Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1867-03-09
APPEAL
RECONSTRUCTION
REMARKS OF HON. j.. W. LEFTWICH
OF TENNESSEE.
In the House Of Representatives,
On the Bill "a. B. Nc. ll43) to Pro
VIDE for the More Efficient Gov
ernment Of the Lately Re-
bellious States.

February. 18th, 1867,
On the Bill "a. 3. No. ll43) to Pro-
vide for the More Efficient Gov
eminent Of the Lately Re-
bellIous Ststes.
Mr.. LEFTwICH. Mr.. Speaker, in
compliance with a settled purpose ] de-
termined not 10 trespass on the valuable
time OF this house, but when q PROPOSE
ton is presented so Unnecessary and un-
warrantable, and probably fraught with
such damaging results as l consider this
to be, ] cannot, in justice to my sense OF
duty, refrain from uttering a few words
Of protest against its adoption.
The constitutional and legal objections
to this Measure are so clearly written IN
letters of living, burning light in the
constitution itself, that there has seemed
70 me DO necessity for their presentation;
but Others more able and competent than
mvselfh have acknowledgements, and have
accordingly given that branch Of the
subject due attention; hence my re-
marks shall be confined 70 q few practi-
cal suggestions and coming rs / do from
what was nee an discretionary dis
trict, vet allowing no one in this hsll
or elsewhere to rank me IN loyal devo-
ton to the government Of our fathers, !
feel that my remarks ought, and / hope
they will, receive the attention of the
house: and il so, 1 will promise that
whether they are needed now or not,
some things say shall be remembered
hereafter.
I agree fully with those who say a
crisis is upon US, and that what is done
must be done speedily and effectively.
1 see as clearly IS they do that iDdica-
tons OF q satisfactory adjustment OF our
difficulties are so threatening IS to excite
the serious alarm OF those whose Occupa-
lions will be forever gone when peace
aud harmony are again restored. / Be
lieve that the American people-are equal
IA all emergencies, and that the same
moral courage and forbearance that sus-
tanned them through the ordeal of 2 pro-
traeted civil wal will still sustain them
through the triumphs of q permanent
and enduring peace. It is true, no
doubt 70 maAy sadly true, that parties
might be made TO crumble aud pass
away: but still the nation would sur
yive. which after all would more than
compensate the people and pOsterity for
this wreck Of parties. 1t produced evil
dent CONSERVATION among those who love
marty more than country to hear the
able and eloquent gentlemen from New
York Mr. RAYMOND say there was but
q shade of difference between the prOpO-
sitiou of adjustment as presented in the
proposed constitutional amendment, and
the proposition of later date that comes
from representative men Of the southern
states. This slight difference / think can
and viii be satisfactorily adjusted by the
erasure or modification OF the dis
qualifying section OF the proposed
constitutional amendment, 50 as TO ens-
BILE the south to accept It without dis
honor. And here I desire TO say, in my
conversations with those whom il would
dismalifv, I have found a greater will
ingness to accept it than among those
whom il would not. The representative
men Of those who would not be affected
bv this disqualifying clause, and would
virtually be left with no distractions in
their road 10 political preferment,
prompted by an honorable feeling OF re-
gard for their misguided friends and
Deighbors, as well as due self-respect,
will never approve such conditions yet
IL eau readily be perceived that this dis
Qualifying section is the commencing
clause 10 that other class Of southern
aspirants who never can rise above their
merited oblivion till all competing obsta-
cles are removed.
IhaVe no apologies TO make for those
who inaGgurated or supported rebellion F;
bot ! have q right to demand, and I do
demand, that the pledges that sustained
nv loyalty, and thousands Of others SINH
Iariv situated, shall De redeemed. The
legislation proposed By his bill verihes
every argument used In support OF re-
belIion to induce the loyal to Join them,
" La a-~rrunanF. Fnaa lnrrn9
made in reply.
