The Conservative. (M'connelsville, Ohio) 1866-1871, 1868-09-03
$500 A YEAR.

anu WeUl W Nlo Helu Wnen OOuAh
Carolina and her erring sisters bad
thrown down the glove and stood
armed TO the teeth to battle for tho
wrong l did thon what should
do ngain--and in my last hour, yea.
IN my dying moments, I believe,
feel that ] shall find consolation ia
the remembrance that in the deads
ly hour Of my country's peril l
atooj In the smoke Of battle, where
deadly missiles carried desolation
10 the households, ana fought for
our fng and our Government.
We were victorious, and flushed
with victory wa now ewing over 10
the other extreme. This Is human
nature, and heated by partisan zeal
and led by incuon We busicn to do
on tho otLer extreme as great Ala
evil as that proposed by the seccs-
siouists. The Republican party is
wiping out State rights and central.
izing unconstitutionally all power
ut Washington This is as fatal to
tho liberty OF the citiEons as was
that other fatal TO our independence.
| left the Democratic party and
took up arms against anarchy and
disorder. j now leave tho Ropub-
licun party and take up arms against
dcspotisEI.
When tho lnte war cEmo TO an
end, which IL did with tho dispcr.
sion Of the Confederate army AMI n
surrender of their officers, there was
n pressing demand for high states.
manship on the part Of tho political
organization then holding control
OF tho Government, and this sta.es-
manship meant forbenranco, for
givcness and brotherly Kindness
Had wo conquered another plople
--had VIC overrun a foreign prov
ince, we nigh; have followed the
course Of var and dictated punish>
mcnt to the conquered.
But these were our own citiZons
their country was part Of our
country they were Of ourselves,
and. come wenl, como woe, il is our
destiny to win them il we wish 10
retain the Republic as /: was and
as our fathers destined il 10 bo.-
Thcu our best policy was one of
Kindness. W. might have fniled
but it was our duty TO try. And
tlcre is that which responds to tho
kindness of brave nature, that
you can always build upon. Wo
had conquered, We could afford 10
forgive. We should then have boeu
az generous an we had been courn-
geous, and treating the bravo mon
of the South like mon, we should
have given them all their rights aS
citizens and said, como. !Ct US be
bruthors.
That the South was prepared for
submission 10 any reasonable terms
al the close Of tho war, / Ru' pre-
pared 10 bciIeve. Ii any one uUuuts
this let him read the report made
by General Grant to Andrew John.
son on returning from the tour Of
Inspection at the South, ordered by
the acting President. l am sorry
that i have not this report to read
now IN support OF my position El-
ther General Grant was sxceedihg-
ly stupid or very dish honest, # that
report il untrue. His followers
will scarcely admit either supposi.
ton.
Instead ofthe statesmanship of love,
| had IN oil Zee
ship Of hate. We sought to degrade
the men who fought, and destroy the
very foundation OF our Government
In our eagerness to punish, State lines
were wiped out and military districts
formed and put under control of men
ignorant oflaw, and who squared their
actions by the regulations OF the bar
rack room and the drill OF the samo
material courts were formed organized
to convict, and property, and liberty,
and life itself made subject to the ar
btary will Of "a little, mean, military
despot States have, in fact, ceased to
exist, Why, gentlemen, il was but the
other day that commission appointed
by Congress went into Kentucky to in
vestigate the character Of fCongressmen
elected from that State, and report up.
on the sort of voters that made their
constituents. They had tho same right
to send committee to the Fourth Con-
gressional District Of Ohio, and dictate
to you who should be your Representa-
tive, and the process Dy which you may
become his constituents. / raise nv
voice not only in behalf of the South,
but for all the States, and all the peo-
pie, Iprotest against these usurpations
against despotic centralization of pow.
er. would have universal amnesty
and universal suffrage l believe the
white races are able to take care Of
themselves, and if they are not. no le-
gal disability oAn save them. With this
change only, and it 10 one of the results
of the war We could not prevent, nor
we're We disposed " prevent, would
replace these States precisely az they
were before the war, 1t is the duty of
the Democracy, should it have power,
to wipe out these so-called Acts of Re-
construction, and dig down and bring
lghtolce more to the old land marks
ofthe fathers. This can be done quick
ly and peaceably. Thank God, we yet
have the ballot box and the ballot, and
ifthe American people can only awal.
en- to reason, and do their duty, the
oraat work thu raal ,u-orl- II -