The Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1863-1886, 1868-02-06

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Davis bill, passed in juno, 1864,
which took the power of reconstruc-
.tion out of the hands of the Presi-
dent, whereit did not, in fact be-
long. Is
Irefor to Mr.. Lincoln; butt that
bill had passed it would porhaps
have resulted in the destruction Of
this Government. We can all see
it now, although it was then though.
TO be the most radical measure of
the times. What did it proposeH
1t proposed to prescribe plan, to
take effect when the war should
ond, by which these rebel States
should be restored. / refer TO that
bill simply to show how we have
all travelled. lt'required but one
condition or guarantee on the part
of the South, and that was that
they should put in their constitur
tious a provision prohibiting sla-
very. Itrequired no other guar.
antee. 1t required no equalization
ofrepresentation; no security a.
gainst rebel debts, or against pay
ment for emaDcipated slaves; and
it confined tho right of suffrage to
white men. But it was thought TO
be great step in advance at the
time; and SO it was; but events
were passing rapidly, and in 1855
the President came forward with
his proposition, and am stating
what is true from an examination
of tho documents when | say
that but for the want of pow.
er by the Prssiden mt, his scheme
in itself considered was far more
radical than that of the Winter
Davis bill; but events were rapidly
teaching the statesmen ofthe time
that we could not reconstruct up.
on that basis. U
Still, Congress was not prepared
to take q forward step until the
summer Of 1866, in the passage OF
the constitutional amendment,
which we now regard as a half way
measure, necessary and vital as far
as it went. but not going far
enough. That was rejected; and
we were then compelled to go fur.
ther, and we have now fallen upon
the plan of econstruction which |
have been considering. 1t has been
dictated by the logic of events. II
overrides all argument, overrides
all prejudices, overrldcs all theory,
in the presence of the necessity for
preserving tho life of this nation;
and iffuture events shall. deter.
mine that VIC must go further, |
for one am prepared 10 say that |
will go as far as shall be necessary
to the execution OF this guarantee,
the reconstruction OF this Republic
upon right basis, and the success
ful restoration Ct every part Of this
! Union.
Mr.. President, the column of re.
construction, rs | before remarked,
hus risen slowly. 1t has not been
hcwn from u single stono. 1t is
composed OF many blocks, painful.
y laid up and put together, and
ccmented by the tears and blood Of
the nation. Sir, we have done
nothing arbitrarily. We have
done nothing for punishment, ay,
too little for punishment. Justice
has not had her demand. Not q
man has yet been executed for this
great treason. The arch fehd
himself is now at liberty upon
bail. No man is TO be punished ;
and now, while punishment has
1gono by, as we all know, we are
insisting only upon security for the
future. Wo arc simply asking
that the evil spirits who brought
this war upon us shall not again
come into power during this gen.
GRAFTON, again TO bring upon us
rebellion and calamity. We ar,
simply asking for those securities
that we deem necessary for oul
peace and the peace Of our posteri
ty. u.l,
Sir, thore is one great difference
} between this Union party and thu
so called Democratic party. OuI
principles are those of humanity
they are those Of justice; they ar'
! those of equal rights; thoy ar,
principles that appeal to the hearts
1, and tho conscienc,s of men; while
on the other side we hear appeals
to tho prejudice of race agains
! race. The white man is over
whelmipgly in the majority in thii
country, and that majority is year
ly increased by half II million o
white men from abroad, and tha
majority gaining in proportion
from year to year until the color
ed mon will finally be but hand
tul in this country; and yet WI
hear the prejudices of tho Whit
race appealed to to crush this othel
raoo, and to prevent it IRON rising
10 supremacy and power. Sir
there is nothing noble, there il
nothing lovely, in that policy o.
thai appeal. How does that com
pare with ours2 Wo arc standing
upon tho broad platform of th,
Declaration of Independence, tha
"allmen are created equal; tha
they are endowed by their Creator
with certain inalienable rights
that among these are life, liberty
and tho pursuit of happiness.
We say that these rights arc no
given BY laws, arc not given by
the Constitution; but thcy are thu
gilt Of God to every man born in,
to the world, Oh, Sir, how glor
ious is this great principle cOmpar
. / 4 Al 4