Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1866-01-10
CLEARF1ELD, PA, wEDNEsDAY,JAN 10, 1866.

has made him President of the United
States.
Now, sir, YOU are teld here that
this man in his official communication
to the Senate of the United States
whltewashes the condition of things
down below. Yes, sir, "whitewash'
is the word. The honorable Senator
says that he will not accept the defini.
tion of 'whitcwash' given by the SEN
ator from Connecticut or the Senator
from Wisconsin, but he has not told
Us what he means by the word "white.
wash " 1t is not necessary that he
should say what he means by that
word. Everybody understands it.
suppose even his colored friends, in
whom he takes so much interest, would
knew what the meaning of the word
"whitewash" was. Laughter lie
says that this man, who stood firm
when everybody else fahered, this
man who stood almost alone in the
midst Of an enraged population, and
IN the very storm and strife of the
worst civil war perhaps the world has
ever seen, comes here to "whitewash. y
What does he mean except that the
President o. the United States in an
official communication to this body
comes here to he; that is the plain
English of il; comes here either 10
suppress the truth or to suggest o
falsehood.
What does the President say! /
will read what he says rs a sufficient
answer to what all these people down
South report of the state Of affairs
there, and / donot find it necessary to
deny thousands of instances ofcxceed-
ingly heretical talk may have taken
place there, and Of reasonable talk il
you please; and / have no doubt that
ina state ofthings unparalleled in the his
tory of the world heretofore vroHgs
and Ouirages innumerable happen
there; but that is not the question. The
question is what is the condition of the
mass Of the people in the South, what
: is their disposition and tendency, not
to love the North, not TO love the hon.
orable Senator from Massachusetts
because ] very much tear that that
viii be brought about soon unless
thcrcis changcin tho temper of both
partics-not TO have hearts overflow
ing with love and gatitude to those
who they think persecute and hunt
them in their submission, who kick
aud strikeat them after they are down,
after they have cried "enough"Ebut
the question is what is their dispos-
ition to obey the laws : What do we
care about their hearts or their dispos-
itions if they are obedieNt 60 the laws,
and submit TO the laws. Now they
have submitted TO laws which impose
the heaviest penalty for il they are
traitors the law imposes the penalty
of death and confs ,ation Of estates by
means of fine.
will read what the President says
now of the condition of that people
from the information he has received:
I'm that portion ofthe Union lately
in rebellion, the aspect of affairs is
more promising than in view of all
the circumstances could well have been
expected think there is no candid
man who will not endorse that senti.
ment. "Tho people throughout the
entire South evince n laudable desire
to renew their allegiance TO the gov
ernment,and torcpair the devastations
Of war By prompt and cheerful re-
turn to peaceful pursuits
Why should they nOty To suppose
anything else is to suppose that they
are demented, that they have no kind
of common sense LETT, that four wears
of the most terrible war and the
most terrible punishments ever in
ficted upon people have been
withou. their lessons Ii cannot be
Mr. President; il is not in the nature
of thlsgs that it should be.
AN abiding faith on the part orthis
man who suffered from these people
who suffered from this war and the
doctrine Of secession and the attempt
to break the Union; he SAYS. Gan
abiding faith is entertained that their
actions viii conform to their profes.
sions, Snd that in acknowledging the
supremacy of the Constitution and
the laws OF the United States. their
loyalty will be unrcservedly given TO
the government, whose lenicncy tkev
cannot iail to appreciate, and whose
fostering care will soon restore them
to a condition of prosperity"
And here, Mr. President, allow me to
ask when in the history of this world
or the human family has it Happened
thSt severity, cruelty, persecution.
refusal TO recognize commen rights
has reconciled a people and pacifcd dis
tracted country and when has il hap
pened that clemency, lcniency, ms the
President expresses it, has failed TO
produce beneficial resuitsg It's not
necessary to 90 very far back for in
cfauooa - uhnxr fb,s 81 a Il.