Secessionists said when the dOmi-
DaBt party in the north get into undis-
puted power they will deprive Us Of all
our Just rights, and placing the heel Of
oppression on our necks, will make Of rs
literally 'hewers Of wood and drawers
Of water"
The loyal said in reply: "You misun-
derstand or misrepresent them they
only desire TO restore aud preserve the
Union ~ and with pride quoted the con-
current resolutions declaring with only
two dissenting voices in this house
~That this war is not waged in any spirit Of
oupressiou. or for auy purpose OF cOnquesi or
subiugatiou, or for purpose OF 9verthrowlug
or frterferitg with the rights or established in
erstutfnns OF those states, but 70 defend and
maintain the supremacy OF the constitution
and 10 preserve the union, with all the dignity
equality. and rights OF the several states unim-
paired.
Now. I assume the responsibility Of
saving that without these and similar
pledges no loyalty could have been
found in any OF the slaveholding states
and further. that without this loyalty,
the war would not have terminat ted as it
has. This may, at first, seem a strong
assertion to those far from the scenes Of
strife but when it Is remembered that
these states furnished near three hun
bred thousand national soldiers, and that
even with these there were long, weary
wears in which the destiny OF the
nation hung trembling 10 uncertain
balance, Besides these three hundred
Thousand soldiers there was in
Al the southern country q dormant loyal
element which added 3 powerful moral
influence against the success Of rebellion.
At that dark period in cur history, when
gold was near two hundred per cent. pre-
MUM, when the draft was being resisted
and riots were raging in New York and
threatened elsewhere, when the entire
strength OF b army was necessary %
drive the enemy from the soil Of Mary
land and Pennsylvania, any business
mind will perceive what would have
rem the result OF s~ubtrRcting three hun
dred thousand soldiers, and the moral in
fiuenee that sustained them, from one
side and adding them to the other. Not
onIy do 1 have the right, in v~indicatiOn
Of the plighted honor Of my government, 1
10 demand that these pledges be re-
deemed, but it is my duty 10 warn the
nation Of the dangers Of di~sregaTding I
them. No great moral wrong was ever
perpetrated by individuals or nations
without sooner or later meeting with
retriButive punishment and II IL re-
0uired four long and doubtful years of
bloodv wal 10 conquer the south, when
We were right and they were wrong,
how Iong would it require II they were
rirbt and we were wrong? as We will be
vhenever ia violation Of our pledges
during the war, and in violation Of
Conditions 81 their surrender, we
oDDress them with this degrading legis-
these remarks are intended for those
in this house, and the masses OF the
north who, though misguided, really
desire q restoration Of peace and conse-
0uent prosperity, and not FOR those who
With fell purpose TO keep up strife, first
falsely charged that the south was still
IN rebellion, and in order 10 seemingly
these charges offer insult and in
iurv. as in this aud similar enactments,
q hope 70 ~inaugUrate the condition
~ affairs they had said already existed.
II has been %truthfuily said IN the pro-
vress OF this debate that the result Of the
5ast elections was brought about by the
OF /" southern loyalists " for pro-
lection against their enemies and 10
who know the hopes that inspired
Ibese men it is q sourcs Of wonder that
ne northern people, so d%eserYedly pro-
for sagsoity, should have been
N easily duped a. 10 credit such state
nents. Fortunately, there IS nothing 50
~ that some good may not come Of il,
md 80 with this proposed law which has
,lrPady unmarked the purposes Of these q
nper-lovalists; as IL is becoming APP f,
parent 70 all that they have neither Z
needed nor desired protection for them
but are extremely anxious to be
,lothed with authority to protect other
magiDary sufferers. This putting the
rejection in the hands Of the regular {
,rmv does not meet with their approval, (
Decause they see in that no rich pickings
ar themselves. These men, As a class,
liked regular army officers, and
that they are about 10 be deprived
through them Of what they deemed a
-ieh harvest Of spoils they like them less r
han ever. It is this same class who
nave cried most loudly and UPrsistenfly =