The Norfolk post. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 1865-1866, 1865-10-24

ttlC iitC cltNt DlaitCS tllCItlS'iNNo W. .'AS
amendment of the federal Constitution,
which declares that neither slavery nor
| involuntary servitude, except for crime,
shall ever hereafter exist in any part OF
| the United States. Applause. The
people who have so steadily adhered to
the true path of democratic progress and
civilization through all the seductions of
peace, and through so many difficulties
and at such fearful cost in war, wiifnow
have new inducements and encourage
ments to persevere in that path until
thew shall have successfully reduced to
a verify the sublime assertion OF the pO-
litical equality of all men, which the
founders, i'm their immortal declaration
laid down as the true basis of American
Union. Prolonged applause. no .,...
! 1t is certain that the plan Of reconcile
alton which | have thus largely ex-
planned, must and will be adopted.
Applause Itmay, however, be him
| dered or fastened. How. can it be him
dered ? You are yourselves aware of the
answer when you tasten upon any vio-
lent, factious or seditiOus exhibition of
passion or discomfort in any of the late.
ly rebelliOuS States and argue from it
the failure of the plan. You argue Just
ly. Every turbulent and factious person
in the lately insurrectionary States is re-
sisting, hindering and delaying the
work of restoration to the extent of his
ability. But the case is precisely the
same with ourselves. Manifestations OF
doubt, distrust, elimination, contempt
or defiance in the loyal Statesare equally
injurious, and equally tend to delay the
work of reconciliation. .,I 49,.
How, then, shall it be fastened Z? l
reply, virtually, in the language of the
President-in the spirit of the Constitu-
ton and in harmony not only with our
politics but with our religion--"We
must trust each other.n [Applause. /
Can we not trust each otherP Once we
Were friends. We have since been enc
mics. We are friends again. Renewed
applause.] But, whether in friendship
or in enmity, in peace or i'm war, we are
and can be nothing else to each other
than brethren. Loud applause.] ...
To those people who are distrustful of
President Johnson, who fear that I" he
may be too lenient to those Southern
leaders who plunged the country into
the calamities of civil war;" Mr.. Sew
ard said: 80 Iel
Except those of you who have been
manned or bereaved, haveany of you suf-
fered more of wrong, insults and insO-
lence at the hands of these leaders than
he has? Can we not forget where he
can forgive? Are you aware that his
terms of amnesty to offenders are far
more rigorous than those which were
offered by Abraham Lincoln ? Have
you ever seen the majesty of law more
firmly maintained than it has been by
him in the exercise of discriminating
clemency? Applause. Some of you
| seem to have been slightly disturbed by
professions of demonstrations of favor
toward the President, made by parties
who have heretofore opposed his adj
ministratiOn, as well as the administers
ton of his predecessor. daughter.
And you ask: May not the President
yet prove unfaithful to US? For myself,
1 laid aside partisanship, if had any,
in 1861, when the salvation of the
country demanded that sacrifice. 1t is
not, therefore, my purpose to descend to
mere craftsmanship now. Andrew John
son laid aside, am sure, whatever of
partisanship he had at the same time.
[Applause.1 That noble act did not
allow, but, onthe other hand, it forbade,
collision by the friends of the Union
with opponents of the policies of the
war and of reconciliation which the
government has found it necessary to
pursue. Duty requires absolute and I'M
compromising fidelity to the supporters
of those policies, whatsoever and what
soever party they may be- [Applause.]
Andrew johnson has practiced that
fidelity against the violence of enemies,
tp fbn anpifi ion f bio fprtI,nn tI,n /. nuI
of his liberty, and even the peril of his
life. Enthusiastic cheering. The same
fidelity is still identified with the success
of those policies, and, of course, is ne
cessary to the achievement of their
magnificent ends. Loud applause.
Why should he now abandon those
policies, and desert time-honored and
favored supporters, merely because the
dawning success of our efforts has COM
PEELED former opponents to approve and |
accept them? Renewed applause.]
Patriotism and loyalty equally, how
ever, require that fidelity in this case
shall he mutual; be We faithful, there
fore, on your part, and although the Sc
curity / offer is unnecessary and SUPER
fiuous, yet l will guaranty fidelity on
his part. Renewed cheering.] Those
who hitherto opposed the President, but
now profess to support him, either are
sincere or insincere. Time must prove
which is the fact. If they are sincere,
who that has loyal heart must not re-
joice in their late though not too long
delayed conversion? If they are insin-
cere, are we either less sagacious, or
have we less ability now than hereto
fore to counterfeit treachery TO the ma
tional cause? O.. .-... ~ s.e3t.
Perhaps you fear the integrity of the
man. confess, with a full sense of my
accountability, that among all the pub
lie men whom have met or with whom
have been associated or concerned, in
this or any other country, no one has
seemed to lie to be more wholly free
from personal caprice and selfish ambi-
ion than Andrew Johnson; none to be
more purely and exclusively moved in
public action by love of country and
good will TO mankind. i7
The Secretary paid high compliment
% the best abused man in the Cabinet,
Mr.. Stanton "My acquaintance with
MIN began" says Mr.. Seward, "amid
he hours Of deep and overwhelming So ;
icitude which filled what may justly be
called an interregnum which occurred
between the election of Abraham Lin
'oln to the Presidency, in November,