The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1868-02-21
the time tia, v. could not reconstruct upon

the time that We could not reconstruct upon
that basis.
Sin. Congress, Vas not prepared 70 take .
| S,rv.rd .,s,, until the summer of 1856. In the
n..,.ye Of ,Se con ,tisutionsl amsodmsnt, which
=. now rrcsrd IS half way measure, necess-
ry ami vital as FAR o. il went. but not going far
enough. That Vas rejected, and We we're then
compelled to 60 further. and We have nov TALL
en- upon the plan OF reconstruction which l
hsy, been considering. Il has been dictated by
the logic OF events. IL overr,des ell arguments,
overrides all prsjudees, oserrides oil theory, In
the presence VI the necessity for preserving the
life Of this nation and IL future events shall
determine that we must 70 further, l for one
am prepared to say iharl will 60 rs far rs shall
be necessary 10 the execution OF this guaranty,
the reconstruction OF this Republic upon right
bass, and the successful restoration OF every
part Of this Union.
Mr.. President, the column VI reconstruction,
as before remarked, has arisen slowly. II
has not been hewn from single stone. II Is
composed IL many blocks, painfully laid up
and put together. and cementei by the tears
and blood Of the nation. Sir, we have done
nothing arbitrarily We have done nothing
for punishment. Justice has not had her de-
manl. Not man has yet been executed for
this great treason. The arch fend himself Is
now at liberty upon bail. No man is to be
punished and now, while punishment has
gone by, as we ell know, We are insisting only
upon security for the future. We are simply
asking thar the evil spirits who brought this
war upon Us shall not again come into power
during this generation, again To bring upon
US rebellion and calamity. weare simply ask
ing for those securities that we deem necessary
for our peace aud the peace of our posterity.
Sir. there Is one great difference between this
Union party and the so-called Democratic par
~. Our principles are those Of humanity
they are those Of justice they are those Of
equal rights they are principles that appeal
to the hearts aud the consciences VI men
while on the other side We hear appeals to the
prejudice Of race against race. The white
man Is overwhelmingly in the majority In this
country, and that majority Is yearly increased
by half million Of white men from abroad.
and that majority gaining In proportion from
year to year until the colorel men will finally
be but q handful in this country aud yet We
hear the prejudices Of the white race appealed
to, to crush this other race, and to prevent II
from rising 10 supremacy and power. Sir.
there Is nothing noble, there is nothing gener
Gus, there Is nothing lovely 10 that policy or
that appeal. How does that principle com
pare with ours! We are standing upon the
broad piatfoI IN Of the Declaration Of lndepen-
ceuce, that AL men are created equal that
they are endowed by their Creator with
certain inalienable rights /; that among these
are life. liberty. and the pursuit Of happiness
We say that these rights are not given by laws;
are not given by the Constitution but they
are the gin Of God to every man born IN the
world. Oh. Sir, how Curious in this great
principle compared With the inhuman-l
might say the heatbenish-appealt to the pre-
,iudice Of race against race the endeavor fur
,her to excite the strong against the weak the
endeavor further to deprive the weak VI their
rights Of protection against the strong.