The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1867-01-12

cfaDle IN practlee-OYer WllGn no was
chief; and for bis headlong and murder
Gus subornation of perjury to produce
conviction. And yet, for alfthese things,
or in spite of them, he, too, was retained
in Office, supported and applagded BY
Abraham Lincoln while he lived. | will
not denounco Holt and spare Lincoln.
1t is the fashion to assail Benjamin f.
Butler in Language which | need not re-
peat, for crimes and offences against re-
ligion, against morals, against liberty and
the Constitution aud laws, against hon
esty, against decency--in short, offences
and crimes OF every degree "from petty
perfdy to mighty wrongs" And yet, at
every step in his career, from his insults
to women TO his larceny OF millions, he
was praised. petted, honorcd and promot-
ed by Abraham Lincoln up to almost the
last moment, and then removed FROM high
command for the only wise, humane and
praiseworthy act Of his whole life. l
coin,
1t is the fashion to assail the monster
Mcneil, for his ruthless massacre in cold
blood of ten innocent citizens of Missouri.
under circumstances of more than canni-
bal barbarity. And yet, for this very
act, or in spite of 1t, he was promoted and
entrusted with high military command by
Abraham Lincoln to the end Of his life.
Twill not denounce Mcneil and spare Lin
coin.
1t il the fashion to assail the Milroys,
the Schencks, the Wallaces. the Burn.
sides, the Hovcys. the Burbridges. aud a
host Of petty satraps, despots and militia
~ murdcrers. And yet all these were
the appointees and servants, the minions
of Abraham Lincoln. retained in com
mand, honored and promoted b. him to
the dag Of bis death. | viii not aenounce
them and spare Lincoln. - 50
Finally, il is the fashion 10 asssil Tur.
chin, whose deed of horror no language
can describe, BECAUSE at Athens, Ala.
bama, he gave over for the space Of two
hours, whole seminary of the first young
ladies of the South, to the brutal lusts oil
his soldicry. whom he invited TO the act
of outrage. For this deed Of unspeaka.
bic atrocity he was tried by Federal
court martial. found guilty aud condemn
ed to dismissal from the service And
yet, with this official record before him,
Abraham Lincoln not only refused to con.
firm and execute the sentence. but upon
the spot rewarded Colonel Turchin with
the commission of Brigadier General iu
the army. / viii not denouncc Turchin
and spare LINCOLN.
These are my reasons for not assailine
the men | have named. These are ny
REASONS for declaring that, as u Democrat
| ana not present to eulogize Lincoln, nor
to pretend that Andrew johnson is carry.
ing out the policy of his predecessor
which policy, thr ughout, we Of the Dem
acratic party steadily, consistently, and,
think, rightly opposed from the begin
ming. | never learned to stutify myself
and do not propose to begin at this pc
riod Of my life. Others can exercise
their own judgment aud their own rights
II propose to exercise mine.
| ] have said TO you. fellow citizens, tha
gould not speak the language or senii
ments or maintain the doctrines Of thu
Democratic party, without defending tht
Constitution aud advocating the Union
and hence | am the firm, earnest and dc
termined supporter still, as from the time
it was finally declared about one year ago
of the policy of the President / 20 D,
/ further back. / do not now assume Il
discuss the question whether in the be
Igiuning that policy was properly proclaim
ed. | have an earnest and decided opjn
lion upon that As elsewhere have said
and believe, it would have been far wise
and better every way for the whole coun
TRY, and infinitely better especially for tn,
peace of the country now and hereafter
had the President approved of the term
agreed upon between Generals Sherman
and Johnston, in North Carolina, II
April, 1865.-But the explanation is sat
isfactory. at least to myself. The Presi
dent had but for few days been in tn
Office of Chief Magistrate. He was sur
rounded by men OF whom be was almost
even personally, ignorant-men who, ha,
be dared to place himself in their path
way, as since, thank God, be has had tn
courage to do. might have disposed 0
him as summarily as they did the body O
: Booth. For this reason, / think W
ought not to quarrel with him for thi
mistake-and mistake think it to hav
been, for had those terms been accepts
they would have accomplished what Gen
Sherman declared in his order to the al
my accompanying the announcement
/ made peace in four and twenty hours
with Union from the Potomac to the ri
Grande. Thew were terms of immediat
restoration Of the Union They require
) only what the Crittenden resolutions dc
5 mahded-tks surrender Of the SoGther
7 armies, the laying down Of their arms
, submission to the Constitution and obed
) ence to the laws and the Federal author
ty. aud with that the return, also, to tn
exercise Of all rights under the Constitl
tiop. And this was statesmanship-higt
noble craftsmanship; and more than tina
the highest and noblcst patriotism.
have said that the President has no
, policy which every Democrat endorses
: It iso duty to support him earnestl
! and cordially in carrying out that policy
, Now it SO happens that the very issue
: tonight was the issue six years ago.
When last | addressed you from this yer
8 spot. in 1860, what was the question P
: Mr. Lincoln expressed it in his inaugur,
3 -1"the terms OF INTERCOURSE between th
North and the South" It differs no
: only in. so far as the status of the que,
i ton has been changed by the long an
II L L. J.. 1ry