The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1866-09-27
THE PENDING CANVASS.
speech of the Hon. Thnddeus Gae.
Vens' Delivered at Bedford, Pa,
ON Tuesday Evening, Septembe,.
A, 1856 ....s - = -

1t seems to me that / ought not {
haveaccepted the invitation to speak be
: fore a meeting assembled mainly to dis
cuss State issues and State candidates
y Being recently from Washington, / fee
1t to be proper in my first public speecl
Q to examine the state of National affairs
. glance at some Of the acts Of the Presi
dent, and candidly and impartially ex
, anime the acts and omissions of Con.
gress, with.a view rather to the benefit
OF the country than of party. This will
necessarily make my remarks tame.
The vivacity of the meeting must be lef,
to younger men who will discuss State
and local issues and candidates.
For the last five years the Congress Of
the United States has been charged with
more difficult duties than ever fell to the
lot of any other deliberative body. It
was charged with the defense of nation
rlysn n. in twain by the most gigantic re-
belllon which ever happened in a civil
iZed nation; rebellion more formida-
Die than was ever before reduced to un-
conditional submission.
The nation was found distracted bv
parties; very considerable portion of
which, North as well as South, sympa-
thlzed with the Rebels; who, in the
loyal States, if they did not give them
material aid, encouraged them with
hopeful promises, and assisted them by
voting against supplies of men and mon
ey to carry on the war.
But there were found brave men
enough in Congress to overcome their
opposition; and there were found brave
and noble men enough among the 'peo-
pie to subdue Southern traitors and
Northern Copperheads. While we are
remembering the patriots who have
achieved these things, we must not for
get the MANNED and wounded heroes
who are among us, nor the graves of
those who have fallen. The arms of
the Union triumphed. Freedom un-
turled her banner over that land which
for centuries had been cursed and dis
graced by Slavery. -
That triumph brought with it difficult
ties even greater than the war itself a
10 rebuild a shattered empire; to re- inc
move the old foundations, which had
become so corroded by the sweat of sla,al,
very as to be unfit to bear the proud wy ~
temple of universal Freedom; to planton
deep and solid the corner stone of eterIon
nal Justice, and to erect thereon a su.f hit
9erstructure of perfect equality of everycss
human being before the law; of impar-esse
lal protection to every one in whose Tc
'reast God had placed an immortal soul It re
Without regard to nation or race or COL 9rse .
'r; to overcome the prejudice and ig- ne
lorance and wickedness which resisted Sn
uch reform required more than tho. M NV
wisdom of Solon or Lycurgus, the pa-ster
fence of Job, and the meekness, humiI,utye
Ly, and philanthropy of Socrates, and.te t
nc SreaVer IMAM socrates. aH a sng
You may perceive how difficult itthat
'as to find all these qualities combinedwen
mong the recent defenders of slavery !. 1S
ne spologists of secession, the timid-. 4 :
onservatives, and the ardent, impulsiye. no
ncere but halting radicals. Notwith. .srEr
'andlng the large majority which the|s6rt
'epubtllcans nominally had, the unex- first
ected apostacy OF their chief perplexednedi
'me; and the ligbtnings which were ye
lrled at them from the White House er IA
locked others. The jesuitism, the i'm econ
'cility, the impudence and vacillationr~" :, =
own by the Cabinet ministers perplex-, JO', IN
!, and for while paralyzed Congress REC
reluctant to make war upon the Ex- of "
utlve OF their choice, they sought the &
cry expedient to avoid it. But when nent
became inevitable, they accepted it 3 mo
tn courage and unanimity, which itcs.
es great credit to their bravery and inte te
nesty' There were q few tremblers g g
d few apostates; but they were so e. & !,
that their absence in the next Con- ~
ess will not be noticed, and is very
'irable, Pennsylvania, think, had gent
J fewest number. m,
When the war ended, the work of re- ,outh
lstruction would have been easy had ,g hu
the Departments of Government pta
Aimed themselves to their legitimate by "
leres. The rebels were submissive ht by
asked only to be allowed their for resSi'
ed lives. Having lost all by treason
the fortunes of war; having des- Iulv i
yed their State governments under =
Constitution and voluntarily severed A
Ir connection with the United States tACHT
thereby lost all claims to protection FITCH
Ter the Constitution; having declare iombine
alien enemies, and in that Ipular
racter having waged war of savage her es
city against the Union; having cs s.
ghtered nearly half million of our e 1rsa 81
sens, and inflicted cost of more viii
i've billions of dollars; they were dent
ing to surrender the government of II
conquered territories to their con- oua,
fors, to be governed by such laws as Veto
choseto impose; to surrender their man
tes to reimburse the expenses and Il n
ages of the war; to suffer such fur and
flnes and imprisonments as their tn !,
It crimes deserved. The harmoni- moss,
action Of the Government would toed
secured all these, SO far as policy Sena
Justice required, and by this time ores,
several States would have been in 10
Union, with Constitutions perfectly sage
n