The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1866-02-14

ern Governments which have taken that
Senate as their example, and drawn their
inspiration from the wisdom of its coun-
sells. What, then, did the Senate do?-
Did it speak destruction to these States,
slavery and beggary to these unhappy
people? No, no, no! Such an act of
stupid vengeance was deemed unworthy
of the majesty of the Roman people-un-
worthy the magnanimity and generosity
of the Roman Senate. Such an act Of
malignant stupidity has been reserved for
a later day, and for little faction in the
northeast corner of this Republic-more
debased by superstition and brutalized by
fanaticism. What did that Senate do?
1t passed decree, ratified in the full as
sembly of the Roman people. What
manner of decree was .hat2 It was de-
cree comforting the rights of citizenship,
in all their fullness. Upon whom2 They
we're conferred within the last year Of the
war, and upon every one of the seeded
States which had laid down their arms
Having done this-having by this high
act of magnanimity and justice, restored
the Italian Union more strongly than be-
fore-the Roman Senate incorporated the
surviving troops of the late Confederacy
into the body of the Roman legions. She
ordered those legions to Asia Minor to
recover her territories there, which Mi
thradates, taking advantage Of the Social
War in Italy, had overrun and occupied
with his troops; and those legions speedi-
ly sent this ancient Maximilian back to
his little Kingdom of Pontus, which within
a few years after, they added as prov
ince to the Roman Republic.
Italy, thus reunited upon the basis Of
equal rights, by admitting all to partici-
pate in the benefits, who were required to
Share the burthens of Government, was
enabled to exhibit that political phenom-
enon, never before. or since seen in the
world, of a Government which, though
repeatedly convulsed by anarchy and
changed by internal revolution, yet main
tanned its unity and its power, as against
the rest, of mankind, and prosecuted, for
five hundred years after the close of the
Social war, Its vast system of foreign con-
quest, without the intermission of sin
gle hour: and without having, in all that
time, signed single treaty of peace by
which one acre Of its territorial conqusts
was surrendered or restored.
/ have been thus particular in these
historical details, because foolish fanatic
has lately attempted to falsify history,
by representing the Roman Senate as
having been, on this great occasion, as
stupid and as brutal as himself.
What will our Legislators at Washing
ton do? The Constitution is before them
Their oaths are still upon their lips
Will they redeem these solemn pledges
thus made to the Almighty, that they
would support this Constitution? viii
they respect the wise counsels of tho
President?-the we'll matured opinions Of
our ablest Gcnerals?-the generous in,
sticts of our entire army? Will they re.
spect what should be more obligatory
than Executive or Military counsels-
the wishes-the commands--or forty.
nine fftieths of the American people? L
SO. the Representatives from the South
will be speedily admitted; and Congress;
will have contributed something toward
the mighty effort of national strength
which will be required to lift this country
over that deep, dark gulf Of an all EN-
bracing bankruptcy, with which its fu-
ture is threatened.
The people of the South are still oul
countrymen; and, Notwithstanding the
awful error which they committed, il
bringing on the Nations troubles, an
error in which the North itself participat-
ed, they are still as heroic, as magnani-
nous, as generous, as just, and as patri-
etic, as their countrymen Of the North
or as any other people the world contains
1t must not be forgotten that the people
of the South have ever contributed their
full proportion to that great aggregate oi
private and public virtues which have
made this nation what it is Six hun.
dred thousand people born in the North
reside in the South; five hundred thousand
people born in the South reside in the
North; and, notwithstanding the eontin-
ued tide of emigration from abroad to oul
shores, no great nation on earth bears
upon its face so many features of family
| likeness. Nowhere else is there to be
found great nation so characterized by
homogeniety of texture, and unity OF
character; and it was this very homogen-
iety and unity far more than the coun
try's surface. which rendered the disrup.
ton of the political Union impossible.
What Congress has to do, is not to re,
store the Union; but to recognize the fac
that the Union has never been dissolved
The Representatives of the South should
be admitted not merely as matter o.
right, but with an urbane and generou;
magnanimity. They should be received
not with sneers and jeers-not with the
vulgar arrogance of dominant materia
force-not as enslaved prisoners of wal
to place behind the car of the victor
but as the members of common family
who have been estranged for the momen
by the unseen workings of those natura
laws which so often break in upon the
artificial arrangements of political com
munities, and exhibit phenomena which
all may see but none can interpret. They
should be received as children of com
mon parentage-not with a clouded brow
and threatening aspeCt-but with oper
arms, with sobs and tears for the mis-
cry we have been compelled to intict upol
them. If Congress shall thus clevat,
itself to high point from which,it maJ