The Placer herald., 1866-04-28
Robert J, Walkers Letter.

Az Tue great CONSERVATIVE meeting HeIC ID
New York on the anniversary Of the birth
Of Washington, the following letter was read
from the Hon. r. j. Walker, one of the most
influential Union men during the War:
Philadelphia Feb. 22, ls66-Simeon
Draper, Esq: Detained from the great
Union meeting by circumstances beyond my
control, / must address it Geographically,
and not as did after the fall Of Sumter.
President Johnson's veto opens the new cam.
paign in favor of the Union. 1t arrests the
overthrow of the States and the concentra.
ton Of all power in one consolidated mii
tary despotism. 1t prevents the expulsion
of eleven States from the Union, and the
erection Of eleven Irelands within its limits
10 be controlled and oppressed by military
power. 1t prevents the quartering large
standing army and hosts Of officials in the
South, With an enormous increase of our
debt, to be followed surely by oppressive
taxation. 1t prevents the defeat of the plans
Of the Secretary Of the Treasury for the
funding and reduction Of the public debt,
and a safe and gradual return to specie pay
ments. Reputation is disgrace and ruin,
and the probable extinction of republican
institutions throughout the world.
This result, or large standing armies and
oppressive taxation, caused by the policy Of
the Presidents opponents, would produce an
earthquake convusion. 1t would qpadruple
the excise and income tax; blight every field;
becalm every vessel; break every bank and
railroad, and ruin every factory in the coun-.
try. 1t dissolves the Union and destroys the
Constitution, and erecs military despotism
upon its ruins. 1t would postpone, indef-
uitely, the transfer of the command of the
commerce and exchanges of the world from
Europe to America. European despots
would exult, while the friends of freedom in
the old world, and especially in Ireland and
Germany, would weep tears of blood. John
son is walking in the footsteps of Jackson and
Lincoln, and teaching their sentiment. The
Union shall be preserved. The prolonged
government of eleven States as conquered
provinces, enforcing taxation without repre-
sentation, would permanently ALLEVIATE the
South from the North. 1t might drive them
to madness and despair, and renew the civil
war when our credit and resources were ex
hausted. We have emapcipated, carried
only by Johnson's policy, four millions ef
negroes.
Let us not attempt to enslave eight mil
lions of our erring white brethren of the
South. They will all welcome death before
such a state as this. l have fought all my
life against secession and disunion in the
South, and renew the contest against it in
the North. Congress has no constitutional
power to dissolve the Union; and to condemn
eleven States to territorial pupilage is dis
solution of the Union. l cannot 60 with
Northern or Southern dsunionists. John
sons policy alone can practically restore the
Union. 1t has already crushed the heresy
of secession. al. the South, and it alone has se-
cured constitutional majority for the abo.
lition of slavery. II the heresy Of secession
is crushed st the South, and emancipation
secured, the crownihg glory rests upon the
head of Andrew johnson. Slavery and se'
cession-our only discordant eements-be'
ing thus extirpated, the Johnsonian policy
will 90 on conquering and to conquer, not by
the sword, but by wisdom and magnanimity.
1t will subdue at the South passions and pre-
judices; it will touch their hearts and con-
quer their affections.
We shall hear no more of exceptional
and individual acts of insubordinat'on, Tor
we shall have Union Of interest and affec.
ton; Union of States with States, and not
with conquered provinces. We shall have
the Union and representation ofall the States
as ordained by the Constitution. We shall
have cordial, fraternal, an corresponding,
an omnpotent, an indssouble and perpetual
Union. Men of the South, from Virginia to
Texas, close up the ranks, and fight harder
to get into the Union than you ever did to
get out Of it. You fought US under the SO.
cession flag with unsurpassed courage and
endurance to get out Of the Union. Come
now, our erring but still much loved breth'
rem of the South, and reassemble with us
again at the political family altar at WASH
ington. Come with loyal hearts under the
flag of our sires and to the music Of the
Union, and we will give you cordia! wei.
come. Come, and the recording angel will
blot out, in reconciating tears, the memory
of human folies and frailtes. The people
on whom johnson has always relied are
with him, and will welcome back all loyal
Unionists to seats in both Houses of Con-
gress. II. ). WALKER.