The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1866-05-25

the great, but in every sense sacred,
debt is perceptibly diminished. For
eign nations have desisted from inter
| vention and assumed an attitude of
Cancellation and friendship.
The people of the lately rebellious
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 the disloyal States capital and labor
combining and cooperating under
free contract system, which to them is
a new thing, are beginning with success
| TO obliterate the tracks of ruin and
devastation.
l do not say that cavil and criticism
can find no shades to darzen this plea.
sing picture.
Irregularities deform every human
work, and the telescope reveals to us
spots even on the sun. In view of this
rapid progress of peace and reconcilia-
ton, we might well expect to find the
country, if not content, yet cheerful
| and hopeful as we'll rs grateful to AL
| mighty God. Such, indeed, | conceive
to be the real state of the public mind.
Many citizens are Unprepared to accept
| the improved situation of affairs.
The feature of affairs which disturbs
the public mind is a supposed diverg
ence between the President and Con-
gress, from the party of which he and
they have derived their powers.
| agree that it is altogether easier, and
more desirable, that the work of re-
Cancellation, so happily begun and so
successfully prosecuted heretofore, shall
be continued and ended under the au-
spices of the National Union party,
| and of the President and Congress, as
| the representatives of theat party
/ agree, therefore, that it would be
sad misfortune if q divergence between
the President and Congress should
work the decline and downfall of the
National Union party. 1t is dear to me,
for | am identified with its rapid rise,
its majestic progress, and its glorious
work Both the President and Con
gress might we'll expect to be equally
involved in the calamity which should
dismiss the Union party from the Ma
tional councils, and see the great re-
sponsibilities to which the party had in
that case proved itself unequal, assum-
ed and discharged by some new and
yet undeveloped political organization.
But the President, Congress and parties
are of no real account, in my opinion,
when weighed against the national life.
The national life lately hung on the
issue Of victory won in war 1t now
hangs on the issue of reconciliation in
peace. The nation must live.
1t must live forever, whether it re-
ceive the needed care in any emer-
gency at the hands of one President, |
Congress, and party, or at the hands of
another. | reasoned in this way about |
the triumph of war; | reason in this |
same way now in regard to rccOncIlia- |
ton and peace | expect that year
hence ! shall be found to be right now, |
as | am now generally admitted to
have been right one year, two years,
three years ago.
do not think, however, that there |
is any necessity for separation between |
the President, the Congress and the |
party of the Union. ] admit that the /
jealousies and suspicious of the last |
summer were only temporarily allayed, |
not extinguished, by the elections of |
November. They have been sedulOusly |
cherished and increased until they |
have revived themselves in infiamma-
tory debates in the press and popular
assemblies.
| admit that the National Union |
party in Congress has as yet been unar
BILE either to accept or reject the councils |
! of the President A wide and enduring |
separation cannot, however, be made |
| between Congress and the President, |
without having for its groove a serious
difference upon some cardinal political |
questions.
At this point it will be well to settle |
! for yourselves what it is that We are |
| desiring to see effected by the Presi- !
dent and Congress. We all agree that |
we desire and seek Just what the ma
ton needs at the present junCture !
We cant accept less than this, because !
it would leave us still, if not a deserted,
at least a disturbed and distracted |
country.
We cannot require more, because |
even if more were desirable, yet that |
more Is needed, and must be the |
study and the work not of ourselves, at |
this particular period, but of ourselves !
and our successors hereafter. What, |
then, does the country actually need2 |
Most persons say reconstruction. l |
think 1t needs no such thing The |
country is reconstructed already. 1t |
was reconstructed in 1887. AS then con- |
structed it was Union of thirteen, |
since multiplied to thirty-six equal, |
.separate, selfacting, and, IN regard to |
internal affairs, selfgoVerning, States. |
We do not reconstruct that which has |
not been destroyed. There has, indeed, |
been an attempt at the destruction, |
but it he's failed.
The political system, costructed by
our foreiatheTs, stands now firm, COM
pact, complete and perfect, just as it
came from the builders hands. 1t was
constructed, not for eighty years only
not for a time of peace only; nor yet
for period of civil war only, but for all
attending conditions of peace and war,
and for all ages and all time.
Others say what the country needs is
the restoration Of the anatomy of the
nation. | think it needs no such thing
We have passed that point The South
ern States, during four years, were dis
organized equally in their constitution
al relations to the Union. They have,
however, since that time, recognized.
Their organic powers and functions
have been renewed, and they have re
sumed their constitutional relations Of
allegiance to the Union.
What then does the nation need ? 1t
needs Just what have dwelt upon so
much and SO earnestly in these re-
marks. 1t needs reconciliation, and
just now needs nothing more. Itneeds
Just this Congressional reconciliation,
and nothing less. Let the reoonoilia-
ton be made first either Ia Congress or
in any of the constituencies, and it will
follow in the othef place Immediately.
The country exhibits at this moment
this extraordinary and interesting phe-
nomencn of States, not only kindred,
but allied, yet hostile to each other.
For that condition mutual reconcilia-
ton is the only practical remedy. We
are prepared now to ask what binders
the application of that remedy in the
legislative councils.
The Presidents position is absolutely |
taken, well defined, and universally
understood. 1t is this, namely: That
so far and so fast as the unrepresented
States present themselves unquestiOn- |
ably loyal, they are entitled 70 repre-
sentation in Congress equally with all
other States, and just as well as If there
had been no rebellion.
e |