The Indianapolis daily herald. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1865-1868, 1865-11-20
THE PIRATE SHENANDOAH
AFFAIRS IN FLORIDA.
Wade Hampton's Address.
From Washington.
Speaker COIfax >erenaded--HisA Ad .
dress ON the Occasion.

iOh w uohibS VIII
Speaker CoIfax Serenaded--IIis Adj.
dress ON the Occasion.
WASHINGTON, November ls.-This evening
"A large crowd of the ii ends Of Speaker COlfaX
repaired 10 his quarters and complimented him
with a serenade. In response TO earnest calls
ne appeared and addressed them a. follows:
My friends, | thank you for this pleasant
serenade with which YOU welcome me on my
return to this sphere Of public duty. Since |
left here have travelled you are all aware,
many thousands Of miles. Ny thoughts turn
/ this evening To the auspicious condition Of our
country now, compared with the closing Of the
last Congress. Then an alien and hostile flag
waved over cities, and forts, and camps and
regiments, and We went home in March 10 as
\ sist in raising more troops called for by the
/ President Now there j. peace over all the
land and the flag Of the republic waves un-
questioned over every acre of our national do
main. Cheers We never knew the value of
our institutions until the hour Of their peril.
/ Ii we had failed there would have been no
resurrection from the tomb Of nations: but
/ thanks TO our heroic defenders, no Gibbon will
write the history of our decline and fall.
Cheers.
shall hail the day when the States shall
reVOlve in their appropriate orbits around the
central Government, and when can behold
them ''distinct as the pillows. but one as
the sea" But we cannot forget that history
teaches us that il was eight Years after the sur
render of Yorktown in the revolutionary war
though our fathers were Of one mind rs TO its
necessity. before the Constitution was adopted
and the IniOn thus established. Ii il allspi-
/ cious that the ablest Congress that ever sat
during my knowledge of public affairs. meets
/ next month, 10 face and settle the mOmentOus
/ questions which will be brought before it. Ii
/ will not be governed 10y any spirit of revenge,
but solely 10y duty TO the country. / have no
right 10 anticipate its actions. nor do cOntine
myself to any infeXible, unalterable policy.
but some ideas occur TO me. and i speak them
with the frankness with which should al
ways express our views. Last March, when
Congress adjourned. the States lately in rebel
lion were represented in a hostile Congress and
Cabinet, deNisng ways and means for the de-
stsuction of the country.
IL may not be generally known. but il has
been repeated To me on the testimony Of men,
bers of the so-callcd Confederate Congress, that
General Lee. the military head of the rebellion.
declared last February. in his official charac-
ter. that the contest was utterly hopeless, but
that their Congress were determined To con-
tiuue the struggle, and two hundred thousand
fell after that time on both sides. in the battles
around Richmond and Petersburg.
since the adjournment Of the United States
/ Congress. not single rebellious State volunta-
/ rily surrendered; not an army laid down its
I weapons: not a regiment abandoned their
failing cause. but the Union armies conquered
a peace not by compromise voluntary sub
mission, but by the force Of arms.
some of the members Of this so-called Con-
N
last March were struggling To blot this nation
7 from the map Of the world. propose. under
stand. To- enter Congress ON the opening day of
its session next month. and resume their for
mer business of governing the country they
I struggled 80 earnestly 10 ruin. They say they
have lost no rights.
/ IL seems as If the burning Of our ships Of
/ commerce on the ocean. starving our prison.
ers. and raising armies to destroy the nation
would impair some Of these rights until their
new Governments We're recognized by Con-
grcsS. Cheers. The Constitution, which
seems framed for every emergency, gives 10
each House the exclusive right 10 Judge of the
qualifications Of the election returns Of it,
members. aud apprchend they will exercise
that right. Congress having passed no law on
reconstruction, President johnson prescribed
certain action for these States which he deem
1 ed Indispensable TO their restoration to their
former relations 10 the Government. which
. think eminently wise and patriotic.
FIrst-That their Convictions should declare
the various ordinances Of secession null and
void. not a. some have done. merely repeating
them, but absolutely without any force and ef-
feet.
second That their Legislatures should rat
ity the constitutional amendment abolishing
slavery. that this cause Of dissension and re-
bcllion might be cNtirpated.
Third. That they shall formally rcpudiate
the rebel debt. though by its terms il will be
a lon., while before il becomes due a. II yvas
the Coniederasy by the United states Cheers
This reminded me Of AN old friend IA Indiana
who said he liked To give notes payable ten
days aiter convenience. Laughter and cheers
. of good. good but there are other terms on
which think there i no division among the
loyal men of the Union.
First. That the Declaration Of Independence
must be recognized n the law Of the land. and
every man, alien or native, white and black.
protected in the inalienable rights II life, ht-
a anal the pursfIif ff hupEfnnss Mr IN
coin. in that Emancipation Proclamation.
which i the proudc>i wreath IN hi chaplet Of
fame. Cheers.
lie not only gave freedom TO the slaves but
declared that the Gov crnmsnt would maintain
that freedom. Applause We cannot ahan-
don them aud leave them defencclc>>, at the
mercy of their former owners. They must he
protected in their rights Of person and property,
and these freemen must have the right 20 sue
in courts 81 justice for all Just claims. ami to
testify also % have security against out
rage and wrong. call them freemen. and not
freedmen. The last phrase might have an
swercd before their freedom was fully secured.
but they should be regarded now A. frcemeu of
the nation. Loud and enthusiastic cheers,
second. The amendments 20 their state Con-
stitution> which have bcen adopted by many
of their state Conventions - reluctantly. un.
der the pressure II dispatches from the Prcsi-
dent and Secretary of state. should bc ratified
10y majority of their people
We All know but a very small portion OF
their voters participated IN the election II the
delegates O. these conventions. aud nearly all
81 the conventions have declared them in force
without any ratification hy the people When
this crisi, has passed can they not turn around
and ,ay these resolutions were adopted under
duress 10y delegates elected by meagre vote
under Provisional Governors military author
ite>. aud never ratified by popular vote: and
could they not turn over the Anti-Iecompton
argument against u. and insist. ~ We did.
The Constitution not ratified hy the people NAV
have eflect. but no moral effect whatever.
Third, The rrst can. on all occasions. In.
>i~t they should elect Congrsssmen who could
take the oath prc~cri bed hy Act of i>si3. but IN
defiance otth', aud insulting the President and
the country. they have. in a large majority Of
instances. voted down Union men who ccul q
take The oath. and eccting those who boa>ted
they could aud would not feel disgraccd.
one gentleman who was elected In Alabama
hy large majority. declared in his address 4
the people before the election. that the irot
pen II history would rccord the Emancipation
/ Act a. the most monstrous cruelty that eve
darkcned the annals Of any nation: and an
other one. no assumed be gave all possible
aid and comfort 20 the rebellion. denounees
the Congress of i~t2 ~ guilty In enacting sucl
an oath.