be applied. =
Let the Constitution be our guide. Let
the preservation of that and the union of the
States be our principal aim. Let it be our
hope that the Government may be perpetual,
and that the principles Of the Government,
founded as they are on right and justice, may
be handed down without spot or blemish to
our posterity. As [ have before remarked
to you, [ am gratifed to see so many Of you
here to-day. It nanifests spirit am pleased
to observe [ know it has been said Of me
that my asperities are sharp, that I had vim
dictive feelings to crafty, and that should
not fail to avail myself Of the opportunities
that would present themselves to crafty such
despicable feelings. Gentlemen, if my acts
will not speak for me and for themselves then
any professions / might now make would be
equally useless. But, gentlemen, if know
myself as | think [ do, I know that [ am Of
| the Southern people, and | love them, and
will do all in my power to restore them to
/ that state Of happiness and prosperity which
( they enjoyed before the madness Of misguided
men, in whom they had reposed their conf
I dcnce, led them astray to their own undoing
If there is anything that can be done on my
part, on correct principles, on the principles
of the Constitution, to promote these ends,
rest assured it shall be done. Letne assure
you, also, that there is no disposition on the
part of the Government to deal harshly with
the Southern people. There may be-speeches
published from various quarters that may
breathe different spirit. Do not let them
trouble or excite you, but believe that it is,
as tits, the great object Of the Government
to make the union of these United States
more complete and perfect than ever, and to
maintain it on constitutional principles, il
possible, more firmly than it has ever before
been Then why cannot we all come up to
the work in proper spirit? In other words,
let us look to the Constitution. The issue
has been made and decided; then, as wise
men--as men who see right and are determ-
ined to follow it, as fathers and brothers, and
as men who love their country in this hour
Of trial and suffering -why cannot we come
up and help to settle the questions OF the hour
and adjust them according to the principles
Of honor and justice? The institution OF
slavery is gone. The former status Of the
negro had to be changed, and we, as wise
men, must recognize so patent fact and
adapt ourselves to circumstances as they sur
ronnd us. Voices--We are willing to do
so. Yes, sir, we are willing to do 50.
believe YOU are believe when your faith
is pledged, when your consent has been given
as I have already said, believe it will be
maintained in good faith and every pledge OF
promise fully carried out. Cries-lt will.
All ask or desire Of the South or the North,
the East or the West, is to be sustained In
carrying out the principles Of the Constitution
It is not to be denied that we have been great
sufferers on both sides, and much misery is
being endured as the necessary results OF 50
gigantic contest. Why, then, can not we
come together, and around the common altar
of our country heal the wounds that have
been made? Deep wounds have been inhict-
ed. Our country has been Scared all over.
Then why cannot we approach each other
upon principles which areright in themselves
and which will be productive Of good to all
The day is not distant when we shall feel
like some family that have had deep and
desperate feud, the various members (which
have come together and compared the evils
and suffierings they had inflicted upon each
other. They had seen the influence Of their
errors and its result, and, governed by a gen
erous spirit of Cancellation, they had become
mutually forbearing and forgiving, and re-
turned to their old habits of fraternal kind
ness, and become better friends than ever.
Then let US consider that the feud which
alienatcd us has been settled and adjusted tc
our mutual satisfaction, and thatwe come to-
gether to be bound by irmer bonds Of love,
respect and confidence than ever The North
cannot get along without the South, nor the
South from the North, the East from the