Cleveland daily leader. [volume] ([Cleveland, Ohio]) 1865-1873, 1865-11-20
Associated Press Report.
Washington News
Address of Speaker CoIraN

WASHINGTON, November IS.-This evening
large crowd of the friends of Speaker Col
fax repaired to his quarters and compli-
mented him with serenade. In response
to earnest calls he appeared and addressed
them as follows:
My friends-I thank you for this pleasant
serenade with which you welcomed me on
my return to this sphere of public duty.
Since left here l have travelled, as you are
all aware, many thousands of miles. My
thoughts turn this evening to the auspieiOus
condition of our country now as compared
with the closing of last Congress. Then an
alien and hostile flag waved over our cities,
forts and camps, and regiments, and we
went home in March to assist in raising
more troops, called for by the President.
Now there is peace over all the land, and
the flag of the republic waves unquestioned
over every acre of our national domain.
TCheers.1 We never knew the value of our
institutions until the hour of their peril.
If 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.) l shall hail the day wheh all the
States shall revolve in their appropriate or
bits around the central government, and
when we can behold them as distinct as the
billows upon the boundless sea. Iu w can
not forget that history teaches us that itwas
eight years after the surrender of Yorktown
in revolutionary times, though our fathers
were of one mind as to its necessity, before
the constitution was adopted and the Union
thus established.
1t is auspicious that the ablest Congress
that ever sat during my knowledge Of pub
lie affairs meets next month to face and set
tie the momentous questions which will be
haf, will bn rNy nod
by any spirit of revenge, but solely by its
duty to the county. l have no right to an
ticipate its action, nor do l confine myself to
any inhexible or unalterable policy, but
these ideas occur to me and | speak of them
with that frankness with which we should
always express our views.
Last March when Congress adjourned the
States lately in rebellion were represented
in hostile Congress and Cabinet, devising
ways and means for the destruction of the
country. 1t may not be generally known,
but it has been repeated to me on the testi-
mony of a member of the sO-called COnfed-
crate Congress, that General Lee, the mill
tary head of the rebellion, declared last
February that the contest was hopeless,
but that their congress and cabinet deter
mined to continue the struggle, and 100000
fell after that, on both sides, in battles
around Petersburg and Richmond. Since
the adjournment of the U. S. Congress not
single rebellious state has voluntarily sur
rendered, not an army laid down its wea-
pons, not a regiment abandoned their fail
ing cause, but the Union armies conquered
peace enot by comp ,omise or voluntary sub
mission, but by force of arms. Some OF these
members of the so-called Confederate Con-
gress who, at our adjournment last March,
were struggling to blot this nation from the
L - nj to-
| ter Congress on the opening day ofits session
| next month, and resume their former bust
ness of governing the country they strug-
| gled so earnestly to ruin. They say they
| have lost no rights. 1t tseems if the burn
| ing of ships of our commerce on the ocean,
starving our prisoners, and raising armies
| to destroy the nation would impair some OF
| their rights until their new governments
were recognized by Congress. LCheers J
| ThesConstitution, which seems framed for
every emergency, gives to each House the
exclusive Judge of the qualifications OF the
| election returns of its members, and L ap-
| prehend that they will exercise that right.
Congress having passed no law on recon
struction, President johnson prescribed GER
tain action for those States which he deemed
| indispensable to their restoration to their
former relations to the government, which
| think eminently wise and patriotic: First
that their conventions should declare the
various ordinances of secession null and
void, not as some have done merely by re-
pealing them, but absolutely without any
force or effect.
Second, That their legislatures should rat
ify the Constitutional amendment abolishinG
slavery, that this cause of dissension ano
rebellion might be utterly extirpated.
Third, That they shall formally repudiatt
the rebel debt, though by its terms it vii
be long while before it falls due, as i
was PAYABLE six months after the recogni
ton of the Confederacy by the UniteC
States. (Cheers.) This reminds me of al
old friend in Indiana, who SAID he liked t.
give his note payable in ten days after con
Venience. daughter, and cries of good
good.) But there are other terms on whicf
loyal men of the Union.
First, That the Declaration of Indepen
denee must be recognized as a law of th
land, and every man, alien and native, whit
and black, protected in inalienable ant
God given rights Of life, liberty and pursui
of happiness. Mr.. Lincoln in that Eman
cipation proclamation, which is the proud
est wreath in his chaplet of fame, CHEERS
not only gave freedom to the slave but de
clared that the Government would main
tain that freedom. (Applause.)
We cannot abandon them and leave then
defenceless, at the mercy of their forme
owners They must be protected in thei
rights of person and property, and thes
freemen must have the right to sue il
courts of Justice for all just claims, and t
testify also. so as to have security apains