Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1867-02-07

sir, is the Slne qua non. Without it
all else is vain with it all else that
is good is sure to follow.
| Secondly. The South must have
time, much time. 1t is a law of the
physical universe that growths of
small value come quickly to maturi-
ty, while those of more worth ripen
slowly. A mushroom grows in a
night and withers in the morning,
while pomegranate tree is said not
to blossom till hundred years old,
but then it produces choice fruit. 1t
takes nation yet longer to grow
to grow out of all that is bad, and in
to all that is go)d-but when thus
grown it is the sublimest vision be-
meath the stars, and yields most am
pie harvests. The present generation
of malicious slaveholding rebels must
die out. Some will accept the situa.
tion as it is and make the best of it,
but the majority will grin and scowl
and die in their malignity. Each sue
ceeding generation will come on the
stage improved in sentiment and
chastened in practice, and thus step
by step as slow years pass away, old
| lies will be eradicated and new truths
will strike their roots into the public
heart. Having passed the Red sea of
blood and wandered the necessary
period in the wilderness, the South
shall at last pitch her tents in the
promised land, the earth all joyful at
her feet and the heavens all luminous
above her. But, sir, write it in char
acters of living light, flashing to the
extremities of the land, to attain this
she must have law and time; the one
in its main features must be furnish
ed by the Congress as now constitut-
| ed, the other by an outraged but mer-
ciful Providence. 1t may be proper
to remark, while passing, that the
fewer prescriptions she accepts from
| Northern Democratic quacks the more
rapid will be her restoration to polit-
ical sanity and vigor
| l am friend to the South, and |
say to every man, do not allow your.
selves to be governed by anything
| like revenge be charitable; remem-
ber that the South are our wayward
sisters, erring, but still related to us.
| Do not work merely for the present,
but have an eye to the future. Labor
not for the elevation of one part only,
but for the whole, remembering that
the good of each part is the good of
the whole, and that the glory of any
one section is the glory of the whole
land if one State is prosperous, all
are benefited if South Carolina is
crushed, Pennsylvania is injured. If
| should labor to apply false sys-
TEN upon the South | am not only in
juring them, but myself if I benfit
them, | benefit the country at large.
| l tell you, Mr.. Speaker, it is worth
something to live In this age it is
worth more to live in this country :;
it is more still to occupy a high van
tage ground, from which a mans
voice can reverberate far out,moving
and stirring the hearts of multitudes.
Hence the Importance of striving to
utter the truth, the whole truth, and
nothing but the truth, so that the
truth shall go out from every deliber-
ative body of the land, as the rays of
light radiate from the sun. do not
stand here to build up the RepubH-
can party, or to tear down any party.
| stand here as a man. l desire to
vindicate the right, and be right; aye,
sir, from my heart of hearts | wish to
be right | never voted for Henry
Clay, but l always admired his senti-
ment, 81 would rather be right than
be President"
When the war closed in 1865, how
stood the case? Congress was not
in session. President johnson assum-
ed the responsibility of reorganizing
the Southern States he appointed
Provisional Governors, and other Off
GERS, and he pardoned the most arrant
rebels, that he might have fit tools to
serve his vicious purposes. He Or
dered constitutional conventions he
dictated the terms of the Constitu-
tions themselves, saying to the South,
put in this and leave out that he is
sued his proclamation, declaring that
the rebellion was ended, peace restor-
ed, and everything lovely; and it only
remained for Congress to admit the
Southern States into the halls of leg
islation. At length Congress assem-
bled; they looked over Mr.. Johnson's
restoration system, reviewed what he
had done, and after mature delibera-
ton, came to the conclusion that
there was little something more
needed for the permanent peace of
this land and Government. They
were not satisfied with Mr. Johnson's
ultimatum, hence these amendments.
Congress entertained the very ration
al idea that the President was but
the servant of the people, and not the
master-his province being to execute
laws and not make them, much less
to dictate constitutions and organize
commonwealth. When the war clos
ed, had he appointed military COVER
nors, as commander-in-chief, to hold
matters in statu quo, then summoned
Congress together, saying to them ::
Gentlemen, the soldier has done his
part, it now remains with you to pro-
vide for the reorganization of civil
government in these rebellious States,
and | shall be happy to cooperate
with you in all wise and effectual
plans, he would have saved the Gov
ernment from trouble and himself
from infamy. Pursuing the opposite
course, aye, arrogating to himself the
prerogatives of an autocrat, Congress
in obedience to the will of the people
/ Il G..na;aL 4ho r,ano,c.a ,.z-