The national Republican., 1867-09-24

labor has been innuvurated under militarJ super.
vision. Million / emnncipatrd slssss have
D.sn gladuAlly assiiuilatod with the civil policy
Of the States whore they belonged. Trsnquillity
and order have been mAintaintd a during the most
critical period Of transition from the relation Of
master and slave TO The relation Of man and
man--tne rslatioas Of political equality. Under
the guarantees which military occupation af
forded for the security Of life and property,
Northern capital aud Northern enterprise have
been rebuilding the cities and oultivating
the fields, restoring the railroads and nayl.
eating the waters, constructing bridges
and building telegraph lines, reopening com.
merce, reyiving Industry, opening schools,
and establishing churches from the Potomac to
the Rio Grande. And II has been recently nf-
6rmsd By suthority, than which none can / Z
higher. In all the South, that our presence and
our measures have saved their public records
rom destruction and their own civil officers from
lawless violsncs. Nay, more, Il 10 acknowledged
that to tho considerate acts Of military admins.
tratiou they arc indebted for the opportunity Of
providing means TO subs'st their families, and
for producing the pre,ent crop which promises
to DO, In many respects and many sections OF the
South, the most importeat and the largest which
has been grown for many years. 1t would be
easy to prove, BY abundant testimony, that with.
out military occupation and control the restora-
tion Of tho rebel Sat would have bean delayed
for years, and II ever attained would have been
reached only after ruinous intervals Of anarchy
and conflict. r ...r .g :
Gentlemen, I have already exceeded the limits
prescribed for myself The theme, however
tempting 10 me, may well be left TO others. 10
whatever have said, no word Of II is Intended
to reproaoh any one, not even to vindioats my
self. lam here for justice; yet shall not seek
the verdict Of any popular tribunal. Even your
acquittal would not yindicats me as an officer
from tho grave imputations upon my conduct
which have been made by high official person.
ages. I trust the occasion and tho opportunity
will, at the proper time, be afforded TO me to
plsse the. vindication Of my reputation on the
records Of my Government. Until then all mat
ters concerning myself, Iehooss To be silent.
Before saying good night, let mo mako CON-
Guiding remark upon the topic which has already
been my theme. Without the reconstruction
acts and the temporary presence and control
OF military authority In the rebel States to
execute them, II would have been impossible
to enfranchise the loyal freedmen and secure
to them that participation in the Government,
under which they must continue to live, that
Is essential to the preservation Of their liberty.
| and vital to the pacihcation of the South. En-
franchisement Is pence. Liberty without right
is war. Tho only condition upon which MILL
tary occupation may cease In the rebel States
Is to give tho ballot to the emanolpated race.
i
from oppression, and tho country protected
from sedition and treason. II follows, there
| fore, that the peace, prosperity, and welfare
| OF the South have depended upon q temporary
military control over their local government
to be exercised only until legal civil authority
could be established in accordance with the
| requirements Of Congress- The events Of the
rebellion taught US that the enfranchiscment
of all the loyal people Of the rebel States was
IN essential guarantee Of present and future
security and repose; and that, unlen the freed
people were enabled to protect themselves BY the
ballot, they would. have been compelled In self.
defence 70 seek refuge In the loyal States and
overorowd all the channels Of industry or
else, to prevent that exodus Of millions Of
blacks aying from oppression. the Govern
ment would have bosn compelled to pre-
tect them at home by prulonging military
occupation until the rebel State governments
Voluntarily afforded adequate security to the
lives and possessions Of the loyal oolored people
And Il remains to be said that the military Oh.
GERS on duty in tho rebel States were sent there
BY tho authority Of Congress, and with the Sane.
tion Of the loyal people who put down the rebel
lion, expressed through their representatives.
In the discharge Of his duties an officer trusts all
to the approval Of the Government. From the
people he only expects that considsrate judg.
ment upon his conduct which follows tho publi-
cation Of the oficisi rscorl Of his acts
|, Comradss! II 10 impossible TO undo that noble
set Of Justice which has elevated the loyal free l.
man g the South 70 The rank of oitissn. From
any pqint or VIEW, tnerc 10 no reason TO appre-
i, bend fhst subordiusts race can do more than
dsfssa their rights, A law Of gravitation con.
trolls the moral as II does the material world.
Tho weak cannot overcome the strong Num-
bers. culture, destiny, combine TO assure the
domination Of the white race. 1t was Mr.. Fox,
believe, who called a reaction the most dan.
gerous form Of revolution. Such would be the
| rhAraetar of n raaolinn hal L. III.
and their friends tOp power. May that day never,
never dawn.
At the conclusion Of Gen. Sickles' addrs. /,
there was q break for the Metropolitan Hotel %
see Gen. Hancock. The proprietors Of the no.
were not aware Of the serenade to Gen. Han.
cook, their guest, and the gas jets upon the bal.
cony were not lighted upon the arrival Of the
multitude Tho affair was soon improyised,
however, tho General informed, and, after few
Introductory remarks BY Col. Chipman, the
General stepped forward and addressed the
audience amid loud cheers.
GEN HANcocK's SPEECH.
General Hancock said
pleasure and relief to know carry with me tho
sympathiss, the good wishes and confidence Of
my old companions In arms. [Cheers.l I there
fore thank you, soldiers, for thus Tightening the
burden Of cares imposed upon me in the arduous
and delicate duty as commander In the southi
ern States at this time
At the conclusion Of the address the vast as.
semblage dispersed. Gen. Hancock received q
number Of friends In his room until late hour,
and many yarn and joke Of the times past by
were told and spun by those assembled.
Tho ovation (for We ell II such) was one Of
the finest ever In the District. There wero at
least at ono time In front Of Willard's Hotel
ten thousand persons, and there was no diminu.
tion Of numbers until the close. 1t was long past
the hour Of midnight ere the streets were quiet
and reporters had quit the scene Of life To write
dull themes Of their own invention.