The Tiffin weekly tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1859-1868, 1867-12-19
TIFF1N, OHIO, THURSDAY MORNING, DECEMBER, 49, 1867

pie. CApplsuse.1 l need not say to
you or to any American citiEeu--for |
all have that practical common sense
which gives them better insight
into public affairs than some of the
profounder professors of State craft
can exercise-2I need not say to you
that IL was utterly impossible to bring
to a solution the difficult problems
which this war brought upon us when
the great departments Of the Govern.
meni-E1ecutive, Legislative, aud
Judisial-wcre at war with esch
other. From such conflict peace to
the land was impossible The plan
Of settlement that was instituted,
known as the Presidents policy, was
simply this-to restore what remain
cd of the rebels in the rebel States 10
power. lApplause. That was just.
ly deemed by TIE people who put
down the rebellion criminal waste
of the sacrifices Of the war. Gen.
Grant dissented from that policy,
TLoud cheers.1 While Gen. Grant,
Ia common with the great mass of the
army who followed him, dismissed
all asperi,ies and hatreds, aud calm
ed all passions, when the rebel army
surrendered, while they were willing
TO second him In Offering honorable
terms to brave foe, they we're not
willing, aud, to abandon the loyal
whites, or any loyal people 10 the
South, to the mercies Of the men,
who insugurated the rebellion. rGreat
cheering ] And in this matter Gen
Grants opinions are just as we'll
known to any officer who has served
under him, and has listened to his
instructions aud has had the oppor-
tunity of executing his orders, as are
the views of any platform maker iu
the United States. Cheers. To
proceed, Congress fresh from the peo.
pie, elected by the free unrestrained
ballots Of the loyal States claimed to
have as they rightly had by the Con-
stitution of our fathers the right to
prescribe the terms on which the
rebel States which had reuouuced
their allegiance should be again re
coguzcd in their seats in the Senate
aud House, aud the terms on which
they should be permitted to partici.
pate in the affrirs Of the Republic
Congress, | say, after mature delib.
Grafton, embodied their judgement
in what is known as the Coustitu-
tional Amendment, originally intro
duced by Senator Howard. That
proposition of peace aud amity and
settlement was rendered to the South
by the votus of two. thirds Of the
Representatives of the people. 1t
was ratified by three fourths of the
loyal States that put down the rebel
lion. 1t was rejected by the South,
and they rue it now and repent it,
But 80 it was rejected. 1t was de-
nounced by the Executive and his
Cabinet; but it was sustained, recon
mended aud indorsed by Grant
! Loud cheering
What next? Congress, bound by
public opinion, bound by sense of
duty, was driven to one Of three al.
ternatives f: Either to yield to the
Southern demand that the rebel
States should be entirely relinquished
to the unrestricted control of those
who not only seeded, but hose who
originated aud led the rebellion or,
secondly, that they must have the
SUuthcrn States that had been the
thcater of the war indefinitely under
military government. The third al
teruative was, that Congress itself
should assume. the responsibility, an 4
take the initiative of passing an ouabl-
ins act, by which society and govern
ment could be again organized in
those States where the rebellion had
produced anarchy, aud thus give to
the people there the means of pro.
tecting themselves. aud giving to the
loyal States Of the Union a perpetual
guarantee for the allegiance aud 10y.
atty Of the rebel States. Applause. |
Yuu have seen under what cmbarrass.
meut aud difficulties, resulting from
many sources, that plan Of reconstruc.
ton has been conducted, but you have
seen this, also, that while it has en
countered tho almost irresistible pow
er, patronage aud influence Of the
Executive, it has never for a moment
lacked the steady, loyal, faithful sup
port of the General in Chief Of the
armies. [Chesrs.l Passing any refer :
cnce to myself, except to take this 90
casion 10 express my appreciation and
gratitude for the support so steadily
given me while in command ia the
Carolinas, amid all tho trying difficult
ties Of that position, lot me, for illus
tratiOn Of what have just said, point
you TO the manly, soldierlike, true
friendship and devotion to duty man.
ifssted in the struggle made by ;he
gallant Sheridan. Loud cheering
and waving of hats and handker.
chiefs There was Sheridan sent TO
New Orleans with a handful Of men
to control all the turbulent elements
of Louisiana and Texas; to restore
order out Of anarchy; TO bring an
unwilling people to sense Of allegi-
ance to our flag aud Constitution aud
laws to extend the hand ofprotection
to the helpless negro, whom we had
emancipated and whom we had called
a freedman, but TO whom we had given
no means to protect his freedom OF
franchise; obliged to shelter from
persecution aud tyranny and outrage
the loyal whites compelled to afford
security TO Northern capitalists who
had gone down there in the confidence
that an American citizen presumes he
may always feel that wherever he
goes, a. least within our territory, tho
hand ofpower, whether civil or military.
will always be eKerted and held over
him to protect him from outrage.
Sheridan went down TO perform this
difficult, delicate aud responsible task.
| He was arPaiOaad and dianniaaad Co.