American citizen. [volume] (Butler, Butler County, Pa.) 1863-1872, 1865-12-06

explfpateu. lHiuJ ti4' '"NJ
maiiy repudiate the Rsbel debt though
BY its terms, it will bes long while be-
fore it falls due, as it vas payable six
| months after the recognition Of the Con-
federacy by the United States. lCheers.
This reminds me Of an old friend IN In
diana, who said he liked to give his notes
payable 10 days after convenience
Laughter, and cries of Good, "Good.
But there are other terms on which L
think there is no division among the 10y
al men of the Union, Flrst-that the
Declaration Of Independence must be rec
oenized as to the law OF the land, and
every man, alien and native, white and
black, protracted in the inalienable and
God, given rights of "life, liberty and the
pursuit of happiness" MIR. Linco n, in
that emancipation proclamation which IS
the proudest wreath in bis chaplet of
fame [cheers1, hot only gave freedom to
| the slave, but declared to the Govern
ment he would mainta inthlt freedom. lap
plause.] We cannot abandon them and
leave them defensoless at the mercy OF
their owners. They must be protected IN
their rights of person and property, and
these freemen must have tie right to sue
in courts Of Justice for al just claims,
and to testify that they have security
against outrage and wrong. ] call them
freenaen, not freedmen. The last phrase
might have answered before their free
dom was fully secured bui they should
be regarded now as freeme Of the Re
public GLoud and enthus astic cheers.
Second-The amendment 4 their State
Constitutions, which have cen adopted
by many, of their COnyentins so reluct-
antly, under the pressure # dispatches
from the President and Secretary ofState,
should be ratified by majoity of their
people. We all know that but very
small portion of their voter participated
in the election of the delcgass to those
Conveat tons, and ne1 ely, ifuot all, the
Conventions have dc eclared hcm in force
without any ratification BY tie people
When this crisis has passed AN they not
turn around and say that thes,were adopt
ed under duress by delegates elected by
meagre vote under Provisidal Cover
nors and military authorities and never
ratified by popular vote? And could
they not turn over the ant l.ecompton
argument against us and insis as we did,
that Constellation not ratifd by the
people may have effect butno moral effect
whatever. Third-The Prsident can
on all occasions insist that tlcy should
elect Congressman who could take the
oath prescribed by the act of S62 but,
in defiance of this, at d insulting the Pres
ident and the country, they hive, in a
large majority of instances, vted down
mercilessly Union men who ould take
the oath, and elected those wlo boasted
that they could not take the oath, and
would feel disgraced if the, could
Without Rsentioning names, one gentle
man elected in Alabama by large ma
jority declared in his address % the peo-
pie, before the election, that the iron pen
of history would record the enaneipation
act as the most monstrous desd Of cruel
ty that ever darkened the annals Of any
nation. and another ayowed hat he gave
all possible aid and comfort t. the Rebel
lion, and denounced the Congress q 1852
for enaoting such an oath. ca voice
"Put them on probation. The south
is filed with men who canIot take the
oath. 1t declares II have not voluutari-
ly taken part in the Rebellion" Every
conscript in the Southern army Ca take
that @ lth because he was forced into the
ranks by conscription, and every nan
who stayed at home and refused to accept
civil or military Office could take hat
oath but these were not the choice of
the States lately in Rebellion. Fourtt--
While it must be expected that a mitor-
ity of these States will cherish for ysars
perhapss their feelings of loyalty The
country has right to expect that bdore
their members are admitted to shan in
the government of this country, nsor-
ity Of the people of each State shoild
give evidence of their earnest and cher
full loyalty, not by such speeches as re
SO common that they submitted the Issue
to the arbitrament Of war, but that they
are willing to stand by and fight for tie
flag of the country against all its enemes
at home or abroad. The danger now is
in too much precipitation. Let us rah-
er make haste slowly, and we can TIN
hope that the foundation of our govern
ment, when thus reconstructed on tle
basis of indisputable loyalty, will be IS
eternal as The stars. (Applause.) ],
President johnson have unshaken con
| fdance cannot coroet that in III