The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1866-04-03

A mass meeting OF laDoring people, composed OF men
and women, held in Tompkins square yesterday
afternoon consider tho rent question" Addresses
were delivered in German and English and resolutions
passed calling upon Legislature for remedy against
extorionsts and rapacious house and agents.
The British bark Zephyr formerly Of Boston, Wood
bury from St Thomas for Cuba, went ashore on tho
Island Of vques West Indies the LIST Of March, dur
ing . heavy norther, and became . total losa The
wreck and material were to have been sold on the 18th
ultimo.
Tho stock market strong yesterday and prices ad
vanced materially. Governments dull and slightly
lower Gold closed ct l27x Ak.
There not much change In the commercial situa-
ton yesterday compared with Saturday the steamers
and gold fluctuations exerng but little influence
Cotton dull and dropping. Groceries were without
noticeable change Petroleum ruled frmer. On Change
-four was UNMARRIED. Wheat quiet Corn very steady.
Oats frmer. Pork somewhat irregular, closing heavy.
Beef less active Lard quiet whiskey, usual, dull
and nearly nominal.
The Finality-Important Proclamation
~ the Prssident-The southern States
Restored.
The President has attingly celebrated the
first anniversary Of the fall Of Richmond by
the publication Of q proclamation officially
announcing the rebellion at an end, peace
restored, the State governments again recon.
structed and in working order, and the general
government firmly in power throughout the
entire Union.
The great purpose and object Of the war
was the preservation Of the Union. To doubt
this was till lately but little less than treason;
and many who from time to time ventured to
declare that the object of the war was the con-
quest and destruction Of certain States were
for no other reason classed Is feeble friends, if
not positive foes, Of the country. Indeed, the
declaration that the war was one of oppression,
subjugation and conquest was the staple of
those who opposed the war and impugned our
motives, whether in the South, in England, or in
the rebel press of our Northern cities. All the
country can remember well the supreme scorn
and indignation with which the orators of the
republican party denied those declarations of
the enemy. Each We'd with the other in the
endeavor to give more forcible expression to
the great purpose of the people that the war
was to maintain the Union, and to show that if
the war should involve the abolition of slavery
it would be only as an incident, and not as
primary object. We were even reproached by
Earl Russell with want Of this purpose against
slavery.
Congress, in sympathy with the people, went
to the limit of the language to give emphasis
to the declaration that the war was war for
the Union. Just after the battle Of Bull run
| 1t adopted resolution In which werc these
| words:-'In this national emergency Congress,
banishing all feeling of nero passion and re-
sentiment, will recollect only its duty to the
whole country; that this war = not prosecuted
upon our part in any spirit Of oppression, nor
for any purpose Of conquest or subjugation,
nor for the purpose of ovcrthrowing or inter
fering with the rights or established institu-
tons of those States, but to defend and main
tain the supremacy Of the constitution and oil
laws made in pursuance thereof, and to pre-
serve the Union, with all the dignity, equality
and rights of the several States unimpaired;
that as soon as these objects ape accomplished
the war ought to cease" Nothing could be
more emphatic or positive than this. But there
was one Representative who believed that
even this did not 60 far enough as to the
preservation Of the States, and who therefore
desired to 60 further. This was Thaddeus
Stevens, Of Pennsylvania. On December
1862, that gentleman offered in Congress reso
lutions declaring that "the Union must
be and remain one and indivisible for.
ever" and also that "if any person In
the employment of the United States In either
the legislative or executive branch should pro
pose to make peace, or mould advise tho ac
ceptance Of any such proposition on any othel
basis than the integrity and entire unity Of thu
United States and their Territories as they
existed at the time Of the rebellion, be VIII b.
guilty of . high crime"
Such was the position at that time Of Con
gress, of the country, and Of the republican
party, then in sympathy with the people ant
expressing the popular will. AT that TIM
Congress- the President and the people wer'
asked to acknowledge that tho abolition o
slavery was the object Of the war, and the!
repudiated the thought Congress was asket
to declare that the States which rebclled hat
forfeited their existence as States. Mr.. Con
way, Of Kansas, offered q resolution declaring