The Union flag. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1865-187?, 1868-08-14

I
ni2ed was the government, from which there
was no appeal And here we have men who,
to say the least ofit have the brass to stand
| up in u community and excite the people-by
by telling them that this is an unlawful and
oppressive government. Congress has gone
| forward.
To prove that johnson, as Military Gov.
ernor, did right, will say North Carolina
and the other States would have been admit
| Ted on the same plan as Tennessee If Congress
| had indorsed the President, but then that
would have been the action of Congress.
The bill providing for the establishment Of
proper State governments in the Other States
was vetoed by the President, but after its
final passage be was obliged TO declare that
| those States had the right to say who should
and who would not vote. Congress said, as
the Supreme Court had said, F" We are the
| proper tribunal to whom such things ara to be
refsrred.p But these gentlemen wish TO
walk over the constitution, the Supreme
Court and Congress. They were denounced
from one end of the land to the other. Congress
| concluded not to b nFry-tO wait and in good
! time to do right with all their threats and
| with all their menaces, and now stand here
and declare that the rreconstruction policy of
Congress is a grand success. When the time
came for admitting those States about
which the Democrats AM rebels had been so
clamorous, every Republican in the House
voted aye, and every Democrat voted no.
When it cameto the question Of admitting
these members every Republican voted to let
| them in, ard every Democrat voted to keep
them out What else did this Radical Con-
gress do. ltvoted to relieve 400 Of them
of their disabileities at single lick by a
two.thirds vote. We promied a second oath
! for those who had conseiences hurt BY
the hardness ofthe first, aud the Democratic
members of Congress voted against it. Ms
business was to examine whether those appli-
cants for seats in the house coming from 1.-The
South were entitled to them, and sat there
yotipg' aye on every one of them, though
| knew that in twenty minutes afterwards
they would be voting the Democratic ticket
/ have no control over mans conscience,
or politics, or religion. He has his rights
sacred and iaalienable, and so help me God,
I i'll were to see man coming to the polls Ia
my district to vote the Democratic ticket
and that man should be assaulted or disturb
ed, would defend him.
Now, am coming to point which wish
you TO hear. will lay down our principles
and platform in few words, for the benefit Of
those who cannot read our past acss Alright
Platforms are made on paper: they wear
out and are often rubbed out when Bsuhs
the trainers of them to do so. But an Hnmis-
takable way of finding tbe platform Of party
was 10 look az its past actons--go 10 the
journal of the house where il is written in a
manner that cannot be efadieated.
The Republican party believed in the real
ity OF the war That it was a great fact and
not the remembrance Of horrible fancy or
dream that half million Of the best sons
of the Republic persisted that an enormous
debt was contracted 70 crash it the C0nfed-
crates lost seven billions to carry il on that
it was a death struggle for Republican prin-
ciples 1t believes and knows that when
that gigantic rebellion was put down il had
the right according to law, and usage, and
precedent, to eonfscate the property of Con-
| federate leaders, but We were magnanimous
altHOngh having the right and the power 70
DO so, we forbore. We waEted peace and
good feeling, 1t was not for conquest or
| spoliation the war was carried on on our
side, but .Or principle, and when 1t was over
we eyincedno vindictive feeling, no spirit OF
Oppression, no rapaeious thirst for gain in.
| dulged in, no mean rejoicing over the fallen.
We merely said, and say so STILL that those
who had been engaged for four years 10 a
strong and bloody attempt to destroy Repub-
| lican freedom on this continent should not be
allowed to take the lines in their hands aod
| drive the team as they had before. That Is
one plank in our platform.
| Thea there were fonr million Of men who
| ~ A. -.
| with their noses to the grindstone, and chain
| cd to the doOr-pos's of their masters. Thol
were turned loose without anything, without
learning, without property, neither OF land
Of houses, or stock Of any kind They never
had auy. We bad to do something for them.
They could no: be left altogether at the mercy
Of their late masters, who we're educated W
| look upon Them as chattels, whose natural
l rights consisted OF hard and unrequittod lar
Dor, little TO eat and plenty of stripes. We
| proposed to reverse the decision Of fancy
that these people were nothing but rhattrl'
| and had no rights which u white man was
bound to respect. They were liberated hT
the war; they could not be sent back to
slavery, nor could they be allowed 10 live
! like yagabOnds, through the cities and viz
hgrs Of the South, kicked and cutied aud
stoned at every corner for being poor and
| ignorant, and liable to be thrust back again
into Involuntary and Calling seFyitude. We
had, / say, to guard against thsse things
Well we must have some guarsptee for the
future on this point. We proposed TO give
the colored man a ioc0 stand among the
community. We proposed TO secure him
against the danger OF. again being made a
chatiel Of We accordingly amended the
constitution, declaring that slavery should
no more exist In these United Sntes, aud
up0n that question every Republican voted
aye, and every Democrat voted no,
There was great deal said about repudi-
alton. Every Republican believes the debt
was contracted ia good faith. This money
was borrowed to save the life Of the nell0D,
and it win never do for this proud naiinn ~
disgrace itself By fepudiation. This Tepndi-
alton doctrine was becoming extensively cir
culated There was danger that bad men
might get into Congress, and force a repudi-
alton measure on the nation. To provide
against this danger, we thought we would
pat Il 10 the constitution, But ther6 was
danger o! another sort, II was plain that
The wicked ones OF tho nation might not only
wish TO repudiate our honestly contracted
debts, bat also assume the payment, At least
10 part Of the rebel debt--hre millions--an
enormous sam. With tho eIsmple Of fenas
before our eyes, this certainly appeared 10 us
a dangsroqs contingency. The S32,oo0,oQ