The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1866-01-26


those disabilities that have heretofore
excluded witnesses from testifying. If
the honorable Senator from Massachu-
sets, and those who think with him,
desire that these people should have
the right of suffrage, why not say so
boldly.
Mr.. SUMNER do say so.
Mr.. Cowan.-Very well; that is so
much that is clear; make it broadly ;
we may differ from him, but the peo-
pie will decide. / am perfectly will
ling to acquiesce in their decision; do
not care which way it is; but the peo-
pie will decide that question, and they
will decide it promptly. If the hon
orable Senator from Massachusetts
wants to hold the doctrine that these
States are not States. that they ora mot
constituent menhez7 81 this Union, let
him say so; there's tribunal to which
that can be referred. If he wishes to
take issue with the President on these
points. let the issue be made fairly and
squareiy, and it will be met. Thank
God, in this Government, not like that
Of Russia, which hehas eulogized, there
is a power above us all; there is pow
er to whose arbitrament and award we
can appeal, and who will settle this
thing conclusively.
Now, Mr. President, ! am for recon-
ciIiaUion. | want to have this Union
restored; and Union means q Union
by consent, not by force. | would like
to make friends of all the people with
whom we have been at enmity hereto
fore. / do not want the contest to 90
on any longer. But are we to make
friends with them, and are they to be
recOnciled to US, and are they to behave
better by such speeches as have been
made by the honorable Senator here
to-day? / very much doubt it. | do
not think that he will improve the con-
dition of the Southern heart or the con-
dition Of the Southern mind, by thus
parading these exceptional cases to the
people of this country, and stimula-
ting and exciting their angry passions
more than they are now against this
unfortunate people-tnfortunate in
every respect; unfortunate on account
of their errors unfortanateOna account
of penalty which has followed those
errors, and which they have suffered.
Mr.. President, let us look at this tes-
timony. The honorable Senator, as |
said before, reads from anonymous let
ter-writers, from cotton agents, and
people of that kind. Now, it does so
happen that we have some testimony
upon this subject; we have the toeti-
mony of the President of the United
States, not a summer soldier or sun
shine patriot.
Mr.. Sumner-I hivenOt read anOny-
nous letters.
Mr.. Cowan-ThW are anonymous
50 far as we are concerned and | COM
mend the Senators prudence in keep
ing the names of their writers from the
public, because | have no doubt that if
their names were shown they would
not be considered Of much importance.
| very much doubt whether there is a
single man among them who has ever
welded anything more than a pen du-
ring the rebellion But | say that we
have the testimony Of men of uneX-
ceptiOnable veradty; we have the teS-
timOny of the President of the United
States, who wasa Union man, and who
was in favor of the Union at time and
in place where there was some merit
in it. do not suppose there was any
great merit in being Union man in
Massachusetts. Isuspect a man would
have been very likely to get lamp
post it hehad been anything else there;
but the President of the United States
was a Union man in the very thick and
storm of the battle.-He was Waylaid
while coming hither in order to attend
to his official duties in this body. He
has stood by the Constitution, by the
Union, all the way through, steadily
and firmly; and, as a compliment to
him, the greatparty to which belong,
and to which he did not belong, and
never pretended to belong, conferred
upon him the office which, in the prov
idence of God, asmade him President
of the United States.
Now, sir, you are told here that this
man in his official communication to
the Senate of the United States, white
washes the condition of things down
below. Yes, sir, ''whitewash" is the
word. The honorable Senator says that
he will not accept the definition OF
"whitewash" givenby the Senator from
Connecticut or the Senator from Wis
consin, but he has told us what he
means by the word ''Whitewash." 1t
is not necessary that he should say
what ne means by that word. Every
body understands it. / suppose even
his cOlored friends in whom he takes
so much interest, would know what
the meaning of the word ''whitewash"
was. (Laughter.) He says that this
man, who stood firm when everybody
else faltered-this man, who stood al
most alone in the midst of an enraged
population, and in the very storm and
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