The Conservative. (M'connelsville, Ohio) 1866-1871, 1868-01-30
SPEECH
HON, HENRY STANBERY.
DELIVERED IN WASHINGTON D. c., on THE
STu INSTANT.

"Tho Constitution. A compact Of
ofpcrpclual union. When disturbed
it needs no reconstruction, but only tho
removal OF an obstruction.
Attorney-General Stanbery SAID:
Mr.. CHAIRMAN AND GENTLEMEN: /
feel tonight something Of the novelty
and excitement Of II new situation -
For the first time in my life. / find
myself ut Democratic celebration
find myself here, not merely us one of
the convives, but selected by the COM
mittee 20 respond ~ one Of tho regular
toast. lam reminded Of the old adage.
that politics, like poverty, sometimes
brings us acquainted with strange bed
fellows. ! trust Mr. Chairman, may
escape the charge Of egOtism If l take q
few minutes to explain how 1t happen
ed that ! have never been at Demo
cratic mco6ng in times past, and how
It happens thGU l am hero to.uight.
feel that do not speak for myself, but
for a thousands of others whose past
and present polIttcal associations
have been and are the same as mine.
For more than thirty years belonged
to the Wing party and fought in its
ranks so long that Twas classud as one
of It's 'Old guards" / was with il in
IFS successes, whichvcre few, and still
constant with 1t IN its reverses, which
were many. lncver deserted it while
its organization existed, and only ccas.
ed to be Whig when the party itself
ceased 10 exist.
My last vote was given to that party
IN the Presidential contest of 1850
Thon came the rebellion, and with it Il
new isuo which overshadowcd all form.
er party issues. l lost sight at once of
all former political associations. and
joined that great Union party which
saved the republic. When that great
fact was accomplished. when the work
Of tho soldiers was done, and the work
OF the statesman was TO be resumed, a
now question arose only less in magni-
tude to that OF the preservation Of the
nation, and that was IN what spirit and
according to what policy the victor.
ious North should deal with .hose
Southern States and that Southern pcO-
pie who had been engaged in insurrec-
ton. They gave up the contest and
all tho issues of the contest. They re-
peAled their ordinances of secession.
they abolished the institution of slave
ry, they repudiated tho debt which
they incurred in waging war. and
again asked 10 como under the protec-
tion Of the old flag, to be restored once
more to the rights and privileges OF
American citizens. 1t did seem at first
that the policy Of forgiveness and res.
toralon would prevail. 1t was inaug.
rated under the leadership Of Mr.. Lin.
coin, and he proposed in good faith to
carry out tho pledges and hopes held
out TO tho South during the struggle
that tho object of the war was aou to
destroy but to preserve: that the South.
ern States had never lost their places
IN thoUnion, but were only temporarily
out OF their proper relations, and that
as soon as the war was over these con.
stitutional relations should be resurod
But, even before tho death OF Mr.. Lin
coin there vas developed in tho Re
publican party formidable opposition
to that policy, and new party was
soon formed, which held that we had
waged war for conquest and not for
restoration; that we had not merely
Put down an insurrecton, but that we
had conquered provinces not States,
and q foreign people, not American
citizens; that these States, instead OF