Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1866-04-27
IF their + ig h t and Interest,"

We are now in the nations bird
ordeal. We are not vet through it.
We said that States could not gs out
OF the Union; we denied the doctrine
of secession, and we have demonsuat-
ed that we were right. We demon
strated it by the strong arm,-yes,
the soldiers and the sailors (God bless
them y have demonstrated it by their
patriotic hearts and strong arms, that
States had not the power to leave the
Union. (Applause.)
What followed? The Confeder-
ate armies were overpowered and dis
banded, and thern woo "ilIinsness
on the part of the people of those
States to come back, be obedient to
the laws, and acknowledge the suprem-
acy of the Constitution of our fore
fathers. For what have we passed
through the third ordeal? 1t was to
establish the principle that no State
had the power to break up the Gov
ernment. 1t was to put down the re-
bellion, The rebellion has been put
down, and for what? Was it to de-
stroy the States ? Voices 'never." }
For what have all these lives been
sacrificed and all this treasure expend-
ed? Was it for the purpose of de-
stroying the States? No. 1t was
tor the purpose of fpreserving the States
in the Union of our fathers. (Cheers) }
1t was for that YOU fought. 1t was
for that tried not to break up the
Government, but to put down the re-
bellion and preserve the union of the
States That is what we have been
contending for, and to establish the
fact that the nation can lift itself above
and beyond intestine foes and treason
and traitors at home. When the re-
bellion in Massachusetts was put
down did that put Massachusetts, out
of the Union and destroy the State
When the rebellion in PENNSYLVANIA
was put down did that destroy the
State and put it out Of the Union ?
80 when the recent great rebellion
was put down and the Constitution
and laws of the country restored, the
States engaged in 1.-THE rebellion
being crushed, the law restored, and
Constitution acknowledged in them
stand in the Union constituting a part
of the glorious galaxy of States
loud cheers.) In passing through
this ordeal what has been done in
Tennessee Under the directions of
my lamented predecessor, we COM
menced the work of restoration. We
succeeded before | came here in re
storing the relations which had existed
between Tennessee and the rest of
the Union, with one exception, and
that was the relation Of representa-
ton. came to Washington, and un-
der extraordinary circumstances, sue
ceeded to the Presidential chair
What then? The Congress of the
United States had adjourned without
prescribing any plan. | then pro-
ceeded as had done in my own State,
under the direction of the Govern
ment. to restore the other States, and
how did we begin? We found that
the people had no courts, and we said
to the Judges, the District Attorneys
and the MarshalS-"Go down and
hold your Courts" The people need
the tribunals of justice to be opened.
Is there anything wrong n that ?
The Courts were opened. What else !?
We looked out and saw that the pco-
pie down there had no mails. They
had been interrupted and cut off by
the operation, of the rebellion. We
said to the Postmaster General: Let
the people have facilities for mail COM
munication, and let them again begin
to understand what we all feel and
think-that we are one people. We
looked out again and saw there was
a blockade; that the Custom Houses
were closed. We said: Open the
doors of the Custom Houses and re-
move the blockade; let trade and
commerce and the pursuits of peace
be restored; and it was done. We
then travelled on, step by step, opening
Custom Houses, appointing Collectors,
establishing mail facilities and restor-
ing all the relations that had been in
terrupted by the rebellion.
Was there anything undertaken to
be done here that was not authorized
by the Constitution that was not
justified by the great necessities of the
case? that has not been clearly con-
sonant with the Constitution and with
the genius and spirit of our Govern
ment !? (Cheers.) What remained to
be done? Que other thing remained
to demonstrate to the civilized and
Pagan world that we had passed sue
cessfully through the third ordeal of
our national existence, and prove that
our Government was perpetual. A
great principle was to be restored
which was established in our Revolu.
ton. When our fathers were contend
ing against the power of Great Britain
what was one of the principal causes
of their complaint? 1t was that they
were denied representation. They
complained of taxation without repre-
sentation. (Cheers.)
One of the great principles laid
down by our fathers, and which fired
their hearts, was that there should be
no taxation without representation
How, then, does the matter stand P
Who has been usurping powers? :? anC
what now remains to be done to com
plete the restoration of these States
to all their former relations under the
General Government, and to fnisl
the great ordeal through which W.
have been passing? 1t is to admi
representation (Cheers.) and whel
we say representation what do w
mean? We mean representation il
!, +ba Constitutional and lava hidin,