The Montana post., 1866-09-29
SPEECH OF GENERAL. 7. A.
GARFIEID


GARFIELD.
During the past year we have passed
through one of the saddest and most hu
initiating experiences that any nation on
earth ever suffered or endured. A little
more than one year ago when after all
the sacrifices of the war we stood in the
very mountain top of hope, with victory
perching on our banners, with gigantic
rebellion PROSTATE at our feet, the last
rebel banner in the dust, the last gun 81
fenced, with the last battery still, with
the last rebel army captured, and the
last stronghold given up, in that condi.
ton of pride, honor and victory, what
could have been more easy than for us to
have moved forward with the Union,
strength and majesty we have acquired,
and have settled all the great questions
OF the war? 1t is the concurrent testi-
mOny OF all who have reflected on
this subject, of all who have visited the
Southern country, of our soldiers who
came from the South at the close of the
war, that the people of the South were
ready to accept whatever conditions we
might impose. | believe no man now
doubts that if Andrew Johnson, with
that magnificent army under his COM
mand, had imposed any conditions how
ever severe, the men of the South would
have bowed to it with submission and
have been glad the conditions were no
harder. If he had declared there could
be no adjustment of difficulties except
by their giving one-half of all they had
in the world to the national treasury.
they would have given that half Joy
JULY If they were assured that they
could have life and the other half left
to them in safety. Why was this ? 1t
was because of the conviction in those
men s minds that they had forfeited every
thing on earth. 1t was because they knew,
as we know, that they had forfeited not
only their property, but their lives, and
that IT anything were to be left them it
would be owing to mercy on the part of
the Government. They knew that this
rebellion had cost us four hundred thou
sand precious lives, they knew that their
rebellion had sent out into this country
nearly four hundred thousand MANNED
crlpples to go hobbling sadly through
lie as the price of putting down the re-
belllon. They knew that in the space
OF four years they had rolled up a debt
more huge in its dimensions than any
ever contracted in four times the mum.
Der OF years by any other nation on
earth. They knew that they had con-
tracted debt upon us that neither our
children nor children's children perhaps
could ever pay. And knowing this they
felt in their own guilty natures such a
sense of justice that if they could have
told that just the boon of life would be
given them they would thankfully have
accepted it. But with that humbled and
South at our feet, what was
the course pursued by the men who at
that time had the reins of the govern
ment in his hands. / say this is one of
the saddest possible records, and it is
not with JOY, but with deep sorrow and
regret that [ am compelled to rehearse
before you that sad history this after
noon. knew Andrew johnson person
ally for more than year during the war
and was glad to welcome him as man
who held his face against rebellion, who
had done so much to save the State of
Tennessee and to hold up the hands of
oyal men, therefore I am sorry to be
compelled to say anything against the
course and conduct OF that man, but
iuty TO the country and the great inter |
ssts involved compel me to say that !
litter the very moment of victory had |
passed he commenced steadily and |
constantly to open the gates wider
md wider, and to make the condi- |
ions easier and easier for those men
who had been in rebellion, until |
It this day no man can doubt that
le stands arrayed against those who
aved the republic. No man who has
ooked into the history of the last six
months can doubt that, step by step
le has wandered away, until now he |
tands leader of all the forces who fought
gainst us, and is leader of all those
Northern men who sympathized with
he rebellion, and we are therefore COM
'elled to treat him as we do all the enc
MES OF the Republic in political matters
S we do all the enemies of the Union,
the great contest that is now going
onward. 1t makes no difference what
us motives may have been, his actions
ave been on the side of those who op
ose the great Union party that saved
he Requisite. Notice a few, however,
t the steps that we have passed over.
We felt when we got to Washington
ast fall that it was our duty that de-
olyed upon us to understand precisely
that was the condition of the Southern
tates. We knew that when we ad.
burned and separated, the rebellion was
till in full force, and all of those States
'ere banded together to destroy the
.epublic, but when we came back to
Washington and the rebellion had been
rushed by force of arms, our first busi-
ess was to inquire what the condition
nd spirit of this people was, whether
was OF such NAture that we could
ossibly open the doors and let them
ack, and we felt it was our first duty
, inquire, and for that reason appointed
committee of fifteen, the truest and
est men in Congress, to go down to the
ottom OF the subject and report all the
lcts that bore upon the case. We told
lem to lind out by every means, by wit
esses taken from every class and ,ondi-
on, by rebel witnesses and loyal wit
esses, by extracts from newspapers and
worn statements. and bring in before us