The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-03-22

President. or to carry out the PresidentS views
mustered strength enough to be within seven
Votes 10 effect that traitorous purpose. Trai.
torous, do you sayg Oh, no not traitorous aC
all. admit tnat some went that way for the
there were others among them as honest in
their views as we're Thad. Stevens and Charles
Sumner / instance one-the Hon. Columbus
Delano, of Ono No one ever doubted the
patriotism and the courage of the Hon. Colum-
bus Delano. He had not been elected upon the
issue that Congress, and not the President.
was not the question in the contest for he was
elected on the same day that was, He had
been elected on issues which had terminated
with the surrender OF the armies OF Lee and
Johnston. ~
And there were other men us honest and as
high-toned as himself. For look at the New
York delegation (and point these things out to
show you the terrible influences that were
operating in the secret councils of that Con-
gress.) There were Henry j, Raymond, of New
York city; his intimate friend from boyhood,
William II. Darling, of New York city; there
was Judge Davis, from one of the interior dis
tricts; there was Mr. Marvin, a private clergy
man, an unprotessional man, and true man,
but largely influenced by these more cultivated
men, who had filed larger places before the
public gaze. There was MIR. Humphreys, who
died during Congress, from the Brooklyn dis
triCt, and these men had all been trained, as it
were, at the feet OF that once great and glorious,
but now fallen statesman, William II. Seward.
They had followed his fortunes through good
and evil report, from bOyhood till they were
VI
with that other arch apostate, whose grateful
heart oyerfOwed with gratitude for Andrew
johnson for having saved the country by his 22d
of February speech, Thurlow Weed. (Laughter.l
There was another man from the editorial
chair of that widely y-circulated journal the
New York Times. There were questions of
doubt and difficulty before these men, and it
was asking them to be more than men to ask
them boldly to turn and denounCe those whose
lead they had followed, and with whom they
had taken counsel from the time they had en-
tered into the political arena or had understood
political subjects.
| could point you to United States Senators
all through the upper House, upon whose
proper decision OF that one question, "Who
shall reconstruct the States, and who has the
power - depended-as l have, think, already
stated-the entire future welfare of the coun-
try. Do you ask me where you can find the
philosophy that guided the House whose
teachings they followed Yes, can tell you
where you can find the philosophy embodied
but | cannot tell whose teachings they fol-
lowed. A great book is a thing of a century.
We don't get many great books, though we get
great many BOOKS. In 1862 Sidney George
Fisher, Esq, OF Philadelphia, published one of
the most remarkable books of our country
Sidney George Fisher, Esq, lawyer of Phila-
delphla, who made no pretensiOn to practise at
the bar, published in 1862 book called THE
Trial OF the Constitution"
He who will read the book will find embodied
in 1t the philosophy which pervaded all the
final action OF the Thirty-ninth Congress. No
man has studied the highest exposition of the
Constitution of the land who has not read this
work. In it are the theories which controlled
Congress, and l say to you with solemn truth
that until within the last two months | know
no single member Of Congress- save myself, who
has carefully read that book. Mr.. Fisher en-
bodied III elegant style, though marked by some
evidence of haste all the theories which
enabled Congress to grasp and grapple with the
great subjects before it, which brought it and
the country through. (Applause.)
Congress having assumed that If was its dutv
to reconstruct the states, went quietly on with
its uuty, and that was to protect the Union men
OF both coors in the South. Mark the position.
Andrew johnson and the Democracy of the
North claimed that there were States there, but
Congress quietly said, NO! There is only
conquered territory 1t did not agree upon
its terms tor men who voted with us every time
protested that it was not conquered territory,
aud would run into an angry discussion on the
question whether the States were in or out of
the Union, but as If Providence had them by
the hand, though their theories would lead
them otherwise, when they came to vote the
majority always voted practically for the Terri
toral bill.
You may scan all the votes of the Thirty
ninth Congress, and you may find in the dis
cussions of those who voted, that they often
voted IN harmony with the theory that they
were conquered territory ana must be governed
by the military arm Of the country. (Applause.)
1t was Emerson, think, who said, "TheY builded
before they knew how" They developed theory
by executing it IN advance.
Inc fC6eQmenS bureau was an agency Dy
which they could protect the Southern people.
bill was passed for its enlargement; 1t had
been my privilege to be member of the COM
mittee to frame the original bill, and to stand
second on the committee OF the Thirty-ninth
Congress- Well, the bill came to the President
for signature. 1t was vetoed, and you remem-
Der ihoW the heart OF the country sank. On
It's entering the Senate again, this bill became
a law, notwithstanding the objections OF the
President. Meanwhile the sentiment flew from
the extremity of the country into the centre.
The constituencies spoke no longer endorsing
his policy, but demanding that Congress should
protect every man born OF woman IN the SouJhJ
and the moral force of the country flowed INTO
Congress, and flowed into the Senate, and When
| the President vetoed the Civil Rights Dlll, ana
1t came before Congress again, IL passed WIN
out consideration by more than tWo-hlrds III
both Houses, and the heart and hopes Oh 'ne
country were reassured. (Applause.)
The Freedman's Bureau bill was then taken
up and modified slightly, so that it should hot
be the same bill. but another, and sent again 70
the President. 1t was vetoed, and the heart anu
voice of the country spoke through the senate
and 1t became the law of the land. (Appiause.)
But it did nothing 10 subdue Andrew johnson.
1t did nothing to subdue the people OF the
South. They went on prosecuting Wh WhlIG OntEn iSn
men, Northern men and negroes WAy' sho
game laws of England afford better prOleG'lon
to the hunted hare than the laws OF Ihese 50
called Southern States gave to the IteS Alyi ALt
can citizens eniranchised by the CiVll hlgn'S
bill. NJ,
Governor Hamilton came to us from IeAasl
telling us OF hundreds of murders men WUUi WUUuitu
write write to us, using slips OF paper W III III
men who had not been known during IhG I m@t oe
as Unionists would write to u.s. using sips W
paper and bury them in an old newspaper auu
direct them 10 us. Postmasters were eNSn
afraid of their own clerks, afraid 10 leI the @
people know that they were corresponding TS4 ba4