Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1865-11-24

have the right to sue in courts of Justice
for all just claims, and to testify also, Sc
as to have security against outrage and
wrong
[ call them freemen not freedmen
The last phrase might have answered be-
fore their freedom was fully secured, but
they should be regarded now as freemen
Of the Republic. Cheers
Second. The most of their State con-
stitutions which have been adopted by
many of their State Conventions, so reluct-
antly, under the pressure of dispatches
from the President and Secretary of State,
should be ratified by a majority oftheir peo-
pie. We all know that but very small per
centage Of their voters participated in the
election of the delegates to these conven-
tions, and nearly, if not all the conven-
tions. have declared them in force with
out any ratification by the people. When
this crisis has passed can they not turn
around and say that these were adopted
under duress, by delegates elected by a
meagre vote under provisional Governors
and military authorities aud never rati-
ied by a popular vote, and could they not
turn over the argument against us and in
sist, as we did, that a constitution not
ratified by the people may have effect, ,abut
no moral effect whatever
Third-The President can, on all oc-
casions, insist that they elect Congress-
men who could take the oath prescribed
by the act of 1862, but in defiance of this,
and insulting to the President and the
country, they have, in large majority of
instances, voted down Union men, who
could take the oath, and elected those
who have boasted that they could not and
would feel disgraced if they could
Without mentioning names. one gen
tleman, elected in Alabama by a large
majority, declared in his address to the
people before the election, that the iron
pen of history would. record the emanci-
patton act as the most monstrous deed of
cruelty that ever darkened the annals of
any nation; and another one also avowed
to the rebellion; denounced the Congress
of 1862 as guilty in enacting such an
oath. A 'voice-''Put them on proba-
ton. ai-i'A A.s H7
The South is filed with men who can
not ia ke the oath, which declares, 81 have
not volun tarily taken part in the rebel
lion" Every .conscript in the Southern
army can take that oath, because he was
forced into the ranks by their conscrip-
tion act, and every man who stayed at
home, and refused to accept a civil or
military Office, could take that oath But
these were not the choice of the States
lately in rebellion s1
Fourth-While it must be expected
that minority of these States will cher
ish for years, perhaps, their feelings of
disloyalty, the country has right to ex-
pect that, before their members are ad-
mitted to a share in the Government, a
clear majority of the people of these
should give evidence of their earnest and
cheerful loyalty. Not by such speeches
as are so common, that they submitted the
issue to the arbitrament of war, but that
they are willing to stand up and fight for
the flag of the country against all its en-
emies at home or abroad.
The danger now is in too much pre-
cipitatiou Let us rather act slowly, and
we can then hope that the foundations of
our Government when thus reconstructed
on the basis of indisputable liberty, win
be as strong as the stars (Applause)
In President johnson I baEe mistaken
confidence. / cannot forget that in the
Senate, at the opening of the rebellion,
he was the only Southern member who
denounced it and its originators, aud that
he was faithful among the faithless. ZAP
plause-) A,,..F s..- ..lt,E
Nor do / forget that. when on his way
from the Capital to his home, although
insulted at several railway stations, he
never faltered in his devotion to the
Union. Nor can forget his speech when
Military Governor of Tennessee. to a mass
meeting of the eolored men at Nashville,
in which he declared that all men should
have fair start and am equal chance in
the race of life, and let him succeed who
has the most merit -'5.. 'e'l
You all remember his speech to the
colored regiments of the District of Co.
lumbia, when he repudiated that stereo-
typed declaration that this is the white
,'--a IL &11 41o4
was theirs also. You remember also his
remarks to the South Carolina delegation
that the only right system was to protect
all men, both white and black, and that
if they observed popular and general
rights and justice, the details and col
laterals would follow. ae-f. Il -
We all remember, too, his earnest dis
patches to these Southern Conventions,
and that he has signed the DEATH warrant
of every one who has been convicted of
conspiracy saaaf t
The great Union organization of the
country carried it successfully, aided by
our heroic defenders, through its perilous
crisis of the past four years. Our be-
| loved martyred President leaned upon it
| in his darkest hours. It stood by the
national cause unfalteringly It voted
down the Chicago Platform which de-
clared the war a failure, and which de-
manded cessation of hostilities.
The people had placed the whole power
fof the Government in its hands, execu-
tive, legislative and judicial, and pre-
served it by the brilliant victories of this
4 fall. Let us emulate the example of its
friends in all the States.
h Let us stand united in the light of duty
Eand believe the executive and Legislative
departments of the Government, when
they compare views together, will cor
daily cooperate in this great work before
US all, and so act that the foundations o1
our Union, wisely and patriotically re-
constructed shall be eternal as the ages
with hearty acceptance by the South Of
the situation.
/ rejoice to believe, that under system
of paid free labor, and respecting the
rights of freemen, it will go forward IN {
career of prosperity. wealth and progress
unparalleled in its previous history. L
has a more genial cline than we have II
the colder North it has a wider range
of productions, for it has cotton, tobacco
rice and sugar, which command such higl
prices now in the markets of the world
and unbounded water power, almost en-
tirely unimproved.
4 Rid now of the shiftless system of slav
labor, it will, with its loins, girdle ant
rival us in point of prosperity.
In conclusion, can but echo the word
of our departed President in his last IN
! aupural. on the steps of the Capitol :
/ with malice toward none, with charlt
for all. but with firmness to do the rlghl
J as God gives us to see the right, and a
I,r-sl hh