Daily union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1865-1866, 1866-07-04
VOLUME XXXIII.


/ recognized by the Constitution ct original
! compact of the Union. There were several
! possible alternatives 70 this plan Of recon
] stuction
"lst. Consolidation the swallowing up Of
! all State Governments by the General Gov
ernment. making the whole country one
! State, only div ided into provinces for easier
administration. but connected as one entity
Of policy and power.
ODD. Territorialism the control Of the
/ Southern States by Congress and Executive
representing only the Northern States-that
Is colonial vassllage and government by au
/ thority Of greater force.
I'D. By open subversion and usurpahon
| 10 establish despotisIn over North and
| South, while yet preserving a certain Re
! publican form.
In replying 70 one who served through
the war for no other purpose, as you aver,
than 10 defend and maintain the Union as
defined by the Constitution" continued Mr.
Davis, " the can be no necessity for con-
sidering any other policy than that OF re-cs-
tablishing the relations Of all the States and
| their citizens 70 each other and the United
States Government.
" Every mans experience must teach him
that quarrels between friends are best healed
when they are healed most promptly. The
alienation which was at first pain, becomes
bv time habitual, and the mantle Of charity
being Withdrawn, the faults of each become
more and more distinct to the other, and
thus the bitterest hates naturally spring from
the ashes Of closest friendship.
1t il therefore probably to be regretted
that so much delay has occurred in the work
Of reconstruction, because Of the enhance
ment thereby Of the didculties in the way OF
speedy and cordial reconciliation. This
opinion is qualified as probable, because OF
my want of recent intercourse with the peO-
pie. A short time before the close Of the
war, the idea was infused into my people, as
you are well aware, that if they would cease
resistance, the Union would be restored, and
all their rights Of person and property res
pected, save the property held in slaves,
which would be a question for the courts. !
have no doubt that a majority very large
maiority-of the Southern people accepted
this proposed settlement with singleness of
purpose; and would if cenfdingly and gen.
erou.ly treated, have been now industriOusly
engaged in repairing their wrecked fortunes,
without any thought Of again resisting or
Obstructing the General Government in its
ordinary functions.
"H0w far the public wealth would by this
course have been increased, the public ex-
penditures lessened, ma" be measured by
many hundred millions Of dollars. If it be
true that much has been lost morally and
materially, by delay, it would seem that
true policy indicates the prOmptest action IN
what is termed Reconstruction. The North
says we have done evil, and when bidding
us cease 10 do evil should not prevent us
learning to do we'll This can only be done
by removing all impediments to the eXer-
else Of State functions and the re-enioyment
of such civil and political rights as are left
us in the Union.
each House Of Congress is Judge Of the
election and qualification Of It's own mem
bers The Constitution has settled the queB-
tiOn Of representation. A constituency may
lose its rights for a time by selecting ineli-
gible persons TO be its Representatives; but
the right of representation is not impaired
thereby, and the mistake or abuse may be
remedied by a new election. Test-oaths are
evil continually, and only evil. They re
strain those honorable men wEO require no
fetters, while men OF 4 different class will
either take them periuriously or with a
mental reservation All history has proved
them Intellectual ard something worse.
Our foreiather5 emigrated to a wilder
ness, and waged the war OF the Revolution,
to have and 20 hold a government founded
on the consent Of the governed. They con-
suited and compromised with each other to
establish a voluntary Union If that idea
is 10 be followed, confidence, generosity, fra
ternty, and not test-oaths, disabilities, and
armies quartered in the interior, must be re-
lied on TO restore the Union and make it re-
effective for the ends for which it was formed.
Reconstruction" continued Mr.. DAVIS,
Cannot properly involve or be made to de-
pend on those social problems which have
arisen from the sudden disruption Of the re-
lations existing between the white and the
black races in the Southern Staes. These
problems belong to the several States, and
must have treatment according to the differ
ent circumstances of each. No general rule
can properly be made applicable to all, and
It will prove unfortunate if the subject is
controlled by distant but poorly informed, if
not preiudiced authority. The self-interest
of individuals and communities, together
with the demand for labor so far exceeding
the supply, may safely be left to protect the
laborer.
The public actions Of the Southern State
Conventions furnishes conclusive evidence
of the desire Of the Southern people to re-
sumo their position in the Union; and 1t
must strike all observers with surprise, that
while those who strove so desperately to
leave the Union, are now 50 earnestly en-
deavoring to reassume their sword to destroy
them. or compel them to return, who now
bar the door and deny them readmissiOn to
that very condition to which it was through
out the war proclaimed TO be their first and
last duty to return. SOLITARY reflection" /"
concluded Mr.. DAVIS, has given, me no
key to the mysterious origin Of this change
in Northern opinion, which find evidenced
in every newspaper that reaches me; and
perhaps my own sad state has Gnged with
! its gloom the visits Of the future, if, thus
alienated disiointed and adrift, the country
| should be visited with such trials of foreign
| war, either with France or England, or both,
as are now suggested in the public journals
/ Of America. and their extracts fron the Eu-
/ ropean press
/ This conversation impressed me much,
| and has been recorded with peculiar care,
| Mr. DAVIS delivering il with great deliber-
alton and earuestncss, as though the subject
were one upon which he had been rejecting.
/ 1t is rs nearly as possible reproduced in ms
/ own words without abridgCmcut, and may,
! perhaps. bc Of some suggestive valuc-per-
! haps of none. Let the wise of the land de
| temine.