The Cadiz sentinel. [volume] (Cadiz, Ohio) 1864-1911, 1866-09-19
THE PRESIDENTS SPEECH
AT
G. O L U M B u

FELLow-CITIZENs;-Perm me, through
ycur hOnored representative, on this Occa
sion, to tender to you my sincere thanks for
the cordial welcome you have given me a.
a citizen, and also for the kind ~alluSicu, both
with regard to my personal character and
official position. lThcr. was 50 much con
fusion hat the President had 10 pause. |
had just rendered, through your honore2
rcpre, sentative, my sincere thanks for the
cordia. welcome you had rendered to me as
the President. and those who nov accom-
pany me, and at the same time, receiving
me as your fellow citizen, independently Cf
my being the Chief Executive of the Unit
cd States, lchecrS, for, thank God, on this
occasion, | can proclaim to you that | am a
citizen Of the United States.
1t will be remembered Icy this large and
Intelligent audience tina; / was once among
you as on exile driven from the borders Of
my own State to seek reiEse elsewhere. |
am grateful for the cordial welcome | re-
ceivedhy the people at that time. [ come
to-day. | come as chief Magistrate to re
ceive a similar welcome, but how different
things are now from what they were them
Our Government was involved in a civil
war which we have just passed through, in
which blood has been Shed, lives sacrificed
and money expended; but thank God, after
all that has been done, it iSin my power to
proclaim to you to-day that peace has been
made, and we now come with the country !
flag, containing thirty-six, and not with only
twenty. five stars. Applause. Then what
is our condition now? When in you midst
as an exile. what was my language and my
..-.,1) rrJ,,t ,r,, -, I.,,,, II H. ,,,orou
walton of the Union Of these States, Sis
tanning the Constitution Of my country in
tact. That was my business. ! stand where
| did then, yindicatiHg the Constitution Of
my country; and | appeal to the people to
maintain the principles | then and now ad-
vocate. | then argued and urged that the
Union could net be brnkGn. | then con
tended there was no power or constitutional
right for any one or more States to secede,
or dismcmber this Union. Congress de-
clared by solemn resolution that the war
ought to be prosecuted FIR the suppression
of the rebellion, and when this was ac-
complishcd the flow Of blood and expen-
diture Of money should cease.
We now find that the war has ceased,
and peace succeeded, And now the Union
under the Constitution stands as it did be-
fore the the rebellion commenced. But
coming out Of the rebellion, We found many
Of the States in a disorganized condition,
and without State governments, they hav-
ing been suspended for a time. After how
ever, the rebellion had been dispersed-af-
ter their armies had been suppressed by
your gallant officers and brave soldiers and
sailors, Oh the land, the ocean, and inland
seas, we came to another period, and the
question occurred, what was the duty Of the
Executive department of the Government.
We looked at the South, and found eleven
States without State Governments; and we
took the regular step to give them aid
They organized and called conventions, and
summoned their Legislatures, and ratified
the Constitutional amendment abolishing
slavery not only IN their own States, but
throughout the entire jurisdiction Of the
United in doing this we obtained an adj
di;ional guarantee that slavery should nc
longer exist within u limits. The cman,
cipalion proclamation was a war measure
anu thcqucsli0n with some was whether the
United States wAulj not declare it unconsti
rational. But to place the matter beyon
doubt, and give a constitutional guarantee
for all time that slavery was abolished, til
amendment was submitted and ratified;
thus making it a part of Tie organic law OF
the land. Then we found that the great
apple Of discort, had so far been removed
and taken away. When came into power
the question was presented what shall be
done? We initiated and took steps tG 70
store the States to all their authority anC
privileges, and to their former relations t,
the Federal Government. We found !
hlocdade OF commerce. This was removed.
The custom houses and courts were reopen
ed, and collectors judges marShals, di>tric'
attorneys, and other officers appointed. =
Postal facilities were also restored to all The
States. These things being done the Gues.
tilns we narrowed to Il single point, in or
der to make the restoration Of the union OF
the States complete. 1t was to restore tht
principle Of representation Il great princl.
pie for which our revolu'ionar! fathers con
tended when they periled their lives in Sc
p~aratiDg from the Crown Of Great Britain
and put at jeopardy all they held scored anC
dear in order to achieve the independence
which you and | enjoy, Cheers. They il
sisted on the great-prlNG, PIE that the peoplt
should not be taxed wi iout representation
We have gone or imposing taxes, and these
Southern States com up aud say to Ton.
greSs ard the nation that they ought to be
represented. Why should they not be rep
resented by loyal members of Congress?
The question occurs whether OF not tli,
Governments shall restore the great princi
pie established by our fathers, that repre-.
sentation and taxation should go hand il
hand. And, now, my countrymen, let mt
say to you that Congress, which once de.
clarcd that these States could lf0t.Go out o
the Union, and lad no right to secede ant
Withdraw from the Union, now turn rount
and declare that they have Withdrawn, anC
form no part of the Coniederacy, therefore
they should have no representation in Con
greSS.
/. Owing to the efforts made by the Execu
tive TO restore these States, the charge has
gore forth that | am guilty Of ~usurpalio,l
Congress was not IN session mt the close C
the rebellion. The Southern States were
in chaotic condition, and therefore the Tx
ocutive took all proper steps to restore tn,
Union. 1t what | did was wrong, and Con
gress had power to perform that work, why
did tlIeynot submit some project, or scheme
6r' plan for that purpose? Why, ! ask, die
they not pre- ent their scheme? They wert
eight months IN session, making charge!
against the Executive of tyranny and usurp
alton. But where is their measure? l wish
[ had q clarion voice to extend to the remot
est cabin, to ask where is the measure they
introduced TO restore tho Union Of the State.
and to reconcile a distracted ard divided PEG
pie? Then, it is to be inferred that if they
| introduced nothing, what / did was right
Aud because | have adopted a policy calcr
lated to restore the Union, | have beef
charged wlth.turning traitor and rebel, to
gether with Secretaries Seward and Wellcs
and a long list of Others; while Congress
who proposed nothing, assume to be tn
only patriots in the land.
The President then noticed another chargt
against him, with reference to the Freed
mems Bureau bill, and asked even tn,
most fastidious to place his finger on tn,
slightest departure from the platform o,
which he WIS nnminatel and elected [