The Tiffin weekly tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1859-1868, 1866-04-12

n. taken TO CONVINCE tno lOyN pup0
that the people of the South arc n,
acting in good faith toward the go,
ernment of tho United States, an
that they are even now preparing I
K take advantage of the first fayorabl
m opportunity to renew the war. Tha
m there are some men in all Of thos
a States who entertain such sentiment
q and purposes. | have no doubt. i
" would be wonderful, indeed, if thor
- were not. ltwould form an exception
&C in the history Of civil wars and in th'
es history Of human nature ittclf No
doubt there are men there, as
Q there arc elsewhere, whose inpor'
s. tance or prominence In public life
ID ldoponds upon keeping up civil
[. Ieommotion or sectional strife, and
!. who will make use of every OPP
opportunity and prctext for prejudice
and inaamiug the public mind but
they are comparatively few in number.
| fully believe, sir that the great
mass Of the Southern people are sub
, misSiyc TO the government in good
faith, and desire to live in peace as
T American citizens, and to have re.
stored TO them the rights and priv.
legcs of American citizens and ! do
not believe they can be deceived OF
driven into another rebellion except
by such acts of oppression as would
drive any people to desperation.-
Take, sir, candid survey of the
whole Southern people and the cir.
cumstances which have brought them
to their present dcplorablc condition;
tho passions inhamod by the war; the
obstruction of property and life the
anuibiliation of the worry foundations
of all their domestic society; hopes
blasted, and the disgrace aud .chagrin
Of utter defeat, and you will not be
surprised at the instances of insubor-
dination and outragcs, though when
grouped together in ono view they
appear to be numerous aud excite our
indignation Even at the North the
dcmoralizing influences of the war
have largely increased crime, natwith-
standing the people are prosperous
and ARE rejoicing at the results of the
war. Therefore, | am not disposed TO
condemn the whole Southern people
on account of the conduct Of coinpar-
atiycly few, nor because they exhibit
a natural sympathy for each other as
companions in misfortune. do not
expect them to denounco each other
as traitors aud criminals, but | do
believe that the great majority Of the
people are satisfied that they were
mislcd and that they made great
mistake in taking up arms against
the government Of tho United States.
The people of the South ought to
il they do not, that if the
war is ever renewed by them, nothing
will satisfy the people of the loyal
States short Of complete subjugation,
perhaps determination. But, sir, /
think considerations of sound policy,
Of Justice, and of humanity dictate
that we should avoid all unnecessary
causes of irritation, aud seek rather
10 conciliatc than to increase or keep
live the feelings of hatred aud
liscontcnt which the war has left be.
iind. But, sir, il is the duty of the
Government to provide for the future
'afoty, and insist npon such measures /;
Is will secure to every American citi- ,
en the natural rights of life, liberty, ,
md property, in all tho States. II
my citizens of Ohio choose to 20 !;
nto South Carolina or Mississippi, !,
r any other State, for pleasure, for y
business, or for permanent settlement,
lis rights must be respected and pro. 9
ectcd. If the State authorities re-
uses or are Unable to protect them
gainst unlawful combinations Of any ,
ind, that the people Of that State
hould be declared to be in State of :,
nsurroction against the national gov
and treated accordingly
rhc people of the loyal States will
lever again submit to the indignitics
md outrages which were porpotratcd ,
,pon northern people at the South
previous to the war. A repetition of
hcso wrongs will most assuredly lead
o another civil war more terrible than
he one we have just passed through.
The people Of the South should be
made to understand this If the Con
stitution of the United States does
not now confer upon the national Gov
ornment the power to provide againstl
such outragcs upon the rights of
American citizens, which l think it
does, then | say it is the duty of Con
grcse and the President to insist upon
such an amendment as will confer
that power. 1t is for the interest of
all the people, North and South, that
the national Government should have
that power, aud in my opinion it is
absolutely necessary to prevent an.
other civil war. | have already said
that the Government was bound to
protect the rights of the loyal white
people and the loyal colored people
of the South, for Government which
cannot or will not protect those who
sustain it, when in peril, is not worth
lighting for.
Now, sir, were | perfectly sure
these rights would be respected and
protected by the southern people, |
would vote to-day for restoring them
to their practical relations with the
Government Of the Unithd States and
to the control of their State affairs,
with out asking them for but single
amendment to the Coz stitution, and
that would be upon the subject OF
apportioning representation.
Much has been said Mr.. Speaker,
about this being white mans Go.
vernment, and it is substantially a.
white man > Government, and must al
ways remain SO. If universal suffrage
was granted to the colorcd man as we'll
IS the white man, it would ucycrtho-
less remain the white mans govern
Imeut, for il is impossible that five
millions OF colorod people could con-
troll thirty millions ofwhite people, or
, have much influence in tho govern.