Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1866-09-06

ourselves and we viii take the Constitution of our
country and enforce it there. That was separa-
tlon 1t was against the Union and I was always
opposed to anything that was opposed to the Union
took my position in the Senate of the United
states, and assumed then, as I have since that
TINS Union was perpetual that it was great mag
&c circle that could never be broken. [Applause
But the reason the South gave was, that the Con-
sututlon could not be enforced under the then ex-
!stlng combination of States, and, therefore, that
II might be enforced, they wanted separation
Iney attempted to separate, but they failed. But
whlie the question was pending they established
Tor themselves form of Cow rnment, and what
KIND CT government was it? What kind of Con-
sttutlOn did they adopt? Was it not the same old
Constitution, with some few variations-the Con-
stitution of the United States? You know that it
was and that they desired to live under that Con-
stituton, and enforce its provisions under sep
arate Government of their own. We said, No |!
you shall remain with US, and the Constitution
shall be preserved and enforced. We fought on
until the rebellion was suppressed. And when the
armies OF the rebellion were overcome they accep-
ted the terms that the Government gave them
The Government said to them, disband your
armies and return to your original posiJions In
the Union, and we will receive you with open arms
The time came at which their armies were
come and disbanded. n hat was done under the
lead of my distinguished friend my right
Three cheers for General Grant Well, they ac-
eepted the terms Of he Government, and what did
they say? They said we want to return. Some of
them said we have been mistaken. Others said we
selected the arbiter and the arbter of our selec-
ton has decided against us, and therefore, as
honorable men, we accept the decision. But they
all say we want to return. Now, viii their offer
be accel ted? Do we want Union again have
SAID before and now repeat it, do not want to
let them back into the Union degraded and de-
based. They would not be fit to form part of
this great American family. ! want them to come
back with all their manhood. [Great cheering ] J.
have not approached the point that intended to,
and know that Lam talking too long. ['' No
no; go 81 C on, 60 on have j4?t called atten-
DESTROYS of living-the Constitution Of their ia h
ers, but they wanted it separately. Now, however,
in returning having lost the institution of slavery,
which WAS the apple of discOrd, they take up the
Constitution under which they lived before, and
ask that it shall be the law and shall be enforced
Where, then Is the cause for dstrust or want of
confidence? There is none. l do not come here
to apologize for those who have tried to destroy
this Government. And if my public speeches and
acts do not dsprove the charge that L want to
apologize for them there is use in a mans hav-
ing public record. But l know the Southern
people, and admitting their errors to the fullest
extent, know that there are large numbers of them
who We're mlsled and cOerced by public opinion
men who, when they saw the flag of their country
recedng the rebellion advanced, grew pale with
fear and sorrow, and whose faces when they saw
that flag returning in triumph glOwed again with
joy. But their leaders betrayed them. But in the
West they have way of playing hammer and
vii. While LAWS, and others of that class, we've
talking of separation at the South, there
other class at the North, made up of Philips, Gar
rison, and such men, who were talking dissOu
ton at the North. These the two ex-
mer and when the rebellion broke out one end of
the line joined in with those who trying to
suppress it. The rebellion has been suppressed,
but we have not yet ceased to play that game of
hammer and anvil. l am for the Union, and am
against all tn rse who are opposed to the Union
am for the Union. the whole Union, and nothing
but the Union. [VOciferOus applause Helped
my distinguished friend on my right General
Grant, to fight the rebellion at the South. You
all remember his peculiar phrase ''That he
going to fight it out on that line" laughter l
with, on1 I Il oil hot ( oo11l1 Wa
whipped them at that end of the line, and want
to say to you here that l am fighting at the
other end, daughter and ap 'lause ] if he is nj
in the field now in the Military SENSE he is where
he does good service. 1t is a struggle for the
Union in which We engaged. The Union is es-
sential to The North cannot get along without
the South, nor the South without the North. But
men say do you wantto be governed and controlled
by rebels ? l answer no. We want to let loyal
men in and none but loyal men, [applauseJ and |
ask here tonight upon what reasonable ground
rests the fear that men coming into Congress from
the South would control the country to its destruc
ton ?
Take the entire delegation-ifty- eight repre-
sentatives, compared with two hundred and
eighty-twO-do you fear that ffty-eIght men viii
control all the rest? [Langhter:] Oh, men say,
they will repudiate our public debts. Now, place
these tifty-eight men in the most powerful posi-
ton that you possibly can, and yon have one hun
dred and fifty or one hundred and eighty, over
whelming majority against them. Surely, enough
to keep them from doing any harm. Laughter
Are great people? Are we all towards p
MOL Did they control you before the rebellion
commenced, and will they have any more power
now than they had before am prophet, but
| predicted some things at the beginning of this
rebellion that have literally come to pass told
the Southern people years ago that whenever they
should attempt to dissolve the Union, the lnstltu-
ton of slavery gone. You, sir, turning to
Mr.. Seward, know that made thai argument to
jeff. Davis, you in the Senate, and you will
bear witness to the position I then occupied l
told them then that the institution of slavery had
little or no protection outside Of the Union. They
thought differently. They put up the stake-you
all know how graf that stake was-and they lost
it completely. The Consti ution still EXISTS the
Union is still preserved; they did not succeed in
escaping from it, and the institution of slavery is
destroyed. [Applause.] Since its destruction,
the Southern States have come up magnanimously
and acknowledged the fact, and have gone into
these States Conventions and ratified its abolition
There is another thing. You have about three |
millions of dollars in bonds How are |
you going to preserve the credit of them? Will |
you tell me how the security, how the value, how |
the ultimate payment OF the interest and princi |
pal of those bonds is to be secured? Is it by con-
tirru ing this Government, disrupted as it is, by
Gripping our energies, and dividing up into |
half a dozen petty States!
Let me tell you, and mark what tell you, that |
there is no way by which those bonds eau be ulti-
mately paid, interest and principal, than by the |
consolidation OF our nationality, the perpetuity |
and completeness of the Union of the States. |
Applause Pardon me when say / understand |
this question; and tell you that you play false
part now and play into the hands of your enemies |
and the enemies OF your country when you aid |
those who would keep the Government disrupted |
Let unite all portions of the country firmly to-
gether, and you wi have more capital than you |
need. l am proud to say on this occasion, not by |
way of hattery compliment to the people of
New York; am proud to say that find liberal,
patriotic and expansive view Of
this whole question among the people of New
! DIRK. 1 am proud also to find that you do not
eel that your existence depends on aggression
md destruction !; that while you anxious to
i've you willing to let others live, and do not
wish to live by their destruction. New York is
great commercial city.
was asking man the other light what amount
If taxes you collect in the city of New York.
old it was sixteen or eighteen millions. You re-
member what your government started from p
lou remember that when George Washington was
President that the total cost of the
government two millions and half while
lere to-day, my distinguished friend upon my left
Mr.. Hoffman, is controlling the destnies of city
whose taxes amount to eighteen millions of dol
ans, and your State with its population of four
Millions has a system of government, general and
more complex and costly than the whole
Federal Government at is origin. And the peo-
Die of this great city, with views cO-eXtensve with
Ill the States and Territories and with amount
If capital greater than is to be found collected in
my other point in the country, possessed of
great influence You are enabled to occupy the