Cleveland daily leader. [volume] ([Cleveland, Ohio]) 1865-1873, 1866-05-23
VOL. XX---NO. l2O.

3 taneOusly Assem- bled and adpted new con
, stitutions in conformity with the eOnstitn
tiou OF tho United States. They upturned
the rebellion with all its far-spreading
roots and all its poisonous fruits, and they
accepted and ratified the pending Congres-
sional amendment to the constitution Of the
United States, which abolished slavery
thencelorth forever. The people Of these
States have at the same time chosen fol
themselves, by free and uncontrolled suff-
rage, Governors, Legislators, Judicial and
Municipal authorities. Between the Fed
eral Government and the restored and
reorganized State governments, there
exists now a more complete and
practical harmony than has ever before
prevailed between the Union and so many
of its members since it was first establish
ed. Within the same time the executive
department of the United States has as
sumed its functions among the people of
these former disloyal States. The State
Department speaks for them with their
free consent to principalities and powers.
The treasury collects the national impOsts
and taxes there. The war power distrib-
utes its forces whenever and wherever it
seems necessary and expedient to inter
iere between thesinveterate but fast expir-
ing factions. The navy of the United
States rides freely in all their ports and
I udTDoIs. ING OSlOluc6 clTCuAdEes
every vein and artery there, the knowledge
OF which is the revivifying blood of a united
Republic. The Interior Department pays
pensions, protects the Indians, sells lands,
and defrays the expenses of the Judicial ad
ministration. The Attorney General prose-
cutes traitors and other disturbers of the
peace there before the Federal Courts. All
this has been done with the active concur
renee of the people ofthese States, absolute
/ ly free from military control, while the army
/ Of the United States instead of being in
creased has been reduced from million and
half of men to some sixty or eighty thou
sand men, The expenses of the Federal
/ Government have been reduced from two
million and half per day to sum less
than the daily receipts, and the great, but
in every respect, sacred debt, is rapidly
diminished.
Foreign nations have desisted from in
| tervention and assumed an attitude of con-
ciliation and friendship. The people of
the lately disloyal States desiring to pass
the last stage Of restoration as speedily as
possible, have chosen Senators to represent
them in the Senate and members to answer
for them in the House. Industry is more
vigorous and effective than ever before in
thc disloyal States, and capital and labor
combining and CO operating under free
| contract system, which to them is altogether
new, is beginning with success to obliterate
the tracks Of ruin and devastation. l do
not say that caYil and criticism can find no
dark shades TO darken this pleasing pic
ture. Irregularities deform every human
work and the telescope reveals te
US spots even on the sun. In
view cf this rapid progress of peace
and reconciliation, we might well expect to
find the country if not eOntented yet cheer
ful and hopeful, as well as grateful to Al
mighty God. Such, indeed, conceive to
be the real state of the public mind. Many
citizens are unprepared to accept tho i'm
proved situation of affairs. The feature Of
affairs which disturbs the public mind is
supposed divergence between the President
and Congress of the party from which he
and they have derived their respective but
coordinate powers. l agree that it is alto
gether easier, and altogether more desire
able, that the work of reconstruction, so
happily begun and SO successfully prosecut-
ed heretofore, shall be continued, under the
auspices of the national Union party, and
under the President and Congress, as the
representatives of the party l agree, there
fore, that it would be sad misfortune if
divergence between the President and Con-
gress should work a decline and downfall
10 the national Union party. 1t is dear to
me, for | am identified with its rapid rise
and progress, and its glorious work.
Both the President and Congress might
well expect TO be equally involved in the
calamity which should dismiss the Union
party from the national c0Incils, and see
with more than fear the great responsibili-
| ty, to which the party had in that case
proved itself unequal, assumed and dis
charged by some new and yet undeveloped
political organization. But President, Con-
| -, nd of No raa1
account in my estimation when weighed
against the national life. The national life
| lately hung on the issue Of victory won in
war; it now hangs on the issue Of recon
ciliation in peace. The nation must live,
/ it must live forever, whether it receive the
needed care in any emergency at the haud
of one President, Congress and party, or at
the hands of another. I reasoned in this
way about the triumph of war. I reason in
the same way now in regard to reconeilia-
tion. 1 expect that year hence shall be
found to be right now, as l am now ad-
mitted to have been right one year, two
years, three years ago.
l do not think, however, that there is
any necessity for separation between the
| President, the Congress, and the party of
| the Union. l admit that the jealousies Of
the last summer were only temporary, and
not extinguished by the elections of Novem-
Der. The have been seduously cherished
and increased until they have revealed
themselves in infammatory debates in the
press and popular assemblies. I admit that
/ the national party in Congress has as yet
/ been unable either to accept or reject the
council Of the President. A wide and en-
during separation cannot, however be made
between Congress and the President with
out having for its origin grave and serious
~ hau
point it viii be foiyou to settle for yourself
what it is that we are desiring to see effected
| by the President and Congress. We all
agree that we desire and seek just what the
nation needs. At the present juncture we
cannot accept less than this, because it
would leave us still, if not desolated, at
/ least q disturbed and distracted country.
We cannot require more, because even if
more were desirable, yet that more is de-
| batable, and must be the study and the
work not yourselves at this particular pc
riod, but Of ourselves and our successors
hereafter. What then does the country
I actually need. Most persons say Recon
| struction. think it needs no such thing, lis
| reconstructed already. 1t was constructed IN
| 1877. As then constructed, it was Union OF
| thirteen States It has since been multiplied
| To thirty-six free, equal, separate, self-act-
| ing. and in regard TO internal affairs, self
| goYerninr States. We do not reconstruct
| that which has not been destroyed; there
/ has indeed been an attempt at destruction.
but it has failed. The political system Of
| I7s7, constituted by our forefathers, stands
now firm and compact, complete and per-
feet. lust as it came from the builders hands.
II was constructed not for eighty years only
nor vet for time of peace only, nor
vet for a period of civil war only, but
4 for all alternating conditions Of peace and
war and for all ages and all time. Others
| saw. what the country needs is the restora-
tion of the Unity of the nation. I think it
needs no such thing, for all have passed that
point. The Southern States during four
wears were dragged and disorganized from
their constitutional relations to the Union.
They have, however, since that time or
qanized, their original powersj have been
renewed, and they have resumed their con-
stitutional relation Of allegiance to the
Union. What then does the nation need
II needs lust what have dwelt upon so
much and SO earnestly IN these remarks
II needs reconciliation itjust now needs
nothing more. It needs Just this Congress
sionsl reconciliation and nothing more.
Let the reconciliation be made frst, either
in Congress or in any of the constituencies,
and Il will follow in the other place imme-
dialely. The country exhibits at this mo-
ment this extraordinary phenomena OF
States not only kindred but allied, yet hos
tile 70 each other. For such a condition
mutuai Reconciliation is the only practical
~ 10 1ak