Holmes County farmer. [volume] (Millersburg, Ohio) 1857-1926, 1865-09-07
4olitital,
SPBECH OF
HON. GEO. II. PENDLETON,
AT THE
Democratic state Convention.
Aunusf 81. 1868.

Mt length the topics which appropriately be-
long to this campaign. lie spoke of the
harmony which had mar kcd the proceedings
of the Convention-ot the excellence of the
Ticket, and of the good omens which at.
tended this commencement of the contest.
lie congratulated the Convention that at
length grim visagcd war hath smoothcd his
wrinked front, and the questions now to be
considered belonged to the domain of argu-
ment and not arms. He congratulated the
country that the Democratic party still lives
in all its vgor to confront these questions,
and to put their solution to the crucial test
of those principles by which it so long and
so safely and so prospcrously administered
theGovernment.
'Thc Democratic party is dead, /" say our
opponents. Let them look here upon us,
this day, and believe that in numbers, at
least, it is formida bic. Let them look into
the history of parties and the philosophy of
the Government, and if they answer hon
estly, they must say that 50 long as free
government shall last, there must be, there
will bc, a party, asserting our .princplcs,
advocating our policy, and probably bearing
our name. The war Is over. Its avowcd
object, of breaking the military power Of the
South, is accomplished. The evacuation of
Richmond announced it, The surrender OF
Ice confirmed it, The capituIation Of every
armed force between the Potomac and the
Rio Grande ratified it. The march OF Shcr-
man to Washington, the review of the ar
mics. the mastering out of regiments and
brigades, and divisions aud corps, establish
il. And yet here and there, and especially
now. when the cXigcncy of elections requires
the exercise of arbitrary power or the sup
mort of extreme positions, we hear from
some cx. Major General, who wants AN Office,
or shoddy contractor, whose maw is not yet
filled, or fanatic, who wants more power,
that the war is not over yet Why not?-
Has not the Federal power been established?
Have not the Constitution and the laws
been asserted over the seeded states? On
the 22l day of July, lSbl, the Republican
party in Congress declared that the war Is
waged to defend aud maintain the supremacy
of the Constitution, and to preserve the
Union, with all the dignity, equality and
rights of the several States Hniulmircd w.
Was this true? Then the Object, OF tn,
war are accomplished, its purposes are at
tanned, and all that belongs to Il state of wal
should cease. We can not be deceived. II
is IL false prctcXt to cover over iIlcgitlmatc
ends 1t seeks II screen for the use Oi
u.urpcd power Courts. murtial, military
commissions, suspension Of h"b''S corI2HS,
suppression of newspapers, interference with
free speech and free elections, these have
been tie fashion for years past. When We
demonstrated, wc were told they were the
necessary incidents of state Of war, and
aids to the way making power; that whcr
the war ceased they would cease. Ihc
they were maintained to support war non
the war is maintained to support them.
The war is at an end. Many of it, fleet
can never be erased. The deep Iurrow
which it has left in our social and govern
mental system can never be smoothcd over
Its influence on the feelings and charactc
of our people will remain. The relation, o
the people and the sections can never b'
exactly restored. The questions which il
has raised must be settled. The result
which it has brought about must be accept
cd We can not recall the past We can
not undo what has been done. We can not
rc-cstablish exactly the old order Of things
but we can be Just and true. W ccan brave
" and honestly meet new issues, and, like
wise men, accepting the unavoidable, yield
ing 10 accomplished facts, we can, rs nearly
as possible, adhere to old landmarks, an,
thus secure to ourselves all the blessings o
cool government.
Let the dead past bury its dead, " Lc
US forget the war, except for the IcSSon'
which it teaches Let us Danish it ~ th,
memory of horrid calamity, in which tn,
innocent and the guilty, the pure and Tia,
wicked, the unfortunate aud the undcscrv
ing, the cou,lucror and the conquered alike
suffered common woe. II amy would re
call it to uourlsh hatred between the sec
tlons, or to excite the people of either sec
ton against each other, let his name and
his fame be accurscd let him he dHuih,wa
1udrdHufhd.
When Mr.. Lincoln delivered lis lnaupu
raj Address, hc said Suppose you 90 t,
war After much suffering on both ,ldcs
and the advantage on neither you will hay,
the same questions of intercourse to scttl,
which you have now lie was right -
We have had war-wc have had much suffer
ing and what are theqlostous remaining:
The status of the negroes in the States, ano
the relation OF the States among themselves.
To a Democrat these questions appear easy
at solution. He brings them to the test %
the Constitution. The Constitution declares
that the powers mot delegated are rcscrv
ed " II also defines the relations of tn,
States. No power has been given to til,
Federal Government, OF any of It's depart
ments, to interfere with the status Of thr
people of the States, or to change or dchn
the relation, Of the States to each other. -
II the war was wagel to maintain the N
premacy OF the Constitution, surely the ~,
cess Of the war and the attainment Of pcac
should not bc made the occa siou of impan
Ing it. Thee questions must be left wit
the States themselves.
ii the war was for another purpose
Black RcpubhcaniSm was all a hci # coe
CiOn was base prcteXt, and armed rcVol
tion was the real design, We confront n
other question What ought to be, II
what j., the Constitution? And to Il
question we are being brought. Men hil
in authority PROFOUND it to us. | see I'll
IA citizen of our own State, now ON I
stump, an aspiring man n member
Congress announces that he VIII ncN
consent 10 the admission 10 Congress
Representative fsSenators from Sout
crn States, until they SHALL boy their vot,
have adopted the pending amendment
the Constitution, aud another, changing {
rule of representation, until they shall ha
shown their aptitude for free COY ycrnncl
a. he mock,nply termed it, by the iacl
with which they can put their hands
their mouths and their mouths IN the du
aud, like iawung sycophauts, degrade thCl
selves by base scryllty.
am in favor Of no change IN the Con,
tuition. | would leave the question of s,
irage to the States, because the Constlt
ton leaves it there. | would recognize I