The weekly north Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1857-1867, 1866-02-28


and resentment, and declare that they should
be annihilated and destroyed? How different
would this have been from the example set by
the holy fotnder of our religion, the extremes
of whose divine arch rest upon the horizon,
and whose span embraces the universe He
who founded this great scheme came into the
world and found man condemned under the
law, and his sentence was death; what was His
example7 Instead of puttinga world or even
a nation to death, He died upon the cross, at.
testing by His wounds and His blood that He
died that all men might live! LIE: those who
have erred repent; let them acknowledge
their allegiance; let them become loyal, will.
ling Supporters and defenders Of our glorious
stripes and stars, and of the constitution of
Our country. Let the leaders, the conscious.
intelligent leaders of this rebellion, be nun.
ished. and be subjected to the penalty OF the
law. But to the great mass who have been
forced into this rebellion, in many instances.
and in others have been misled, L saw lenien.
cy, kindness, trust and confidence. [Grcat ap.
plause.
My countrymen, when look back over the
history of the rebellion, am not vain when I
ask you ii have not given as much evidence
OF my devotion to the union rs some who
croak great deal about il! When | look
back over the battle. fields of the rebellion /
think oil the many brave men in whose com.
p,ny l was. / cannot but rccollect that I
was sometimes in places where the contest
was most difficult, and the result most doubt.
full. But almost before the smoke has passed
away, almost before the blood that has been
shed has done its reeking, before the bodies Of
lie slain have passed throughthe stages Of de-
composition, what do we now find? The re.
bellion his been put down by the strsng arm
of the government in the field; but is that
the only way in which you can have rebellion
Our struggle was against an attempt to dis
sever the union. But almost before the smske
OF the battlefield has passed away, before eur
brave men have returned to their homes and
renewed the ties OF affection and love to their
wives and children, We find almost another
rebellion inausuratcd. We put down the
former rebellion in order to prevent the
separation OF the states; to prevent them
from flying of and by SO doing chang
ing the character OF our government and
| thus weakening its power; but when that
struggle on our part had been successful, and
that attempt has peen put down, We find now
| an effort to concentrate all power in the hands
| of few at the Federal head, and thereby
bring about consolidation of the government
which is equally Objectionable with repara-
ton. [Vociferous applause.] We find that
powers are assumed aud attempted to be ex-
ercised OF most extraordinary character. 1t
seems that Governments may be revolution
| lied, Governments at least may be changed,
without going through the strife Of battle
| believe it is fact, attested iu history that
| sometimes revolutions most disastrous to the
people are effected without the shedding of
| blood. The substance of your government
may be taken away, while the form and The
shadow remain to you. What is now being
proposed? We find that in point of fact near.
| ~ all the powers of the Government are as
sumed by the irresponsible Central Directory,
which does not even consult the legislative or
the executive departments Of the Govern.
ment. ~ resolutions reported from COM
m'ttee, in whom it seems that, practically, tho
legislative power OF the Government is now
vested, that great principle Of the Consttu.
| ton which authorizes and empowers each
branch of the legislative departments of the
State and the House of Representatives to
| judge tor itself of the election returns and
qualifications of its own members has been
| virtually taken away from the two branches
of the legislative department of the Govern.
ment, and conferred upon committee who
must report before either House CT, act un.
der the Constitution as to accepting the nom
bers who arc to take their seats az component
parts OF the respective bodies. BY this ri,ie
1t Is assumed that there must be laws passed
recognizing State as in the Union. or .its
practical relations to the Union as restored,
before the respective Hoases under the Consti.
tuition can judge Of the election returns, AMI
| qualifications OH, own members. What DO
stioa is that! You struggled for four wears
10 put down rebellion. You denied in the
beginning OF the struggle that any State could
| go out OF the Union. You s lid that it had
neither the right nor the power to do so. The
issue was made, and it has Been settled that
the State had neither the right nor the power
to go out of the Union. With what cousisten
cy. after it has been settled by the military arm
oil the Governments, and by the public judg,
ment, that the states had no right to 20 ou. Of
the Union, can any one now turn round and
assume that they are not, that they shall not
come in! am free to say to you, as your
Executive, that am not prepared to take any
such position. [Great applause said in the
Senate, in the very inception OF this rebellion,
that the States had no right to 60 out. | as
serted. too. that they had no power to go
out. Tint question has been settled, and i.
being settled, cannot turn around now and
| give the lie direct to all that have protested,
aud all that have done for the las: five years
tApplause] Even those who rebeled comply
with the Constitution when they give sufficient
evidence of loyalty. When they show that
they can be trusted, when they yield obedience
to the law that you and acknowledge obedi.
cnce to. say extend to them the right hand
o! fellowship, and let peace and Union be re-
stored Tremendous appause.] | fought
| traitors and treason in the South. opposed
the Daviscs, the Toombs, the Slidells, and a
long list Of others which you can readily fill
without my repeating the names. Now when
| turn round, and at the other end Of the line
find men, l care not by what names you call
them, who still stand opposite to the restoration
of the Union Of these states. am free TO say
u you that am still in the field. TGreat ap-
plause.l l am still for the preservation of th.
great Government of ours going on and filing
out its destiny Great applause Voices
"Givc three names at the other end, The
President was called on to name three al. the
other end Of the line.l l am talking to nv
frienas and fellow citizen, who are interested
With me IN this Government, and presume
am Tree to mention to You the names of those
whom look upon as being opposed to the fun
damental principles of this Government. and
who are laborins to pervert and Destroy it.
Voices-"Name them, who are they?'
The PRssIpEyr-You ask me who they are
say Thaddeus Stevens, of Pcnnsylvania, il
one. say Charles Sumner, of the Senate, is
another, and Wendell Philips is another. rLotis
continued applause,
Il Voiccs-"Givc i. to Forney." ~
The PREsID%Nr reply to that, I will
simply say do not waste my ammunition up
on dead ducks lGreat laughter and applause
stand for my country, stand for the Con.
sttution, There have placed my feet from
my advent into public life. They may ira
duce, they may SANDER, Or they may vitnper
ate me, bu; let me say to you all. this has nc
influence upon me (Great applause J. Lei
me say further that do not intend to b. over
awed by real or pretended friends, nor do
mean to be bullied by my enemies [Tremen
, dous apphuse.] Honest conviction is nv cour
age, the Constitution il my guide. know
, my countrymen, that it has been insinuatetl.-.
no, not insinuated, it has been said directly, i,
J high circles. that il such userpstoo of poxe,
. as | am charged with had been exercised som,
/ two hundred years ago, in particular region
it would have cost an individual his head
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