The Plymouth weekly Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1860-1869, 1866-03-08

there were men disafected to the governs
ment both north and south. We had pc
culiar institutions Of which some complain
/ ell ond to which others were attached
One portion of our cOuntrymen advocated
/ chat institution in the south, another ops
posed it in the north, and it resulted in
creating two extremes One in the south
reached the point at which they were pre-,
pared to dissolve the government Of the
| United States to secure and preserve their
'pcculiar institution" And what | may
say on this occasion Iwant to be understood
There was another portion OF our country
ncn who we're opposed to this peculiar IN
stitution in the south, and who went to the
extreme Of being willing to break up the
government to get clear oft. Applause. I
7 am talking to you to-day in the common
phrase. and assume to be nothing but Il
citizen. and one who has been fighting for
the constitution and to preserve the gov
ernmcnt These two parties have been
arrayed against each other; and [ stand
before you to-day, as ! did in the senate IN
1860, in the presence of those who were
waging war on the constitution, and wanted
to disrupt Tie government to Genounce, as
[ did then in my place, those who were
SO encaceda as traitors. lhaye never ceased
to repeat, and as far as efforts could go, to
carry out the sentiments J! then UCtorcd.-
LChccrs.]
remarked that there were two parties,
one for destroying the government to pre-
serve slavery and the other for breaking
ND the government to destroy slavery
The objects to be accomplished were differ
ent. it is true, so far as slavery Is concern
ed, but they agreed in one thing, and that
was breaking up the government. They
agreed in the destruction OF the govern-
mcnt, the precise thing which have al
ways stood up to oppose. Whether the
disunionist comes from the south or the
north | stand now where / did then to
yindicatc the union Of these states and the
constitution of the country. [Applause.I
The rebellion or treason manifested itscllin
the south. stood by the government
| said was for the union with slavery or /
was for the union without slavery In
either alternative ] was foI The government
and the constitution.
The government has stretched forth It's
strong arm, and with its physical power
has put down treason in the field yes, the
section of country which has arraycd itself
against The government has been put down
By thc government itself. Now what do
these people say? We say ''no compro>
mise we can settle this question with the
south in eight and forty hears." GLOW :"
'.Disjand your armies, acknowledge the
constitution Of the United States, obey the
Jaw. and the whole question is settled. =
Well, their armies have been disbanded;
they comc forward, now, in state ofmag-
nanimity. and say 1--WE were mistaken !;
re made an effort to carry out the doctrine
Of secession and dissolve this union in that
We have failed, and having traced this
thing to Its logicaland physical consequent
ccs and results, we now again come forward
and acknowledge he FLAG oiour country. ODE
!iencc TO the constitution, and the suprem>
agy Of The law Cheers.] I say. then
when you have complied with the constitu-
ton, when you have yielded to the law,
when You acknowledge your allegiance to
the government. L am ready to open the
doors of the union and restore you to your
old relations to the government OF our
fathers. Prolonged applause.
Who. I ask, has suffered more for the
union than I have! | shall not now re-
peat the wrongs or suffcrings inflicted uD-
on me but it is not the way to deal with
a whole people in the spirit Of revenge
know there has been Il great deal said
about the exercise of pardon;ng power 50
far as the executive is concerned. There
IS no one who has Iabored harder to have
the principal, intelligent, conscious traitors
brought to justice, to have the law vindi
Gated, and the great fact vindicatcd that
treason is a crime, than | who stand before
you to-day Yet, while conscious intelli>
gent traitors are to be punished, should
whole states, communities and people pc
made to submit to and bear the penalty of
death? have, perhaps, as much hostility
and as much resentment as man ought to
have, but we should conform our action
and our conduct to the example ofhim who
founded our holy religion-not that | would
liken this to it, or bring any comparisons
for I am not going to dctaln you long
But, gentlemen, | came into power under
the constitution of the country, and by the
appreciation of the people. And what did
| find found 5000, 600 Of people who
were in fact condemned under the law, and
the penalty vas death. Under the idea of
revenge and resentment they were to be
annhiated and destroyed. Q, how differ
ent this from the example set by the holy
founder of our religion, whose divine arm
touches the horizon and embraces the whole
earth Yes, he who founded the scheme
came into the world and found our race
condemned under the law, and the sentence
was death What was his example in
stead of putting the world or a nation to
death he went forth with grace and attestcd
by his blood and his wounds that he would
die and let the nation live. Let them re-
pcnt, and let them acknowledge their ais
legiance; let them become loyal and wil>
ling supporters and defenders OF our gio
rous stripes and stars" and the constitu
ton Of our country; let their leaders, the
conscncious, intelligent traitors, suffer The
penalty of the law, but for tic great mass,
who have been forced into ;his rebellion
on1 ,,,;oIoJ ~, thnir loo1arc l CIV lanionn,