The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1866-03-03
sEwARD,s SPEECH.

New York, Feb. 22.-Cooper Institute
was crowded tonight to endorse the Pres
ident. I. B. Cutting was in the chair
David Dudly Field offered a written ad-
dress and resolutions, declaring that the
first question before thu people is the pa
eiGeation of the country. The conflict of
passion should cease All agree that
the freedmen must be given all the civil
rights enjoyed by other citizens, viz i
equality before the law. Whether they
shall have the right of suffrage is the
dividing question, and this belongs ex-
citsiveiy 10 the States. The address COM
mends the Presidents veto and expresses
the belief that the exclusion of eleven
States from Congress IS manifest usurpa-1
tion. Secretary Seward said:
] am not here as an alarmist; ] am
not here to say that the nation is in peril,
if you adopt or reject the views of the
majority in Congress. The country is not
i9 peril in any way, nor do think the
progress of amelioration or civilization is
in peril, whether you adopt one set of po-
litical opinions or another. The only
difference is, that one pilot says we may
steer directly through the difficulties of
reconstruction without delaying the pro-
gress Of the old ship of State, while the
other says we must take soundings, pro-
coed cautiously aud go around these diff
culties. We should practice the usual
charity, if We did not think them both
honest.
New York, Feb. 23.-The following
are additional remarks made by Mr.. Sew
ard at the Cooper Institute last evening /:
Congress agonized over the question of
reconstruction, not because the var has
not come to an end, but because they
have not individually had hand in
bringing it to a happy termination,
looked for no serious difficulty, from the
conviction that there never was and never
can be any Successful process for restor-
ing Union and harmony among the States
except the one With which the President
has avowed himself satisfied with The
1 President is in harmony with all the
States that were in rebellion, and the Ex.
lecutiye and Judicial Departments are re
suRsing their functions Loyal represent
atives, more or less from these State, AK
now standing al the door of Congress. and
have been standing there for three months
asking to be admitted as States, which
,iagainst their earnest desire, is left unrep
resented.
/ Say what you will the States are already
organized and in harmony with the Fed
eral Government.
| It is impossible to reduce States to
Territorial condition. Congress has had
reconstruction committee of fifteen mem
! bers, who have stopped the wheels o
Legislation for three months to enabl
1 them to submit plan different from tha
Il which is nov on the eve Of happy con
: summation, and what have they given u
or proposed An amendment to the Con
Istitution to compel the excluded States t
i equalizs suffrage On penalty of abridg
/ meat Of their representation. This wa
Fl no plan Of reconstruction bat - ObstrHc
el ton. A conflict in opinion between tn
el President and Congress in reference
81 the Freedmen's Bureau is in its conse
81 auenees comparatively unimportant. ]
!? would excite little interest if it stoo
) alone. Both fully agree that this Burea
! was created for this transition period be
sItween var and paaee. and should cease 3
q the end of that period. The Prssidet
s thinks that period nearly passed, and ths
s. the original provision is su&cieut, whil
: Congress thinks the original provisio
S needs enlarging. agree with the Pres
a dent ia the hope that the extraordinar
81 provision is not necessary. Ought ii
a President to be denounced in the houl
b Of his friends? Much moro ought he |
I'll be denounced in the house Of his frient
) for refusing, in the absence of any nece
y sity, to occupy or retain the exercise
II powers eScs.er than these which arc E: