The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1868-11-02
NEW Y0Es R,
SPEECH OF MIR. SEWARD AT AuRIrl

Cancellation, which seemed to him as it seemed
then to the whole country to be practicable and
easy, because it was simple and natural The
people of the South were invited to establish
the necessary State governments upon the basis
OF loyalty and fidelity, of which practical tests
were required. First. the acceptance of the
new amendment OF the Constitution, which
abolished slavery; second, reputation of the
rebel debt; third, the abrcgation of all rebel
law; fourth, the acceptance of the so-caIled
iron-clad cath. All other questions were pass
ed over for further and future action. LOYAL
state governments were promptly formed and
loyal Senators and Representatives appeared at
the doors of Congress knocking for admission
Ihen, and not till then was peace proclaimed.
IL is not correct that President johnson made
those State governments or caused them to be
made by force or intimidation. The Union
armies fingered indeed in the rebel States to
keep peace during the transition from civil war
but the popular action was spontaneous, and the
executives there confined themselves to the
forms of suggestion and advice of which Pres
ident Lincoln had already set an example,
The new constitutions were the best attainable
at the time without direct application of
force. They were adequate to the emergency,
and were open, like all similar constitutions
for future revision and improvement with the
lapse of time and the increase of popular
knowledge and virtue in the several States
Mr.. Seward then reviewed in an exhaustive
manner the excitements both North and South
consequent upon the various phases of affairs
in the Southern States and in Congress while
reconstruction has been in progress. He said:
Thus far all the representatives sent to Con-
greSs by the rebellious States in 1865 have been
rejected without regard to their qualifications
or their loyalty. All the loyal State govern
ments formed in 1866 have been abrogated
without regard to their loyalty, with the ex-
ercise of military force subaltern army officers
have been placed by Congress in the several
States. Congress has enfranchised and has
disfranchsed in those States just as it seemed
best calculated to secure the acceptance of the
constitution prescribed through military agents
in communities where no rebel force has been
seen for nearly four years
Mr.. Seward then contended that President
johnson in his action followed the wise and
humane plan of President Lincoln, and the
Constitution for which he was brought up for
impeachment and acquitted. Most of those
States organized in hisirregular manner, sent
their Representatives to Congress, and these
Representatives have been admitted while all
the State governments through whose machin-
cry these keprese ntives were sent, or nearly
all, are invoking the Congress of the United
States to suspend the habeas corpus, to estab-
lsh martial law, to assume and to confde to
military agents the entire business of govern
ment in those States, under the alarm and
fears of renewed Instruction and rebellion
and the restoration of slavery. No wise man
thought tranquility would Immediately sue
III
thought that all needful political wisdom in re-
gard to that crisis, was contained in the scrip
tural injunction, to agree with your adversary
quickly, and this injunction which is true of
al adversaries, is especially true when your
adversaries are estranged brothers So
much my friends for the past. What
now of the present situation? We have
heard for three years the alarms of premature
reconciliation, the advantages of preorastina-
ton, the dangers of reaction and armed rebel
lon
by all parties "Peace, peace, let us have peace"
cloud applause) What does the country need
10 view of the painful situation? 1 answer
my own question. 1t needs just what it need
ed IN 1860, the admission of loyal representa-
tives from the late rebel States in Congress. 1t
needs at this time, and at our hand no more.
When you have given to the Southern States
places III Congress where they will have con-
Sttutional hearing, the people then will ac-
quiesce in what Congress may require, and
their mouths will be closed on all constitution
al topics that have produced agitation and ex-
element. The States which send those rep
resentatives must have loyal representative
governments to determine what party, what
interest or what faction shall enjoy the power
or discharge the responsibilities of govern
ment. Then we must indeed keep peace for
them if they cannot keep it for themselves.
