The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1866-10-20

Ex- Chief JusticeJ. ID. Cation, having been
invited to address democratic and conser>
vative meeting at Hennepin, Putnam county,
in This state, on The 9th inst, and being una
Able 10 accept the invitation, addressed the
following letter to George Dent, Esq, oftha
place:
GEORGE DENT, Esq. Eennepin:
DEAR SIR-l have your iavor of the 9th,
inviting me to be present and address a con-
Servative union meeting TO be held at Hen
nepin on the 9th of october. l ggret that
continued i'll health compes me 10 forego the
pleasure l should receive in accepting this
invitation.
In my Judgment never before has our
country been IN ,uch danger, and never be,
fore has so much oi it, future destinies de-
pended upon he result of an election. 1t
would be criminal in me to speak such grave
words lightly aud inconsideratelv, nor have /
done SO without the most anxious cOnsldera>
,,on. 1 DO rot question the sincerity of the
mass of those who think differently. | do
not doubt, ii thev could see the situation in
what believe to be its true light. they would
hasten to avert the threatened calamity with
all the earnesineSs aud patriotism OF the true
American heart. There Is one great misfor>
tune-I Nigh. say tault-in our dispositions.
While we are really desiring tc do right, and
TO act for the best interests OF our country.
-.hile We are sure that would spurn the
dictates of parry when convinced they come
in conflict with the best good of the COM
munw-nItE-we are al the while parsuadng
ourselves that oilers are influenced by less
patriotic motives. and that thev are ready to
sacrifice the good OF the country to the ln>
,errsis of party. Let one OF any party ex-
anime his own heart. aud II IN TIL, am
not right. Il ali woalj appreciate this, | an
sure We should be mere inclined 10 listen 10
each others reasons, aud. in a calm AMI
earnest spirit, confer together upon our CON
mon interests, anxious!y seeking for the
truth, determined To act upon il. Each l.
equally involved in the veal al Tie
country. and no true man should be supEn->
ed capable Of deliberate intention OF lead>
jn2 his neigbbor away from the truth We
nav differ ln our judgment as TO what IL best
for the common good bat OF the real desire
Of the great mass of the people on elt er side
TO do what Is for the best. no ore can doubt
who believes the capacity Of man Tor self
govern. eut. If | ~m right Ill this, how I'M
portant 1t is that address the reason aud
the judgments of Our te low men and II "
incomsi i-ra'e, TO say the least, are those who.
In a VEN Of levity or riiicuie, address their
passion. or their pr-I dice
When Mr. johnson was, in obe Hence to
the co.sIutI,u. called 80 the presidential
chair, he found the rebellion hroEen ard Al
au end and the rebell;ous states without any
legitimate government which the constitution
could recognize, except in the states of Ten
nessee. Lodisians and Arkansas. ~ which
civil governments had been established under
Dir. LincolHs policy and proc amatlon,
which shall here Ifter refer TO. Ali the othei
state government were rebellIOus govern
menIs, and had been wagins q war TO destroy
the constitution and the rebellion could
not be effsctually put down without putting
down those governments which were part
of the rebellion itself Congress was not in
session, d the president had no response
bic advisers except his cabinet and nigh
mill ary officers But le must act. 1t Was
necessary for the president to adopt some
plan, some policy, for the organization of
civil government in those states. General
Banks, previous to the presidents prOclama>
tion told me, in New Orleans, tina; it was
absolutely uecess: ~ for the president to
adopt some definite policy IN reference to
the southern states, that all might know upon
what TO depend. La this emergency, the
president, acting upon the precedent of his
lamented predecessor, appGIn,ed temporary
governors for tb ~ ites, and issued his
proclamation Of amnesty specifying tie COM
dirions upon which they could organize civil
governments which he would recOguIZe.-
This proclamation WAS almost Il literal copy
of the one previously issued by Mr.. Lincoln
for the reorganization of legitimate goverr-
ments in the rebeliious states, under which
civil governments in the three states named
had been organized, except that 1t was much
more stringent .pcu those Iho had been III
roh.ilinn classes
frcn The amnesty which Mr.. Lincoln had
ad:aii,ad. la this peiicy thus adopted by
Mr.. Johnson, no Que has ever denied, so far
as am advised,-a; least, no one can sue
cessfuIly dispute,-ihat he but carried out
the policy previously and deliberately adopt
ed by Mr.. incoln,-ieprlved, howe -er. of
many of its leaient features. whi, had
flowed. spontaneously from the kind and
merciful naiure ut his predecesso. These
more harsh aud severe measures were, per-
haps. justified ana required by the public
sentiment In the north, engendefed in part
by tn changed position in public affairs in
the complete overthrow of the rebellion, but
principally by the ioul ASSASSINATION Of Mr,
Lincoln. But this severe policy of the presi-
dent met with universal acceptance, if not
approval. BY ali men Of all parties in the
north, and appeared to be cheerfuly accepted
by the great b. dy of the peuple of the soutii.
When let. this Country, in October last. l
had heard word of complaint from any
mani had seen no word of censure i'll any
paper-ot this policy OF reconstruction; but
all seemed to have acceTted it by either ex-
pressed or silent approval: that the happy
means had been bit upon by the executive
for the complete restoration of fraternal
telling among the people OF every section
that all seemed satisfied and happy. turning
their eyes from the dark and bloody scenes
Of the past to the bright future, when the
strength of a uni.ed peope-at beholdiEg
whose divided powers a world had stood by
silent with wonder--would now be such IL
insure for all future time Immunity trJm the
treason of the disaffected at home and the
entertainments of the most powerful nations
abroad. l went proud that was an Amer
citizen. aud conscious that as such,
sboull command respect wherever l might
go.
In this happy delusion l remained till
met with copy of Mr.. Colfax's speech de-
livered shortly before the assembling o
congress. This was the first complaint O
the presidents policy that had attracted my
attention. | saw at once the danger of a
collision between the president and congress
He was in a position where he could moi
sscede. he had proclaimed policy, certain