The Potter journal. [volume] (Coudersport, Pa.) 1857-1872, 1866-10-09
Continued from first page.

rebellion ITSELF they will, like sensible men,
prepare for the inevitable future. We
must recollect that there are men in the
South-men of sense and men Of reason
men who but for Andrew Johnsons extra
ordinary perfdy, would to-day be almost
where we are, and would Ger ainly be ad
vocating the proposed amendmel to the
National Constitution. My friend, Col.
Curtis, who sits by my side, and who served
in Congress while | was an officer of the
House of Representatives, has conferred
with me in reference to these men, and he
agrees with me in believing that such
statesmen as Governor Orr, of South Car
olina, would, if properly encouraged, or at
least convinced by the fairly-represented
public opinion of the free States, would
have been not only in favor OF this consti-
tutional amendment, but in favor of the
full and final enfranchisement of the colored
man. There are other men in the South
beside Governor Orr. There is a distin-
guished statesman in Georgia, Joshua Hill,
who said to me very truly, that the most
unfortunate thing that could have happened
to the Southern country, was Johnson's
proffer to them in the shape Of what he
calls "My Policy" There are in Virginia
n number of statesmen of the same class,
ana so all through the South, even in Mis-
sissippi and in Alabamy. Now, if you will
notice, all those from the South who have
sustained Andrew Johnson, have all done
80 with apparent reluctance. Not one dis
tlnguished leader of the rebellion has ap-
peared as the especial champion of "My
Policy" with probably the exception Of
Gov. Sharkey of Mississippi, and Gov. Par
sons, of Alabama; and one of these men
stated to me, shortly after the accession of
Andrew Johnson to the Presidency, their
willingness to unite with the North in con-
ferring full franchises upon the colored man.
You will note that when the Philadelphia
Convention assembled in August with the
exceptions | have made, none Of the great
leaders of the Southern opinion appeared. 1t
is true many of these leaders are dead, some
of them are expatriated, but there still re-
mains large number of sensible and rea-
sonable men who will not be untaught by
the great lesson which is being read to
Andrew johnson and the whole civilized
world in the recent election.
Hon. Galusha A. Grow was :hen intro
duced:
He congratulated the people upon being
near tn the occasion of administering a re-
buke in constitutional method to unfaith-
fut public servants. They were to inform
them that the country must be ruled BY
loyal men. The South in 1860 appealed
from the decision of the ballot-box of No
vember, 1860, to the cartridge-box, and
failed. The loyal North sent Its bravest
and best, it expended untold sums of treas
ures, that the Union might live, and con-
tinue to be the hope of mankind. 1t was
the triumph of the Republicans. There
were no thanks to be rendered to the Dem
ocratic party that the Union flag was float
ing everywhere over the country. Instead,
they sympathized with and did all in their
power to make the rebellion successful.
Now they wanted to be again entrusted
with power, and again to do their utmost
in conjunction with the unrepentaut rebels.
Should this Government 90 down, should
the last experiment of free government fail,
the crushed millions of the world may hug
their chains as the only legacy they can
beQueath to their children.
There were two policies presented, that
of Congress and that of the President
What right has the President to have a
policyl His duty is to approve the laws
passed by Congress, and to see they are
executed. The moment he sets himself
up in opposition to Congress in forming
the status of STATES for citizens, he becomes
an usurper of the Legislative powers of the
Government. He was made President by
the bullet of the assassin, and in his policy
he seems to be faithful to that constituent
lie is willing to take the rebels back if they
will only swear. We have had too much
Of that already. They took an oath to
support the Government, and then bent
all their powers to destroy it. They want
TO come back on the same oath. Shall
they be trusted? Shall they be restored
to power without security for the future
If that day comes, let the two armies meet
once again at AppomattOx Courthouse
and bid Grant surrender to Lee, for the
battle will have been fought in vain. When
the American people admit the rebels to
power without the bond of security for the
future, strew nc more your heroes graves
with flowers. How the States are to be
restored and what shall be the status of
citizenship with them, is the question.
Congress has proposed bond and asks
them to sign it. Tennessee has approved
it already. [Cheers. They declare that
all men born in the United States are citi-
zens. For fifty years free speech and the
freedom of the press have been mockery
]