We must therefore, support and maintain the
existing governments to that end, tut it be-
longs to the people of those States Just as much
as 1t belongs to the people of this State to say
whether they shall live under one form of 10y
al Republican government or another, and I'M
der one administration of loyal Republican
government or under another. do not ask or
require that the representatives here or the
governments shall be white or black or mixed;
only insist that they shall be representative
men. freely chosen in those States by the peo-
pie themselves, and not by outside compulsion
or dictatlon. Being no conservative in the
narrow meaning of that word, not only do
not oppose but favor all amendments to exist
ing State governments, and accept but one
limitation for my efforts in that direction, and
that limitation is the Constitution of the Unit
ed States, which enOnS non-intervention upon
me as those States are loyal to the Union and
keep the public peace their own peace and
the peace of the Union. L shall not, therefore,
take the sword into my hand or put it into the
hand OF any other person to effect reform by
force in those States, which am sure will be
enected much sooner and more permanently
through the exercise of persuasion and reason.
AS little as think it my duty to use the sword
10 undo and remove what has already been
done in these States, (Applause) whether it
was necessarily done or unnecessarily and I'M
wisely done as | thought the situation which
existed in 1865, ought to be accepted by a
reasonable, patriotic and humane administra-
ton, so do think now that the situation which
exists in 1868 after the efforts which have been
made to secure better ought to be accepted.
L am not without hopes, my friends,
that the painful national dilemma NAV
be solved before the end of the present
administration. Calmness and TRANQUILITY
must sooner or later resume SWAY over the
public mind. 1t is possible, however. that the
dilemma OF reconciliation may require the at
tention of the new Administrations 1t is in
this respect that deem the present choice of
your future Chief Magistrate, not merely i'm
portant but perhaps critically so, as the last
two choices were. So ON the consideration
alone is sufficient to determine my Judgment
in this emergency / cannot forget that the
civil war has closed with two great political
achievements, the one the saving of the integ-
rity of the Union, and the other the abolition
OF African slavery. Personally see no cause
to fear in any case, reaction in which both or
either OF these great attachments can be lost.
They are in harmony With the shirt of the
age and the established progress of mankind
My confidence, however, in this respect is not
INDUCED, nor do expect it to be entertained
by all, nor even the majority of nv patriotic
fellow citizens who were engaged with us in
making and aiding those great achievements.
Theirs wounds, unlike my own, are yet I'M
healed. Their sacrifices are yet unrewarded.
They have been, they are, and they will con.
tinue to be apprehensve in that regard, and
these apprehensions will increase with every
indiscreet proceeding or even -utterance of any
person or parties who ever were compro-
missed or who ever symapthized with
the rebellion or with African slavery
Confidence is in the cast of most men, though
it is not in mine plant of slow growth. Not
only is it true that such apprehensions how
ever unreasonable they may be, cannot be
safely disregarded, but it is equally true that
they are to be respected and INDUCED because
of the moral influence they all exer in favor
OF union, freedom and progress in all future
time aud throughout the world. The ma2is
trates VINO are to preside there in the work o
recoustruction hereafter, ought like those who
have preceded in former STAGES of that work
to be drawn from and representing that elias.
of citizens who maintained the government il
the prosecution of the civil war and in the alb
clifton of slavery.
Mr.. Seward then reviewed the attitude n
the Republican and Democratic parties saw.
ing that great crimes have been committed Nv
the former, and that he could not distrust tn,
loyalty of Andrew johnson, of General Han
cock, General Mcclellan, Senator Buckalew
of Pennsylvania, Senator Hendricks of Indi
ana, or his associatate Mr.. Niblock, or of Nj
Cox of Ohio to whom personally than to an
other member is due the passage of the Cor
sttutional amendment in Congress for Tia
abolition of A rican slavery.
He continued at much length in review {
the history of the past Presidential election
and administrations He said that lie ha
practically returned home as private citizel
and trusted that responsibilities equal to thos
which had been met by the existing admins
tratlon, would not ariss in the next admins
tration. He claimed that no act of his he pc
bring on the recent civil war, and he had pc
formed every act in his power to save the u;
tiona life amid all the trials of civil war III
moral doctrine Which was theory eight year
ago is now an lrreyersible fact Certainly I'll
country is not less now but is larger than
found it when l entered my last public Sc