The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1867-04-17

restored, and war by this time might
be desolating the country. | tell you,
solid men of the City of New York,
that this action of the 39th Congress,
which has so often been called a Radi-
cal Congress, was conservative of all
the great interests which were In the
struggle IF we had yielded, the re-
bellion would have been success in
stead of failure. 1t was, therefore,
necessary to reorganize society In the
Southern States. Moderate and
reasoning men complained at one
time that Congress was seeking to
prevent reconstruction instead of pro-
noting it. But after the experience
of the last two years, / a. feel
justified in saying that if we
have been in too great a hur-
ry, we should have had TO commence
the strife over again. Only yesterday
I ,receiyed a lett. from Gov. Brown,
ofGee4gia, stating thatlthe movement
toward reconstruction in the Southern
States is going on happily. and that
soon mey will acquiesce in the meas
ures proposed by Congress. IF such
is really the case, and [ do not doubt
it is, there will soon be a full and
complete settlement of all the difficult
ties between the North and the South.
Within few years of this time, the
Southern States will be, II believe, the
most radical States In the Union. We
haveesome illustrations of this In the
history of Missouri and Tennessee.
On the other hand, [ believe the most
conservative States in the future will
be New York and Ohio, who still
cling to their prejudices, even after
the reason for them has ceased. / do
not then. gentlemen, anticipate any
further trouble between the North
and South. The present Congress, I
have no doubt, will be as prudent and
conservative as the last. When use
the word conservative, / mean, of
course, to conserve that which is good
and to destroy that which is bad. 1t
is idle. for any man to say that we
should he governed by the wisdom
that = prevailed sEA aseae hundred
years ago. Alexander Hamilton and
George Washington were 9Tmen of,
mark, and far in advance eof their
time, but the wisdom of masses of
men is greater-than the judgment or
wisdom of any single man, and the
enlightened SpITlt VI Out aye anu gem
GRAFTON is wiser than Washington or
'Hamilton! Il believe thatlthe. move-5I
ments inaugurated by the Thirty
ninth Congress will stand as land
marks to guide andg direct this coun7.
try, and will be as celebrated as the /
of the Continental Com
gress The Thirty-niptfr Congress
VIII, believe, receive, as 1t deserves |
to receive. the same eulogiums that |
are properly bestowed, !, upon the |
measures of the Continental Congress.
| hope at the end of this Congress
we may have in this country from
thirtyfve to forty millions of people,
the freest and most enlightened in
the world, inhabiting a territory ex-
tending from the Gulf of Mexico to
the Russian-no, 1t is no; longer the /
but American-ocean.l
All this vast people WILDE homo
geneous nation, with kindred institu- /
tons, with no sectional difficulties or
discords. Sometimes tits said that diff /
Ierences upon questions of tariff and
finance and taxation may arise be-
tween the East and West. These
differences will, however, disappear,
because every man of judgment must
feel that the time has now arrived
when the statesmen of America must
meet all financial questions in gen
srous aud liberal spirit, and resolve to I
evy taxation to- raise revenue, and l.
or no other purpose. Thrust be per-.
ectly understood that we impose
burdens upon the people only to pre-
serve the national faith. We have
ssued greenbacks, and we must make
hose greenbacks equal to gold and
silver, and the day for the resumption
If specie payments will not be delayed
me day beyond the time when the
people are able to return to the Oldest
standard of value known to the world
gold and silver. [ know that among
robustness men of New York there
s great deal of tremor, and anxiety
bout what may, be done in Congress
n reference to this matter But
When you remember, my friends, that
he members Of Congress are only the
representatives of constituencies from +
il parts of the country, and that they
epresent the people and the peoples &
interests, this anxiety must be greatly (
Illayed. The great body of the people r.
re represented by men of their own p
,hoice, who are guided and governed by
he same Interests that control them.
There issnever any danger, therefore. p
q this Republic of the representa-
ives of the country doing anything
hat is intrinsicaily wrong. There +
leyer was any danger of. it. There
nay be differences Of opinion among
members of Congress- about matters
# policy; but Congress will certainly
lever do anything to impair the pub