The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1866-10-06


the Legislative or Congressional branch
of the Government in harmony with
the Executive, thus restoring, through.
!; out the whole Government of the Uni
ted States, one spirit, one policy, one
: line of conduct, resulting in peace, in Sc
curity, and in prosperity for the future.
That policy which has been so often
spoken of, sometimes jeeringly as "my
policy" when reference is made to the
! President, at other times and more
properly rs the policy of restoration ~
} that policy is easily described. 1t is
stated in word ; it does not require
: an elaborate argument to expound it.
It's mere statement is sufficient to give
the humblest man in the country pos
session of the whole Subject so far rs
J the affirmative is concerned. The policy
of restoration is simply this: That the
: States and people that were severed
; from us, who became contumacious to
our authority and resisted our jurisdic.
) ton, but who have laid down their
arms and submitted to our power, shall
! be restored to their former position in
! the Union, entitled to all the rights
!, which they formerly enjoyed, and
!, bound by all the duties which were for.
'merly imposed upon them by the Con.
tuition and laws of the country. That
is T. % whole of it. 1t is so simple and
so oil, in that no man need mistake it
nor bee, "ne embarrassed in attempting
TO compre. bend it. In other words, and
to state it in u different form, the policy
of restoration is simply proposition
that the Cons,. tuition of the United
States shall be 70. stored in full force
throughout the Reprb!ic, and that il
shull have complete effe>t in every re-
epect precisely as it had be. ore the wal
broke ont.
Why sh ould this not take place? Why
should we OF be restored to the ctndi'
ton of things in which we were befm c
the war? Why should not all the citi-
zens of the United States lie restored
and re-instated in the position in which
they stood befose these troubles and be
bound again because this is the cerrel-
ative of the other by all the duties and
obligations which before the var rested
upon them? l propose to discuss to-
night the answer which is made 20 this
all-important and searching question
for the majority in Congress have the,r I
excuse for their delay in the work of
restoration; they have their reason or
their alleged reason for their conduct,
and it is respectful to them and it is pro-
per that the people should consider their
answer before pronouncing judgment
upon them.
will not discuss the first branch of
their answer as we get it, ordinarily,
and which is, that the people Of those
States arc not at heart willing to become
: subject to our government and to per-
form their duties under it. / am re-
lieved from discussing that when cite
to you the opinion of your own chief
Magistrate; l am relieved from that
when | cite to you the opinion of Cen
, eral Grant and the opinion of General
: Sherman and Of men of that description,
whose opinions upon question of thi,
: kind ought to be, if not conclusive, at
| least in the highest degree persuasive
: with the American people. We ought
: to accept their opinions upon the ques
tion of the safety of this thing for tho
) future. Because their opinions have
been pronounced and are before you,
am relieved from discussing that point
But these gentlemen of the Congress
G sional majority proceed to say that be
: fore the Union is restored there ough
4 to be guarantees, there ought to be.som'
4 conditions agreed to by the people wht
t are to be restored in their civil and po
/ litical rights. a great many guarantee.
< have been suggested or mentioned. |
depends upon the temper of men, wha
n kind of guarantees they want; it de
: pends somewhat on their past associa
= tions or mental constitution. Mr.. Wen
G dell Phillips would want particula
e sort OF guaranty, while member OF
: Congress from our own State, of the op
Il pOsite party, would think a guaranty o
r II different sort would answer; and 81
e there may be all sorts and all varietie
n of opinion on that subject when yol
5 come to apply the general doctrine
e But l suppose / shall be told, and ma,
$ be fairly told, that in considering tn
e guarantees rs they call them, or tn
e stipulations for the future, which ar
h desired by the Congressional majority
/ should take the resolution proposin!
e amendments to the Constitution of tn
t United States which that ajority passe,
: through both HoIses by two-third
: vote, and which is now pending befor
n the American people for their consider
( alton. grant you this is fair state
t ment upon the point in question. If
f am referred to that resolution of amend
q ment us the platform of the Congress
l. sional majority, as the ground upol
d which they stand in resisting represen
: tation in the Senate and in the House
s. although | shall not admit that this an
5, swer even if well made would justif,
II. the two Houses in refusing to perform
Is their Constitutional duty of acting upo
!; the question of membership in eacl
Ie House, / will yet agree that if that res
d olution of amendment be necessary an
4 be wise and satisfactory in its provi'
: ions, there will be considerable degre
y, of excuse that, although justiticatio