The Placer herald., 1866-10-13

act as Chaplain at Cleveland on the l7lh Of
September.
PEEKTKILL. August %.
Charles q. Holpin Breu. Brig. General, ".
Siocum. MAJOR General; Gordon Granger,
Mojor General, Committee:
GENrLNMEN: | am Obliged to you for the
invitation which you lave made to me to
act as Chaplain to The Convention of Sailors
and Sol liers about to convene at Cleveland.
| cannot attend it, but | heartily wish IT,,
and all other Conventions, of what party
soever, success, whose Object is the res'ora
ton Of all the States late in rebel ion in their
Federal relations.
Our theory of government has no place
for Sat, except in the Union. Ii is justly
aiken for granted that the duties and res,
possibilities of State in Federal relations
tend to its political heAllh and to lha, of
the whole nation. Even territories are hast
lly brought in, often before the prescribed
conditions are fluff led, as il il were danger,
Gus to leave community outside OF the
great body polite.
Had the loyal Senators and representa-.
lives of Tennessee been admitted at once
on the assembling of Congress-, and, in
hama, North Carolina, and Viryi, ia, the
public mind Of the South would have been
far more healthy than it is; and those S ates
which ingerered on probation to the last
would have been under a more salu,aIy in
tluence to good conduct than if dozen ar
mics watched over them.
Every month that we delay this heal,hful
step compcaes the case. The excluded
population, enough unsettled before, grow
more rilahe; the army becomes more in
dispensahle tu lncal government, and super
sedes il; the government at Washington is
called to interfere in one and another diff
Guilty, aud this will be done inaptIy and
sometimes with great Injustice for our
government, wisely adapted TO its own pro.
per functions. is utterly devoid of those hab-
its and unequipped vi b the instruments
which tit centralized government to exer.
else authority in remote States over local
affairs. Every attempt to perform such du,
lies has resulted in mistakes which have ex
cited the nation. But whatever inpru-
dence there may be in the method, the real
criticism should be against the reqnisilon Of
the general government.
! he Federal government is unfit to exer
else minor police and local government and
will inevitably blunder when it tt,mpls it,
| 10 keep half score of States under Federal
authority but without ma ional ties and re-
sponsiblites; to ollige the central authority
to govern half l|a territory of The Union by
Federal civil otlicers md 10y the army, is
policy not only uncongena to our ideas and
principles, but preemlnently dangerous to
f., bn e,,irit Of II Ia,
,nane the ends sought and the motives, it is,
in fact, course Of instruction, preparing our
Government to be despo,ic, aud fmiiariz-
ing the people 10 a stretch of authority
which can never be other than dangerous to
liberty.
am aware that good men are withheld
from advocating the prompt and successive
admission of the exled States by the fear
chiefly Of its effect upon parties, and upon
| the freedmen.
1t is said that if admitted t. Congress- the
Southern Senators and Representatives will
roalesce with Northern Democrats, and rule
the country. Is this nation, then, to re-
main dismAmbered to serve the ends If
parties? Have we learned no wisdom 10y
The history of The last ten years, in which
Just this course Of sacritiring The nation to
he exgences of parties plunged into rebel
| lion aud wal?
Even admit that the power would pass in
to the hands Of party Of southern men.
and the hitherto dishonest and misled DEM
orracv Of the North, that power could not he
used Just as they pleased. The war has
changed not alone institutions, but ideas.
| Las IA l,.
eminent is exalted far beyond what it has
been at any former peri'd. A new party
would, like river, be Obliged to seek u,
its channels, in the already existing slopes
and forms of the continent.
We have entered new era Of liberty.
The style of thought is freer and more no
ble. The Young men of our times are re-
generated. The great amy has been a
school, and hundreds of thousands of men
are gone home to preach 'ruer and n"ber
view Of human rights. All the industrial
interests Of society are moving with inrreas-
ing wisdom toward intelligence and liberty.
Everywhere, in churches, in literature, in
natural sciences, in physical industries, in
so. ial questions, as we'll as in politics, the
nation feels that the winter is over, and
new sprirg hangs in the horizon, and works
through all the elements. In this happily
changed and advanced condition Of things
no party Of the re,roerade can maintain lis
self. Everything marches, and parties must
march.
hear with wonder and shame and scorn,
the fear Of the few. that the South once more
in adjustment with the Federal government
will rule this nation! The North is rich,
never 80 rich; the South is poor, never be-
fore SO poor. The population Of the North
is nearly double that Of the South. The in
dustry Of The North. in diversity. in for
wardness and produrliveness. in al the ma
chnery and education required for manu-
featuring, is half a century in advance Of the
South. Churches in the North crown every
| hill and schools suarun in auaru naiuhhor4