The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1865-12-29

fer from him, bat the people Will decide.
am perfectly willing to acquiesce in their
decision do not care which way it is but
the people will decide that question, and they
will decide it promptly. If the honorable
senator from Massachusetts, wants to hold
the doctrine that these states are not states,
that they are not constituent members of the
Union, let him say so there Is q tribunal to
which that can be referred. If he wishes to
take issue with the president on these points,
let the issue be made fairly and sQuarely,
aud it will be met. Thank God, In this gov
eminent, unlike that of Russia, which he has
eulogized, there Is power above US all
there is a power to whose arbitrament and
award we can appeal, and who will settle
this thing conclusively. Now, Mr.. Presi.
dent, | am for reconciliation. | want to have
this Union restored; and Union means a
Union by consent, not by force. L would
like to make friends of all the people with
whom we have been at enmity heretofore.-
| do not want the contest to 90 on any long
err. But are we to make friends with them
and are they TO be recouciled 10 US, and are
they to behave better by such speeches as
have been made by the honorable senator
here to-day? Il very much doubt it. | do
not think that he will improve the condition
of the southern heart. or the condition of the
southern mind, by thus parading these ex
ceptional cases to the people of this country
and stimulating aud exciting their angry
passions more than they are now against this
unfortunate peopie-untortunate IN every
respect unfortunate on account of their err
rors unfortunate on account Of the penalty
which has followed those errors, and which
they have suffered. Mr.. President, let US
look at this testimony. The honorable sens-
ter, ! said before, reads from anonymous
letter-writers. from cotton agents, and peo-
pie of that kind. Now, it does so happen
that we have some testimony upon this sub
ject We have the testimony of the president
of the United States. not q summer soldier or
sunshine patriot.
Mr.. Sumner-I have not read anonymous
letters.
Mr.. Cowan-They are anonymous so far
as we are concerned and | commend the
senator's prudence In keeping the names OF
their writers from the public, because | have
no doubt that If their names were known
| they would not be considered OF much i'm
portance. ] very much doubt whether there
IL single man among them who has ever
! welded anything more than a pen during
/ this rebellion. But say that we have the
! testimony Of men of unexceptiOnable veraci-
/ ty; We have the testimony of the president
/ of the United States, who was a Union man,
! md who WAS In favor OF the 1 MON time
and in a place where there was some merit
/ in it. | do not suppose there was any great
merit in being Union man in Massachusetts
/ | suspect a man would have been very likely
/ TO ge; a lamp post If ne had been anvthi q :
/ else there but the president of the United
States was a Union man in the very thick
aud storm OF the battle. He was waylaid
! hIther in order to attend TO his otf cial dutis.
/ in this body. lie has stood by the constitu
! ton, bv the Union, ali the way through
steadily and firmly aud, a. II compliment [.
/ him, the great party 20 which belong aud
. 70 which he DAD NOT belong. aud never pre-
( tended t. belong, conferred upon him the Of
fee which. in the providence OF God, ha,
made him president OF the United States
! Now, SIR, YOU are told here thar this man IL
MS official eomnu nicatiOn 70 the senate Of The
| nited States whisewsshes ;he condition o
, things down below. Yes, SIR "whitewash'
is the word. The honorable senator saw
that ne will not accept the definition ~
"whitewash" given by the senator from Con
necticut or the senator from Wisconsin, bu
be has not told US what be meant hv til,
word "whitewash." L, is not necessary tha
he should say what be means by tina, word
Every body understands it. | suppose ever
his colored friends, in whom he takes so muci
interest woa'i know what the meaning o
the word "white wash" wa. Laughter
lie said that this man. who stood firm wher
every body else fatered. this mau who stoo
almost alone in the midst of an enraged pop
ulatlon, and In the very storm and strife o
the worst civil perhaps the world ha
ever seen. comes here 10 'whitewash" VIVA
does he mean except that the president of tn
uited States, In an official communication t
this body, CONES here TO lie; thati the plail
English Of it, comes here either to suppress
the truth or 20 suggest falsehood. VIVA
does the president say? | will read what b
says sufficient answer to what oil thes
people down south report of the state OF al
tairs there aud do not find it necessary t
DENY thousands of instances Of exceedingly
hereticai talk that may have taken place, an,
OF tr-asunRHie tulk If you please and hav
no d0G bt that ia state Of things unparailel
ed IN the history of the world heretofor
wrongs and outrages iunutuerable happe
there but that Is NOT the question
The question l. what is the condition G
the mass of the people Of the south
what is their disposition and tendency not t
love the north. not to love the honorable sen
Gtor from observation-disclosures | yer
much fear that that will not be brough
about soon unless there is a change in tn
temper OF both partes-not 10 have heart
| oyerfOwIng with love and gratitude TO thos
who they think prosecute and hunt them il
their SUBMISSION, who Kick aud strike a
them after they are down, after they hav
cried ''enOugh"-but the question is what
their disposition to obey the laws? What q
t we care bout their hearts or their dispos
tons if they are obedient TO the laws, an
submit to the lawsy Now they have sui
| United to laws which impose the heavies
, penalty, for il they are traitors the law In
poses the penalty Of death and coDfscation
i estates by means of fine. | will read wha
, the president Gays now of the condition c
r L a.