Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1866-05-23

Governor walker, and order OF Ma.
jOr-GcncIaI Foster.
FELLOW CITIZENS: The President hsB
proclaimed that the insurrectiOn which
heretofore ceXi~ted in Florida rs al an end and
he,cefOrth to be so regarded" The Secretary
OF War has ordered that though this proc
lamation does not remove martial law, yet
martial law shall be resOrted TO only in
cases where justice cannot be had before
the civil tribunals. And Mai jOr General
Foster, in General Orders No. 2S, with
words of compliment to the good behavior
and loyalty of our people, has restored to
the civil courts full Jurisdiction over all
cases whatsoever, and Withdrawn all mili-
tary control except in Il few specified
cases. ..i
. Let us pause and reflect how much bet
ter our condition Is at pre.ent than 1t was
this day twelve months ago. About this
time last year the military entered our cap
ital and took possession OF the whole OF our
State. A Provost Marshal, with COM
pany of soldiers, was stationed in every
town and ntighboThood, aud their will was
the only law we knew. The functions of
our civil magistrates were entirely sus-
pended. Our Executive and several of our
most eminent citizens were in prison. Our
laborers were not in the fields. There was
but little food and no money in the cOun-
try. We had lost nearly all our personal
property, and the United States Marshal
was threatening to cOuiisCate, seize, and
take from us what wealth we still possess
ed in the shape OF real estate. An heroic re-
solve to suffer without murmur what
ever the cOnquerOr might choose to intlict,
was visible on the countenancees of some,
while despair took possession OF the souls
and painted itself upon the faces of others
of our people. Let us turn from the con-
temptation OF so painful scene aud consid
er our preseut condition.
Our Capitol is aga occupied by an Ex-
ecutive and other officers chosen by the
peOpe-the laws administered by judicial
officers regularly appointed under the OOn-
stitution. The Provost Marshals and tile
troops are gone. The prison doors have
been unbarred-our citizens are again at
liberty. Our laborers are again in our fields,
which promise all abundant harvest. Our
people have enough Of money TO supply
the necessaries, aud even some OF the luXu-
ries. of life; aud we feel easy in the pos
session of our lands. The cOnfiscated prop
erty has nearly all been restored; anu even
the tax sales are being declared null and
void. The sullen resolve OF our people to
suffer III silence. and the utterauces of de-
spair have been converted into expressions
OF confidence in, and loyalty to, the Gener-
al Government. Life, aud energy, and in
duStry are everywhere visible.
The question naturally presented itself,
to whom are we indebted for this great
change? And the answer is that, next TO
God, our thanks are due to the President of
the United States. BY hi, wise recOnstruc-
tiOn policy he has led us step by step, aud
little by little, until by almost insensible
degrees he has conducted us out of the
"Sluugh Of DeSpOnd' and placed our feet
upon the high ground of Hope. But, fell
low-citizpnS, ! am panied to be Obliged to
say to you that the President finds himself,
on account of what he has done for us, uli-
der great difficulties. The entire Southern
delegation being excluded, there is in Con-
greSs maj nrity OF two thirds against him.
He stands almost alone on the rampartS of
the Constitution, but, thank God, lie has an
| uudaunted heart and stalwart arm. with
which he wields the flaming sword of JUS
tice aud truth. His enemies pay no atten-
ton To his warning voice against their in
fractions of the Constitution, but seem
madly resolved to rush into consolidation
aud centralism, whi:h he prOnOunces as
dangerous heresy as secession its-lf. They
say that what he has done tor us makes him a
usurper. They say that we are dIsloyal and
rebeIlious, aud unfit for the Enjoyment of
| civil liberty. He says that We "are well
and Loyalty disposed" and thatall the laws,
both State and Federal, may be enforced by
| the civil tribunals. They denounce him as
a traitor, and II we may regard the utter
ances of their newspapers they are gather
Ing strength to impeach and remove him
from his high Office. FlOridians were never
known to turn their backs on friend or foe,
and therefore you ask what can we do for
the magnanimous man who thus bares his
breast in our behalf against such fearful
odds? My answer is that the best way in
which we can assisthim and serve the cause
of truth. Justice, and. the Constitution OF
our country, is to keep cool and quiet, obey
the laws, and by the daily beauty of our
| lives force conviction on the minds of all
that we are not unworthy of freedom. Let
us constantly remember that every lawless
act any Individual in our State may commit,
and every indiscreet expression that may
be uttered, is Immediately exaggerated and
| published broadcast over the Northern
States with the view of making it appear
that the President is wrong and his enemies
right We are passing through fearful
ordeal. The eyes OF the world are upon US.
Let us, therefore, be wise as serpents, and
harmless as doves. In times like these it Is
the duty of every good citizen not only to
obey the Constitution and laws himself but
to see, as far as possible. that every one else
does so, for each now is held responsible
for all, and all are held responsible for each.
Therefore / charge, not only every officer,
but also every man in the State to be Wig
liant in the exercise of all his duties as a
loyal citizen of the United States, to see
that all crime is instantly punished, and
that all the laws, and particularly those for
the protection of the treedmem are duly
executed. H9 ...#ra.r '...... pt.v.r f. ..s....
All the greater crimes, such as murder,
arson, &C.. having since the surrender of
General Johnston up to this time been pun
ishable alone by the military, our mayis-
trates and people have fallen into the habit
of looking alone to the military for the ar
rest of offenders, but hereafter this will not
be the case. The military have ceased to
arrest except upon the warrant of the civil
magistrates. i urge the magistrates and
people themselves TO be prompt to appre-
hend aud punish all violators of the laws,
of whatever grade. -1s4 -ai fo4o gnuii
Iknow that our people are loyal. and l
feel under no necessity, therefore, of im-
pressing the duty of loyalty upon them,
but | wish to warn them particularly
against all expressions of impatience which
can, by any system of t 'rturing be con-
strued into utterances of disloyalty. Such
expressions are all reported TO the North,
and magniied and made to play an import
ant part in the war upon the President.AA
Every intemperase paragraph In newspa-
per is particularly adapted TO this purpose
land here beg leave-to say that tiaink
tits Nighttime that the ecustom whichihas SO