The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1868-02-01


Again, sir, the assumption is equally
prouudless that the whole of the white popu-
iation, or a majority, even, ever voluntarily
engaged in the rebellion. It is true, the
great majority in the end were compelled to
acquiesce; but 1t was not until after the fed
eral government, speaking through President
Buchanan, had abandoned the loyal people
of the south, and declared that neither the
President nor congress had the power 20
make war to compel the states to remain III
the Union in word, it was not until res
ident Buchanan, in his message OF Decem
Der, 1860, declared that this government had
neither the right nor the power 10 oeieno
itself from overthrow at the hand OF the radi-
Gals of the south that majority of the
southern people were disposed to consent TO
secessic n, nor did they even then acquiesce
in rebellion until hostilities, actually began,
had organized an irresistible military power
over them. Then the majority were COM
pelled to succumb.
1t should not be forgotten that allegiance
on the part of the citizen and protection on
the part of the government are correlative
duties. Has a government the right to de-
maud the one if it do not afford the other
Has it the right to punish the citizen for
yielding to a superior force against which 1t
makes no attempt to protect him? Such
claim would be monstrously unjust.
We know very well that the radicals of
the south had a powerful organization
They were as bold, as earnest. as reckless
of consequences, and as FESTIVE under con-
stitutioaal restraints as the present radicals
of the north Similar in all the main ele
ments of character; cherishing even to IA
naticism opposite extremes of opinion,
all F-Apa fhn h.I fhnp
exchanged places and education, in all hu-
man probability the radical of the north
would have been a most violent radical at
the SOUTH and the radical of the south an
equally violent radical at the north. 1t is
| a striking fact, showing how easily extremes
sometimes meet, that the radical cry of the
secessionists of 1860 is identical with that
of the northern radicals of to-day, namely:
"The Union is broken: the constitution in all
the stats of the south is gone. Down with the
old Union down with the old constitution; we
are outside the Union, and outside the constitu-
ton will have new Union and a new con-
stitution TO suit ourselves, we will have none
at all.
The cry was the same. the purpose the
same-political power. The radicals of the
south raised that cry to build up their power
| upon negro slavery; the radicals of the north
to build up their power upon negro suprem-
acy, upheld by the bayonet.
| And sir, shall we make no allowance for
| the great mass of the southern people who,
| by force, by terror, By persuasion. by the
abandonment of the government, and by all
| the excitemeuts, passions, and necessities OF
actual war, were plunged into that terrible
| conflict by the radicals of the south as by a
power they could not control? We all know
81
of small. well,organized minority, strong
in will and reckless of consequences. What
have we seen in the republican party itself
within the last three years?
| We have seen a comparatively small
| number of earnest radicals reverse and alb.
solutely overturn from its foundations the
| policy of reconstruction adopted by Mr.. Lin
! coin before his re election and sustained by
the convention which re-nominated him and
| the party which reelected him in 1865. His
policy was reconstruction upon the white
| basis. The negro was excluded altogether.
Even the Wade and Davis reconstruction
| bill, which passed congress by republican
votes, and which Mr.. Lincoln refused to
| sanction. but not for that reason, confined
reconstruction to the white basis alone. 1t
excluded all negro suffrage. 1t left that
| question, where it belongs, to the white race
| to determine in each state for themselves.
| Upon this subject | quote and adopt the
| language of the senator from Indiara Mr.
| Morton) while governor of that state:
81 call your attention to the fact thst congress
| itself, when it assumed to take the whole ques
| ton of reconstruction out of the hands of the
| President, expressly excluded the negro from
! the right of suffrage in voting for the men who
were to frame the new constitution for the rehe
| states"
eff Mr.. Lincoln had not refused TO sign the
bill, there would to-day be act of congress on
| the statute books absolutely prohibiting negroes
| from any participation in the work of reorgani-
| ration, and pledging the government in advance
| to accept of the constitutions that might be
| formed under tbs bill, although they made nc
| provision for the negro beyond the fact of his
| personal liberty"
! | repeat, we have seen little handful OF
radicals, by their holiness, persisteney and
| force, persuade, caiole, or drive the grea,
majority OF the republican party away from
their own avowed policy of reconstruction
| upon the white basis, and compel them tC
| adopt the policy of universal negro suffrage
to establish negro governments. and now a
| last to propose absolute military dicta
| torship in all the states of the south. ! shall
| say nothing unkind of the senator from In
diana; | admit his patriotism and eminen,
| abilities. Bnt if anything were wanting tc
demonstrate the power which these radicals
| have had over the mass of the republican
party in changing their opinions and revers
ing their policy, we have only to point tc
| the able senator from Indiana himself, once
among the most powerful advocates of the
| Lincoln Johnson policy of restoration upon
the white basis. now bound hand and foot,
and dragged in chains at the victorious
charlot wheels. t. disgrace the triumph of
Henoeil Phillips and the senator from Mas
sachusetts. Even his great mind now lends
Its powerful influence to favor the establish
ment OF governments based upon universal
negro suffrage, to hold it may be, the bal
| ance of power in this republic under the CON
troll OF the bayonets of the regular army.
| well remember the effect produced by
the speech of the governor of Indiana in IS
| Go. 1t came at a time to be most grateful,
remembered by me- for | was engaged in 9
struggle at that time against the radicals o
my own state, to prevent them from chang
ing the creed and reversing the policy upor
which the union party fought and mastered
the rebellion, and by which alone their vic
tory was achieved. | endeavsred to demon
strate the same truth set forth in that grea
speech, and when it came, with it's irresist
BILE eloquence and unanswerable force of mr.
gnment, | rejoiced to lean on the strong arm
of support. Like him, had on more thar
one occasion attempted to prove that Mr.
Johnson inherited, and was faithfully carry
| ing out the policy OF his predecessor. w,