The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1866-05-01


Voices, "Never"] For what have all these
lives been sacrificed and all this treasure ex-
pended Was it for the purpose of destroying
the States No, it was for the purpose Of pre-
Serving the States ia the Union of our fathers.
(Cheers 1t was for that you fought; it was
for that toiled; not to break up the govern
ment but to break down the rebellion aud pre-
serve the union Of the States That is what we
have beer contending for, and to establish the
fact that the nation can lift itself above and be-
yopd intestine foes and treason aud traitors at
home.
When the rebellion in Massachusetts, was put
down did that put Massachusetts, out of the
Union and destroy the State? And when the
rebellion in Pennsylvania was put down did that
destroy the State and put it out Of the Union :?
So when the recent great rebellion was put down
and the Constitution and laws of the country
restored, the States engaged in it stood as part
of the Union. The rebellion being crushed, the
law being restored, the Constitution being &C.
knowledged, these States stand in the Union,
constituting part of the glorious and bright gal
axy of States Loud cheers ]
In passing through this ordeal what has been
done ? In Tennessee, under the direction of
my iamented predecessor, we commenced the
work of restoration. We had succeeded, before
I came mere, in restoring the relations which had
existed between Tennessee and the rest of the
Union, with one exception, and that was the re-
lation ofrepresentation. of l came to Washington,
and under extraordinary circumstances, succeed.
ed to the Presidential chair. What then p
The Congress of the United States had adjourn
ed without prescribing any plan. then pro
ceeded, as had done 10 my own State, under
the direction of the Government 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" Was there anything wrong 10 that :?
The courts we're opened. What else? We
looked out and saw that the people down there
had no mails They had been interrupted and
cut off by the operations of the rebellion. We
said to the Postmaster General: "Let the peo-
pie have facilities for mail communication, and
let them agaiu understand what all feel and
think that we are one people. We looked out
| again ADD saw that there was blockade; that
the custom houses were all closed. We said -
"Open the doors Of the custom-house and re-
move the blockade. Let trade, commerce and
the pursuits of peace be restored" and it was
! done. We thus travelled on, step by step, open
| ing up ustOm-houses, appointing collectors,
establishing mail facilities and restoring all the
relations that have been interrupted by the re-
bellion. Was there anything undertaken to be
| done here that was not authorized by the Con-
stitution, that was not justified by the great ne
cessities of the case, that has not been clearly
concurrent with the Constitution and the genius
and theory Of our government (Cheers y
What remained to be done One other thing
| remained to demonstrate to the civilized and
Pagan world that We had passed successfully
through the third ordeal of our national exis
tence. and proved that our government was per-
petual
great principle was to be restored which
was established in our revolution. When our
fathers we're contendiug against the power Of
Great Britain, what was one of the principal
causes Of their complaint? 1t was that :hey
were denied representation. They complained
| of taxation without representation. Cheers ]
One Of the great principles laid down by our
fathers, and which fired their hearts, was, that
| there should be no taxation without representa-
| ton. How, theo, does the matter stand? Who
has been usurping power, and who has been
defeating the operation of the Constitution
| And what now remains to be done to complete
the restoration of these States to all their for
mer relations under the Federal Government,
and to finish the great ordeal through which we
have been passing? 1t is to admit representa-.
ton. GCheers. And when We say admit re.
presentation in the constitutional and law -abid-
| ing sense, as was intended at the beginning of
the Government
And where does that power lie? The Con-
stitution declares 10 express terms that each
house, the Senate and House of Representa-.
tives, each acting for itself, shall be the judge
of the returns of election aud qualifications of
its Own members. It is for each house to settle
that question under the Constitution, and uu-
Ger the solemn sanction of an oath; and can We
believe that either house would admit any mem.
Der into its body TO participate 10 the legisla-
tiou of the country who was not qualified and
6t 10 sit 10 that body aSd participate 10 its pro-
ceedings. They haze the power-not the TWO
houses, but each house for itself
The Constitution further declares that no
State shall be deprived of its equal suffrage in
the Senate of the United States without its con-
sent. Then where do we stand? All that is
needed to finish this great work Of restoration is
for the two houses respectively to determine
these questions. "Obl" but some will cay, "a
traitor might come in!' The answer to that is:
Each house must be the jndge; and it traitor
presents himself, cannot either house know that
he is traitor (applsuse,] and if be is traitor,
can they not kick him out of the door and send
him back, saying to the people Who sent him
"You mus: send us loyal man" [Cheers
and voice, "Thats the logic" Is there any
difficulty about that? [Cries of "No NOT
If q traitor presents himself to either House
cannot that House say to him, "No, you cannot
be admitted into this body. Go back. We
will not deny your people of the right of repre-
sentation, but they must send loyal represen
tative:" CCheers And when the States dc