The Tiffin weekly tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1859-1868, 1866-08-23
golhital.
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. HON, R. P. BUCKLAND.

Mr.. Chairman and
Gentlemen Qfthe Convention,
l can say, sincerely, that ! fee
very grateful for this testimony o
your approval Of my course, al
your public servant in Congress
The greatest reward that a publ,
man can have is the approval o
those who placed him in that re
sponsible position. feel that my
abilities and judgment are hardly
adequate to the great issues which
} have been & rown upon the present
Congress. But | can assure you
my friends, that / have given to the
Questions which have arisen, du
ring the last session of Congress
my best abilities and my best judg
ment. / could not expect, as a
matter Of course, that l should
make no mistakes in acting upor
the numerous questions which have
from time to timo sprang up, for al
that any man can do is to act with 9
correct purp Sc and firm deter
mination to do his duty to the best
of his knowledge and ability.
| CONGRESS,
! The last Congress met under pc.
culiar circumstances at a time in
theihistory Of this Government such
as had never occurred before, and
was not anticipated by those who
founded the Government. Little
did our forefathers expect that this
nation would so soon be involved
in such a civil war as we have just
passed through. The questions
which have arisen out OF it, have
been such as would test the capac.
Iity Of the representatives of the
people, in determining what was
best to be done. ! think | can say
with a clear conscience that no set
of men have ever met together
with q frmer determination and a
moro fixed purpose, than did the
Union members OF the Congress
Just adjourned, to do their duty, re.
gardless of all influence from any
Iquarter. All questions growing
out of the war for the suppression
Iof the rebellion, were thrust upon
us at once, without any previous
opportunity for knowing what the
wish or will of the great loyal peo
pie of the States, upon those great
questions were. A President and
Vice President had been elected al
the same time with the last Con.
gress, whilst war was still raging
fiercely all over the land. The
President, in whom the people had
learned to place the utmost conf
ldence, had been taken from the
country by the ruthless hand OF a
vile assassin. All eyes were then
turned upon the man next on the
ticket, and mpny doubts and fears
and hopes, were expressed all over
the country, as to the course this
accidental President would take
AS you may well imagine, there
was an intense anxiety on the par
of the members of Congress, tina
no difficulty should transpi.e be-
tween that body and the Executive
There were great differences o
iopinion in regard to the course h,
would probably pursue. While
, some few expressed openly grea
: want of confidence in the Presi
dent, large majority still hopCt
that all things would turn out fol
the best, and that he would prove
true to the great loyal constituency
who placed him in his position
and it was on this account that the
people saw, perhaps, some hesita
: ton on the part of members Of
Congress, in taking ground on somc
Questions which were agitated il
that body. .Ir
We desired, if possible, to 81
+ shape legislation as to secure thu
, great objects, without creating any
unnecessary difficulty with the Elk
, ecutive. This state of things, o
course brought about disagree
ments among members of Con
/ gress themselves. Some of then
t thought that certain set of meas
. ures, certain courses Of policy
r would secure the appreciation o
the President others thought tina
no matter what we did, unless W,
; showed ourselves entirely subser
Went to his will, he would not g
: with US. There was, therefore
much irnpatience, even anon!
, members themselves, as well a
' among the people, because Con
gress did not act more speedil,
than they did upon the questions Q
reconstruction.
i. | must confess that / had myself
sometimes, felt some impatienc
>. on the subject. The way, to me
n appeared perfectly clear. 1t wa
my opinion that Congress ought a
Il once to proceed to legislate upoI
these questions without any refer
- ence to what the opinion of tn
President might be-without pay
ing any attention further than th
attention which is always due +
!, the advice Of the President. | be
Z lieved that we ought not to thro,
any membranes or difficulties i
, the way OF the President but, a
the same time, that we shoul
: straightway determine npon on
a measures and pursue them stead
/, ly, firmly ard .unswervingly with
out reference to him. ,bh