The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1866-03-01

willing supporters and defenders of on
glorious stripes and stars, and of TIL,
Constitution of our country. Let tn,
leaders, the conscious, intelligent trai
tors, be punished, and he subjected t,
the penalties of the law. ! Applause
Bu, to the great mass who have beer
!. forced into this rebellion, in many in
stances, and in others, have been mis-
led, ! say leniency, kindness, trust ant
confidence. Great applause.
My comt'ymen, when I look bacl
over the history of the rebellion, an
not vain when | ask you it have mo-
given as much evidence of my. drvo
ton to The UEion as some what croak
great deal about it When look
back over the battle-firltls Of the rebel.
lion, | think of the many brave men in
whose company was, cannot but
recOlIect that was sometimes in places
, where the contest was most difficult
aud the result most doubtful. But al.
inos. b. fore the smoke has passed
away, almost before the blood that AS
been shed has done reckin-, before the
bodies Of the slain have passed through
the stages of decomposition, what do
we now find? The rebellion has been
ps,t down by the strong arm of the
Government in the field; bMt is that
the onI y way in which you can have
rebellion? Our stlugg,e Was against
an attempt to dissolve the Union but
almost before the smoYe of the battle
fields has passed away, before our
brave men have returned to their homes
and renewed the ties of affection and
love to their wives and children, we
fiIMl most a: other rebellion in order
to YrevcFt the separation of the states
to prevent them from flying off, and
thereby changing the charact sr Of our
Government, AMI weakening s power;
but when that struggle om our part has
been suecesstAl, and Chat attempt has
been pat down., we find now aH rffnt
to concentrate al power in the hands
OF a few at the Federal head, and there.
by bring about consolidation of the
Government which is equally obicc.
tionable with separation. Vocifer
our applause. We find that powers
are assumed and attempted 10 be ex-
erci>ed Ola most exit aordiIiary char
acser. 1t seems that governments may
he revolulioEizcd, Governments at least
may be changed, without going throue h
the strife of battle. l believe it is a
fact, attest st} fp history, thar sometimes
revolutions most disastrous to the peo-
pie are affected without the shedding
of blood. The substance of our gov
eminent may be taken away, while the
! form and the shadow iemain to you.
What is now being proposed? We
lind that in point of fact nearly all the
powers Of the Government arc assumed
by an irresponsible Central Directory,
which docs not even consult the segRs-
lative or tie executive department of
Government, 10y resolutions reported
from the Committee, i'm whom it seems
that, practically, the Legislative power
of the Government is now rested, that
great ps-ir ciple Of the Constitution
which authorizes and empowers each
branch ofthe legislative department of
the Senate and the Honse OF Represen-
tatives to Judge for itself Of the elee-
ton returns, and qualifications Of Its
own members has been virtually taken
away from tn" two branches of the
legr Iative department of the Govern
mcnt, and conferred upon a committee
who must report before either house
can act under the Constitution as to
accepting the members who are to take
their seats es component parts Of the
respective bodies.
BY this rule it is assumed that there
must be laws passed recognizing State
as in the Union. or lis practical rcla
tons to the Union as restored, before
the respective Houses under the Con
stitution can judge of the election Pc
turns aud qualifications of its own mem.
hers. What position is that q! You
struggled for four years to put down a
rebellion. You denied liz the begin
ming of the struggle that any Stale
could 90 out Of the Union. You said
that it had neither the right nor the
power to do so. The issue was made,
and it has been settled that the States
neither had neither the right nor the
power to 90 out of the Union. With
what consistency after it had been set
tied by the military arm of the Govern
ment and by the public judgm mt that
the States mad no right TO 90 out of the
Union, can any one turn around and
assume that they ale ont, that they
shall not come in? am free 10 say t.
you. as your Executive, that | am not
prepared to take any such position.-
[Ureat applause.] l said IN the SEN
ate, 10 the very inception Of this rebell-
ion, that the States had no right to 60
out. / asserted too, that they had no
power to 60 ont. That question has
been settled, and it being settled. l cam
not turn around now aud give the lie
direct to all that have proftssed, and
ali have done for the last five years.
[Applause Even those who rebelled
comply with the Consti. ulinn when
they give sufficient evidence of loyalty,
Wien they show that they can be trust
ed, when they yield obedience to the
law that you and l acknowledge obedi-
ence to, ! say extend to them the right
hand Of fellowship, and lie. peace and
union be restored. Tremendous APP
plause. ! fought traitors aud treason
in the South. l opposed the Daviscs,
the Toombs, the Slldells, and long
list of others which you can readily fill
without my repeating the uames. Now