The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1867-04-25

autumn; aItlOugh we nAd buried 30,
600 young men in the pride and bloom
of lusty life, whose graves are scattered
beneath starry northern sky, and
ridge the fields Of the desolated South,
while thousands of MANNED veterans
remained to remind us ofour wrongs
still, when the victory was ours, not a
feeling Of revenge animated the north
ern heart. There was no disposition to
rejoice over your many sorrows, but a
feeling of qualification ut the triumph OF
truth, and the settlement upon the
basis of liberty and justice. We de-
sired that all should have equal rights
before the law; but while we wished to
raise the lowly, there was no intention
Of forging the chains of slavery Tor
those already free. These were the
sentiments OF my section.
Every man who came TO Washington
after the surrender of Lee was ready TO
do anything that the good of the nation
required. And the proposition now
pending, if it had then been submitted,
you would all have exclaimed with
| Joy that the Government was Just, libe-
rul, and Iuerciful to fault. Some
thought that our Government would
go farther, and do far more than we
have even contemplated.
When President Lincoln prepar ed
eight conditions fof the pardon of he
rebels, he honored me by asking my
opinion of the requirements, and gave
them my cordial approval. When
johnson proposed fourteen, thought
there were six too many, and urged
that the thirteenth Mt least should be
stricken out. allude to the exception
OF the owners of property valued at
1000 from the amnesty. believed
that the first thing was to go to work;
that the sooner men who had been
stricken by war, whose fields had been
devastated, whose money had been lost
in Confederate bonds, went to work
the better it would be for them and for
the country. l would have selected
lew of the rebelliOus leaders-the men
who planned the great wickednesS, who
sat in Congress and sent dispatches
mlsrepresenting US to their cOnstitu-
ents, and would have pardoned the
rest. At the same time, would have
said, Amend your State constitutions,
revise your statute books, emancipate
your slaves, and make all equal before
the law. You would gladly have done
this. Our only object was the good of
all classes, and we desired to do inius-
tice to none.
The misfortune was here. When
President Lincoln fell by the assassin's
hand, class of men clustered around
the new President and whispered in
his ear their Plan for the organization
OF great conservative party, of which
he might be the leader. Conservatism
is always sign of error, aud when Il
man calls himself conservative, he
means wrong. When the Radicals in
any country are pushed off, there are
few earnest men left. Returning, 1
will say that, contrary to tie will OF
nj inn NF 4 Ftl..
men that raised him to his high posi-
ton, johnson adopted policy OF his
own, and for eighteen months governed
you as he chose, and you humbly bow
Ell to his commands. He assumed all
that Congress now assumes; and you
who endorse the President should never
speak of the usurpatiOnS of Congress.
MY Policy" ruled for many months,
and then perished under the stern con-
demnatiOn of the American people, and
will rise no more to curse our, Won,
or your country. Congress at length
settled upon plan of reconstruction
military reconstruction. And let me
say that this bill had no father, but was
made up of contributions from various
quarters, and was the result of much
anxious thought and prayer. 1t is
wiser than we then knew; and 1 verify
believ it was framed by the hand OF God.
Since the passage of that bill there has
been mighty change in the South. In
some of the States where outrages upon
freedmen were of daily occurrence. not
single case of the murder of acolOred
man has been reported to the authOri-
ties for weeks. This is not owing to
the presence of the military; for while
all of ms have dread of power when it
is used against us, yet you are not the
people to be intimidated in the cause of
right. 1t is owing to the fact that to the
black man we have contided the ballot
for the protection OF their life, liberty,
and happiness. The result is plain.
You colored men are now feared and
respected for your power. Your hands
are weaponed, and everybody knows
1t. Great laughter and cheers from the
blacks.l The plan of reconstruction
will be adopted, as tidings from all
parts of the country proclaim; man.
hood suffrage will be acknowledged,
and men who can take the test oath will
go to Congress. The whole people.
from the Potomac, or even from Maine,
to the Rio Grande, will be divided into
two great national parties. Let all who
favor the bondage of men, who are op-
posed to universal suffrage, favor the
denial of citizenship and cling to the
heresy of secession, all who hoped to
get in Congress and then manage to re-
possess the reins of the government, go
together; and trust they will. There
is party to which they can go, which
has always sympathized with them, for
the Democrats have upon every question
voted against the rights of the colored
man,
Upon the other hand, let all who be-
tieve in the sublime creed of the Decla-
ration of Independence, that "all men
are created free and equal" who are
for manhood suffrage without qualiti-
cation, for building schnol-houses; who
wish to live under the old flag. and die
for 1t If necessary; let them go with the
great National Republican party; for
here give notice that the Republican
flag will be carried in triumph all over
the land. and thousands will be ready 10
die in its defence. need not ask this
throng where they will go,
TOR they well know who fought their
battles, maintained the creed OF liberty,
and gave them the ballot as their due.
am opposed to black or white
mans party, but am in favor of that
party which carries the flag of freedom
and keeps step to the tmusic OF human
elevation. But, my friends, maintain
the dignity of your newborn citizen
ship, entertain no revenge against any,
let the past prejudices be forgotten and
deeply buried. Good good u Do
nothing to ALLEVIATE the races; for you
have your rights, and no power on
Gods earth can deprive you of them.
"A new era is upon us, and the great
American Republic is marching on to
power and glory, and will be the lead
ing nation OF the world. You will be
its citizens, and as good as any ofthem.
Your vote must be for equal rights,
liberty, education, and the de-
velopment of your resources. Discard
the curse of black and white men-the
whisky bottle. Dread it as your worst
enemy. Support your Government,
and go'where you beloug-to the great
Union party of the United States. 1t