The Potter journal. [volume] (Coudersport, Pa.) 1857-1872, 1867-02-05
RECONSTRUCTION.
SPEECH OF HON. G. W. SCOFIELD.

he House having under consideration the bI
to provide for restoring to the States lately j
}. insurrecuon their full political rights.
{ Mr.. Speaker, as the confederate popula
ton, five or six million in numbers, is to re
main in this country and to some exten
y shape its destiny, it is all-important tha
We so reconstruct the Union that this pop
ulation NAV become an element ofstrengtI
rather than of weakness to the Republic
Powerful as we. are we can hardly afford Il
allow population so large, brave and reck
less to settle down into chronic disconten
forever to be to America what Irelanc
is to Great Britain, Poland to Russia, o.
Hungary to Austria--an eyer-ready eIe
ment of revolution.
To avoid this result is the avowed purpose
, Of both political parties; but strange to say
with the same professed end in view, they
start out upon paths leading in quite op.
Posite directions. The Republicans claim
that the Union can be best preserved by re-
moving the causes of discomfort and thus
extinguishing the motives to disunion, while
the Democrats think the Union can be best
preserved by tolerating, conciliating, and
fostering the errors and wrongs from which
dlsunlon sprang.
For instance, the preservation of slavery
was the original motive for secession. To
destroy this motive the Republicans pro
pose to abolish and the Democrats to fos-
ter slavery. Acting upon their theory, and
anticipating the final overthrow of the re-
beilion, the Republicans began early in the
war the removal Of It's cause. They pro
hibited the extension of slavery, abolished
/ it in the District Of Columbia, forbade the
return Of slaves by the Army, repealed the
/ fugitive slave law, supported Fremont's.
/ Hunters, Phelps, partial and Mr.. Lincoln's
more general proclamation OF freedom, and
finally BY an amendment Of the Constitu
tlon prohibited it everywhere and forever.
Thus It was hoped that when the rebellion
should be suppressed no conflicting interest
would be left about which the North and
South could quarrel. There appeared
however, to be a lingering hope in the
minds OF the late masters that in a separate
republic the institution might still be re-
vlved IN some modified form and some
thing at least of their large Investment
saved, and to this extent tie motive to re
new the struggle IN more propitious times
survived. This hope and motive for dis
union would grow weaker and weaker as
the suLiect-race become more and more in
telIlgent, thrifty, and sef-reliant.
To facilitate this result the civil rights
and FreeImeas Bureau, the franchise, and
many other minor bills of like import were
passed Icy Congress. The advancement of
the negro was thought to be greater hin
drance to the revival Of the disunion insti-
tuition aud greater discouragement of
confederate outbreaks than repealable laws
or amendable constitutions. This was the
Republican plan Of reunion The Demo
Gratis, acting upon their theory of fostering
and thus concliating the disturbing eie-
ments, opposed al measures for emaneipa
ton, and are still opposing bills for the i'm
proving the colored race. I do not CUES.
ton their sincerity. Quite likely they sin
cereIy thought that the best way to unite
the Moth and South was to Weld to. ex-
tend, cherish, and propitiate the cause Of
disagreement. Bat this is passed. The
great work Is nearly accomplished, and l
refer to the course Of the two parties upon
it only to illustrate my position, that they
seek the preservation of the Union in d.
ametncaliy opposite directions
The Republicans had hoped that by the
removal Of this original cause of quarrel all
incentives TO disunion would disappear; but
on the Threshold Of reconstruction another
and TO some extent an unexpected trouble
presents itself The confederacv had four
aud quarter years Of nationality. Dur
ing this time vast interests, passions, and
resentments grew up under aud centered
in it. She contracted many debts, debt
IN bonds and currency to her capitalists, Of.
damages to her property-hoIders, of honor
to her soldiers memory to her fallen, and
aims to the suffering. The dead claim
homsge, the MANNED, widowed and orphans,
pensions the impoverished payment, and ,
the leaders historic honors. These inter
asts and passions embrace all classes and
appeal to all hearts within the circumfrence
Of confederate power. This makes a cause
stronger than slavery. There Is more mon
ey in it by half, and quite as much to awak-
en- resentment or provoke resistance.
If these people come back with these in
-erests unbarred by constitutional amend
ment, how can they avoid struggling to
save IN the Union all that was risked in
-he confederacy? If they do not, they
must be worse than men or better than
angels. But these interests are in direct
conflict with the corresponding interests of
.he Federal Government, The reunited
nation cannot honor Grant for preserving
he Union and Lee for attempting to de-