Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1866-03-02
RECONsTRUCTLON.
SPEECH OF HON. J. R. HUBBELL,
Delivered in the House Of Representative
February 5th, 1855.


Mr.. CHAIRMAN, History is said to be
philosophy teaching by example. In the
annals of the human race the past five
years of our own country will contain
greater and sublimer lessons for the in
struetion of mankind than will be found
iD any other period of the same duration
since the time when history commenced
its record. In martial proves and mill
tary achievements the great wars Of Ma
poleOn, commencing with his Italian cam
paign in 1876, and continuing down to the
battle of Waterloo, in 1915 which termi-
mated the career of the wonderful man,
who shook the earth as with the 'throes
OF an earthquake" bore no comparison
with those of our own country in the re-
cent rebellion. In this war, dark, bloody,
and fratricidal, countless millions Of treas
ure and thousands of the most valuable
lives, mostly among the middle-aged and
young, have been cruelty and WantOnly sac
rifced. Surely our losses have been great,
but how intellectually greater have been our
cOmpensations. For every sorrow there
is a consolation, and for every grief there
is joy. As at Marathon, Yorktown, and
Waterloo, in this terrible conflict of arms,
the cause of justice, humanity, and liber-
ty has been successful. In this sea of
blood, wantonly shed, from the nations
eseuteheOR the dark stain of slavery hzs
been washed away forever. A race of
four million people, doWntrodden and op-
pressed, the victims Of the most unTelent-
ing desp0tism, have been made free and re-
stored to the rights of manhood. Upon
the accession to the Presidency of the late
President Lincoln there was no disposi-
ton on the part Of any considerable pOr
ton of those mainly instrumental In his
election to interfere with the peculiar in
stitutiOn in the States where 1t existed.
Their only purpose was to arrest It's fur
ther extension; and but for the rebellion
this institution might have continued for
a hundred years or for an indefinite peri
cd of time In all human probability,
within the short period of fifty years the
aggregate amount OF human happiness
will be much greater than it would have
been if the war had not occurred. In
deed, mysterious and past finding out, are
the ways of Providence. In the face Of
rapine, murder, and civil war, we dare
not approve the events through which
our country has just passed. In the face
/ of emancipation and universal freedom
| to all men and all races we dare not con-
| denim. So interviewer are the proVIdences
/ of God IN the affairs of men that there
| are actions IN human conduct of which
/ human tribunals are incompetent to
I
| dition of those before the war whose
| wicked counsel originated and whose mad
/ ambition led the people of the so-called
/ confederate States into the whirlpool of
rebellion and civil war, and when we re-
feet how frantic with fury and madness
they were, both those who led and those
who followed, we can only account for
their strange and suicidal conduct upon
the suppOsition that communities and ma
| tiOns, like individuals, have their parOx =
/ ysms of passion and insanity. How ter
rible have been their suffering, how un-
/ provoked was the rebellion, and how
awfuIly sublime has been the retributiOn
Prior to the war, for thirty years, with
the exception of short Intervals, the pO-
litical power of the Government was con-
! trolled by that section that attempted 10
| establish the sO-called confederate States
of America" The leaders of the rebel
lion were the great barOns and constitU-
ted the aristoeracy Of our country. They
| monopOlized in the Senate, In the Cabl-
net, and in the field every place of honor
and emolument. In all sectional and po-
litieal controversies they were successful
Their treason, in the vain attempt to
destroy our Government, has converted
their Opulence into poverty their States
have been desolated by war; their tami-
lies and kindred have been slain in battle
and the peculiar institution whose area
and power it was their purpose to enlarge
and strengthen has been utterly and for
ever destroyed. Executive clemency
alone can save them from exile, the pris-
on, aud the scaffold In view of theil
treason and horrid crimes, who can say
that this terrible retributiOn is not just
or that this punishment is not merited
In the treatment of a conquered enemy
or fallen foe, sound philosophy and the
principles Of the Christian religion alike
inculcate magnanimity as a duty on the
part of the vietors as we'll as cardina
virtue.
! Mr. Chairman, | now proceed to tht
discussion of the subject more immedi
/ ately under consideration. The discus
= sion of the Presidents message has as
d sumed a wide range. 1t is impossible
that it should have been otherwise; for tn
message embraces subjects the most mo
mentOus that ever occupied the thought
of deliberatiVe body of men.
While the policy of the Admiuistra
ton in its efforts to reorganize the civi
Government in the so-called "confeder
ate States of America" is endorsed by tn
country, and cordially and earnestly an
proved by the loyal Union men, there ar
those who misapprehend, in my judg
ment, It's principles and doubt its wis
dom.
Mr. Chairman, we are now enjoying th
: light Of what may be considered tn
d bright day of the Republic; the militar