Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1865-11-02
SPEECH OF
HON. SAMUEL S. cox,
Before an Immense Meeting of the Democracy
Of Brooklyn, New York, on Friday
Evening, October 81, 1865 &

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN: When L last
had the pleasure of speaking to the people
of Brooklyn, thewar though Hagrant, thank
God is now forever peace-peace with
her smiles has come, and like one OF those
strange lights upon the pictures OF Rem
brandt it seems to silver over the oark
places which the desolation OF war mas
made, and with the return OF peace, NY
-citizens, comes the responsiveness
of peace, its victories no less renowneu
than war. The work which has been zone
by the soldier; that which the sword Of
Gran and sherman, and Sheridan, and
Slocum has done in bringing down the
armed forces of the rebellion, and dispirit-
ing the rebel Government-that work is to
be proyed by the statesmanship OF the
civilian, and hope in that work that the
revenge and spirit of hatred that has disc
ltinguished the war of both States, my fel-
low-citizens, may be forgiven. lCheers.J
While we seek, and have sought to put
down the rebellion, we will not crush out
the rebel, and while we would try to con-
'fiscate contiscation we will try to Drlng
every portion of the country back again
into the path of the Government where
every man is protected and no man injured.
/ know, my fellow-citizens, at this time
there seems to be no difference between the
!parties of the. State of New York. Both
cry out for Andrew johnson. twould like
for one mOfhent to examine who are the
real friends of restoration, and hence OF
President Johnson,s plan, and who are the
pretendefs. .t.A j.4F =. % Nl-. "AtA
MIR. LINCOLN AND HIS RECONSTRUCTION
PLAN,
Much is said of the Presidents plan OF
reconstruction. Mr.. Seward rather claims
patent for it; Others say it was the plan
of the Constitution, and therefore Demo-
cratic. l will prove that Mr.. Lincoln's
plan, or the plan Of the Republicans in
Congress, which Mr.. Lincoln choked, yet
proclaimed, was as unlike the present plan
as Democracy is unlike despotism. APP
planse.l Mr. Lincoln's plan was tried In
Louisiana and Arkansas. On January III,
1864, General Banks, under orders of Presi-
dent Lincoln, issued a proclamation to or
ganize the State, by delegates to conyen-
tion for the revision of the Constitution on
a new basis and an iron-clad oath. The
thing was dene, after a fashion. 1t COM
PEELED negro suffrage. It-was- based on tile
idea that the State-was dead; or,in other
words, that a null session could work the
death of the State. That do not state 1t
wrongly, / refer you to General Banks let
ter OF last winter to General Lane. AS to
Arkansas, Mr.. Lincoln wished one-tenth
basis. He preferred that the States retain
their old names and, if feasible. their old
boundaries, but he was not particular. The
Republicans in Congress thought that they,
and not the President, were the organizing
power. and introduced their bill, known as
Winter Davis bill-finally passed, and
pocketed, and indorsed by the Presi-
dent. That bill required the assent of Con-
gress to the readmission of the States, re-
1,,ar ha, die cfrop n IA icoA q md
disalloWed any rebel from office. At first
this bill was based on a one-tenth basis. In
my humble way attacked it in Congress,
and showed that such system would allow,
in Tennessee, 1888 voters to rule the State,
with its 145,34S voters in 1850. How? One
tenth is 14,534. .A.majority of that number
is 7,26S, and these are to hold the rest in
subsection. This was the plan of the Pres
itlent, and of the Winter Davis bill, as 1t
was first presented. When the vote came
off, on the 4th May, 1864 (see Globe, p 2, 1919
Mr.. Davis tried to make it agreeable all
round. He amended it; first, as he said, ''to
exclude what my friend from Ohio (Mr.
Cox objects to, the rule of one-tenth, and
requires a majority to concur in forming
government" Then it allowed a few rebels
to come in. Then It's preamble recognized
the public-enemy, doctrine of Thaddeus
Stevens, and the States in rebellion as not
In our political Union. Fifty seven Repub-
licans voted for this doctrine, quite mum
ber Joining our ranks and swelling our
vote to rs; and the preamble was rejected,
but the bill passed 70 to 80; Frank, Blair
fighting it with his vote as he did with his
voice. " p ft "a e2la
This bill Mr. Lincoln ignored; yethe said
he was satisfied with the plan and would,
If adopted, give it executive aid.s This was
not our plan; nor is it the Johnson plan.
We held, as he holds, that by the Constitu-
tion the States are vital; that no treason
can taint the statehood, whatever it may do
to Individuals. We opposed both the plans
of Congress and President, because both
were usurpations. The sword may cleaye
the States in twain; but the ichor like that
of the fallen angels is the element which
will bring their parts together. Laughter
PRESIDENT JoHNsoN's RECONSTRUCTION.
Mr.. Johnson's plan is liberal in its am
nesties; ignores, the one-tenth, allows rebels
to work in restoration, expressly denies
Intervention OF suffrage, black or white, and,
not by military but by civil conventions
reforms the shattered States. Do you say,
he requires that slavery should be aban-
doned? AS it is already abandoned he has
so advised. 1 agree, to that. He has not
required what any objects to. He insists
that negroes may go into courts to testify
and have justice. Very well. see no OBJ
lection to acting on his advice. l voted
that way. The object of testimony is
truth. / would hear any one in court tell
his story. Negroes are not the only liars.
Judging by criticism on volume of mine
In the Independent, Tilton will not tell the
truth. i WOULD as soon hear negro testify
as him. E.et thejury judge OF the credi- |
bility or weight OF the testimony. would
allow the wag of dogs tail in court, if
thereby the truth were elected. Laugh
teri 1t is not matter then of dictation
by the Presideht. He desires to leave the
question of suffrage to the States. I care
not il he prefers TO. allow negroes to vote
In Tennessee who have property. They
used to vote there. So inlhis native State
Of North Carolina. BE- The question is, will |
he interfere to insist on negro voting? He
will not. Because he will not, the Radicals
are howlingi after him. The Tribune at
Chicago accused him of uniting Northern
and Southern rebels in a grand
party. Summers organ calls
for his impeachment.
THE eINDEPENDENT" AND MEssRs. BEECHER
~ - sSs AND TILTON. aDt
But here in Brooklyn lives the Great /
Am OF Republicanism. Laughter. Cries
of "Beecher."l Mr.. Beecher, who once
preached Che gospel according to Sharpe's
rifles, mas recently made remarkable ser
mon in favor of 1eniency to the people of
the South. will not criticise harshly SO
kindly a sermon. IL seemed, however, that
he could not close 1t without remark that
q -rcitad tho livalipst satisfaction I'm his Zinn