Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1866-09-17
CONGRESSIONAL UNIONIS VI.
Radical Masaa c huset,s Convention

BosToN, Sept. T3.-In the afternoon
the convention adopted an address tC
the people of Massachusetts,. The ad
dress says:
We beheld the strange spectacle o
the President of the United States delib
erately placing himself at the head o
the combination of half reconstructed
rebels and their defeated Northern allies,
going about the country accompanied
" porcion of his cabinet, and depounc
ing me legislative branches of the gov
ernpert as an illegal and traitorous
body, hanging upon the verge of the
government, whicn government he alon c
proposes to be; and avowing principles
and purposes, the logical result of which
must be violent attempt to subvert
Congress, or at the very least a repudia-
ton of all its legislation since the war
broke out
"We cannot be insensible that, until the
term of this dangerous man shall expire,
the financial and business interests of the
country will be subject to disturbance.
All the legislation of Congress is liable
to an overthrow, or denial of its valid
ity. The amendment to the Constitution
prohibiting slavery is of a preearisus and
doubtful permanence, and there is immi-
nent danger of losing everything which
we won by successful war on land and
sea-
The address then declared that Con-
gress ought not only to be sustained, but
strengthened at the coming election
throughout the country
Second-Tnat the country has already
suffered enough from the presence of
traitors in the capitol, and the greatest
caution against che entrance of disloyal
conspirators or halfconstructed Union
lists ought to be exercised, and no States
or communities ought to be represented
in the Senate or House unless evidence
is given, satisfactory to the representa-
tives and people of the North and the
loyal people of the South that such
States or communities, as well as the
men chosen to represent them, are loyal,
and likely 20 remain So
Third-That so long as there exists
party dominant in some of the States,
and defiant in all, which hopes by Presi-
Dental aid to break down the Congress-
ional control over the question of recon
struction, aud reinstate in their seats the
representatives of treason and rebellion,
the people have no security except in
their own continued vigilance against
disastrous reaction which may put back
the cause of progress many years, and
disgrace the country in the eyes Of the
civilized world
Fourth-That we desire the restoration
of all the States to the Union, under con-
ditions Of justice and liberty. We APP
prove the amendmentto to the Constitution
proposed by Congress, and now pending
before the States, and that we are fally
prepared to believe the declaration of the
Southern Unionists, made at Philadel-
phia, that there can be no safety to the
country until the national birthright Of
suffrage and equality before the law be
upon every citizen OF the
States they represent. The principles
and traditions Of the commonwealth i'm
pel her to second this demand so sol
emnly made for the complete enfran
chisement of an American and demo-
cratic policy Of government
Finally, fellow-citizens, we recognize
tDe lhct lnat MI qutohOho VI iSSchShuS-
ton, of suffrage, of protection to the
of securing to the prosecuted
Unionists Of the South, resolve them
selves into these Shall the people who
saved the country still controlit1 Shall
the soldiers Of the Union whose bravery
decided on the field the fate Of the war,
and whose services will be held in ever
lasting remembrance, reap the rich
rewards of thei- labors in a regenerated
country? In the words Of an eminent
Tennessee loyalist, now the guest OF the !
people of Massachusetts, " Shall we
reconstruct the rebels, or shall they
us
The address was unanimously adopted
BOsTos, September l3.-The Republi
can Convention, at o'clock to-day, ad-
iourned to Faneul Hall in body, TO pay
respect to the Southern loyaiists now
here. The jam was immense, probably |
Eve thousand persons being inside the !