The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1868-02-06

Of the Eee.dtntion withou. raising up new
class a. soye1 voters.
Anr sir. nobody coleurrsd in that resnIt
more lea.s1g than myssK lconfss Cad
d. it wtkhsek shamD that haye been edneated
people mvs%6een edueated rapidly ard the 1
man who says he has learned nothing, that he
stands now where he did six pears ago. is like
ancient mile post by the side OF . deserted
highway. We. Mr. President. have advanced
step by step. When ihis war begaa We did not
Contemplate the destruction Of slavery. re-
member well when the Critte-den resolution
was passed, declaring that the war WAS not frns-
ecu,ed for conquest or to oyerturn the lnstitu-
tons Of any State know that that WAS intend.
ed as An assurance that slavery should not be de-
stroyed. and il received the vote, believe. OF
every Republican member in both Houses Of
Congress Blu. in few months after that time
il was found by the events of the war that we
cond not preserve slavery and suppress the
rebellion, and we must destroy slavery--but de-
stroy slavery 20 prosecute the WAR; W hich
Was the better TO stand by the resolution
and let the Union 60. or to stand by the Union
and let the resolution go 2 Congress could not
stand by that pledge, and it was more Aon-
ored in the breach than the observance Mr..
Lincoln issued his proclamation OF emancipa-
ton setting free the slaves Of rebels. 1t Was
dictated BY the stern and bloody experience
of the times. Mr.. Lincoln had no choice left
him. When we began this contest no one
though. we could use eo.ored soldiers IN the
war The distius uishsd Senator sitting by me
hsrs, Mr.. Cameron,] when in the winter Of
1861 he first brought forward the proposition,
az Secretary Of War. to colored soldiers.
was greatly in advance Of public opinion, and
was thought to be visionary; but as the war
progressed il became manifest to all Intelligent
men tina. we must not emily destroy slavery
.atxrS n II.
mentality in oar power for the purpose OF put
ting down the rebellion, and the whole country
accorded in the use of colored soldiers, and
gallant and glorious service they rendered. In
1864 proposition was brought forward in this
body to amend the Constitution Of the United
States by abolishing slavery. We do not think
that is very radical row, but it was very radi-
cal then; it was the great measure of the age,
and almost of modern times, and 1t was finally
passed; an amendment setting free every human
being within the limits Of the United States -
But sir, We were very far then from where we
are now. All will remember the celebrated
Winter Davis bill, passed in june. 1864, which
took the power Of reconstruction out Of the
hands Of the President, where it did not in fast
belong. -eaf &c
refer to Mr.. Lincoln; but If that bill had
passed it would perhaps have resulted in the
destruction of this Government. We can all
see it now although it was then thought to be
the most radical measure of the times What
did it propose? 1t proposed to prescribe plan,
to take effect when the war shoald end, by
which these rebel States should be restored. I
refer to that bill simply to show how We have
all travelled. It required but one condition Or
guarantee on the part of the South, and that
was that they should put 10 their constitutions
q provision prohibiting slavery. 1t required
no other guarantee. 1t required no equalIza-
ton Of representation i; no security against
rebel debts, or against payment for emanei-
pated slaves; and it confined the right OF suf-
irage to white men. But it was thought to be
great step in advance At the time; and SO Is
was /; but events were passing rapidly, and in
1865 the President came forward with his
proposition, and I arm stating what is true from
an examination Of the documents when say
that but for the want of power with the Pres
ident his scheme in itself considered was far
more radical than that Of the Winter Davis
bill but events we're rapidly teaching the
statesmen of the time that we could not recon-
struct upon that basis.
Still. Congress was not prepared to take
forward step until the summer of 1865, IN the
passage ofthe constitutional amendment which
we now regard as halfway measure. neces-
sary and vital as far as it went, but not going
far enough. That was rejected, and We wr'e
then compelled to go further, and we t-<e pow '.
ALLEN upon the plan of reconstruction WHICH 1
have been considering. II Ass oeen dietaseo
hr m. logic of events. It overrides all argu-
meuts. oyerrides al prejudices. overrides all
yneury. IN The presence Of the necessity for pre-
serving the life of the nation; and if future
mats shall determine that we must go further,
this usfsn~nrepared to say thai will go as
public npon AngnrssarY to tho execution OF
stcration Of every part Of tnpfion of this Re.
Mr.. President. the column b. reoanssstul re-
As before remarked, has risen sswi.. s'F9ctIon
not been hewn from Q single stone. =, !. u has
posed of many blocks, painfully lai1 -. u
put together, and cemented by the tel an9
blood Of the nation. Sir, we have done nos an0
arbitrarily. We have done nothing for puni ss
mest, aye, too little for punishment. Justic
has not he'd her demand. Not man has We
been executed for this great treason. The arc
bend himself Is now at liberty upon bail. n
man is to be punished; and now. while punish
ment. has gone by, as we all know. we are insis
! ting only on security for the future We ar
simply asking that the evil spirits who brough
this war upon US shall not again come int
! power during this generation. again to brin
/ upon US rebellion and calamity We are simpl,
asking for those securities that we deem neces
asary for our peace and the peace of our pos
/ stsrity. wn-sb Efnts sr--a1-r ,.7
! 9, Sir. there 10 one great differences between
| this Union party and the so-called Democrat,
party. Oar principles are those of humanity
! stnsy are those of justice; they are those
equal rights they are principles that appeal te
the hearts and the consciences Of men; while
on the other side we hear appeals to the preju-
dice OF race against race. The white man is
aoveswhslmingly in the majority in this country,
and.ehat majority is yearly increased BY half q
million Of white men from abroad, and that
majority gaining in proportion from year to year
until the colored men will finally be but baud
kiul IN this country; and yet we hear the PREM
does OF the white race appealed to to crush
this other race, and to prevent it from rising to
supremacy and power. Sir, there is nothing
noble. there is nothing generous, there is moth.
ing lovely. in that policy or that appeal. How
does that principle compare with ours? We
Eass standing upon the broad platform of the
vDeclarstion Of Independence that /. ell men
are created equal; that they are endowed by
their Creator with certain inalianable rights !;
that among these are life, liberty. and the pur
suit of happiness" We say that these rights
are not given by laws; are not given by the
Constitution: but. they arc the gift Of God to