The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1871-09-21

I came from the Convention at Madison. II was
curing the State Fair. Some friends desired me
10 address the people of Janesvlle, in the court
room. TO defend the action OF that Convention.
By arrangements with the sheriff who had charge
OF IL and with DR.. Hoyt- of Madison the secretary
of an association who hal possession OF 1t, the
room was engaged: the key placed IN the hanos
of those who engaged it; the hour was nXed aIG
the meeting advertised. On my appearing at the
door of the hall pursuant to the arrangements
what DO you think WIS the CONDITION of affairs.
Certain persons who were dete mined 10 de
nounce me and TO denounce the action OF the
Convention et Madison. having broken open the
doc by force, had taken possession of the court
room and orgaEized q meeting in opposition. A
gentleman was o.. the floor speaking In loud snc
yocifero manner and C. | approached the door
he was reading from & resolution Introduced by
at the Madison Convention in which were the
following words:
Rssoyre9. Thst this Convention. in behalf Of
those it represents. renders deyOut thank %
Almighty God that, through dis infinite goodness
and experimenting providence, our army al G
navy, uncc- the lead of those great commanders,
have az last ach eyed the final and supreme VIC
tory over the rebellion; that piece re gns once
more. from the lakes to the CALF; from the rivers
to the sea- ETC. etc.
After reading it, calling me by name. he shouted
at the top of his voice Senator Doolittle has no
right 10 thank God fer anything, so long az he Is
opposed TO putting the plank of negro suffrage
into the platform. He Is recreant TO the Union
parry"
repeat, the courtroom was taken from Us by
force. meeting was organized IL opposition 10
our meeting. right here in GAINESVILLE, in Thu State
OF Wisconsin. and citizen and Senator was De
nouEced a. traitor to his parry for simply OPP
posing the introduction of q new article OF falth
which had never been introduced before, which all
the platforms of the Republican party, and of the
Union party, into which the Repu blican party had
then merged Itself, had implicitly and expressly
cOndemned which Mr.. Lincoln again and again
openly and earnestly repudiated, and which Mr..
Trumbull and twenty other Republican Senators,
in February. 1865, including my colleague and my
self opposed in the Senate when but six Republi-
T1F in hA raH in "a
and bigOted zeal which controlled the speaker on
that occasion, father who had lost his eldest son
in the struggle 10 save his country denied the
right TO thank God that the war was over; that
peace had come, and, 8s he hoped. il had come to
stay.
remind You Of what then occurred as q part of
the history of the times. and to show what weak
men, even SOM good men, are, when passion
rules the hour On the evening of the next day
our friends obtai, ed the of the court room,
and hen addressed them on the great question
of reconstruction. Well knowing the response
biiity and feeling the full force of the denunica-
ton heaped upon me, did not shrink from giving
full utterance 10 my convictions. ! reminded you
that the war was ended and the great Union party
everywhere victorious, and because 1t was so
triumphant IT'S time of trial and temptation had
come. read few words from what said 10 you
then:
"a" Can the Union party rise with the great occa-
siOn and be equal to this crisis: Can il be as wise,
great, iaTseelng, and magnanlmous IL victory and
peace as ii has been uniinchingly earnest and
brave Ia the midst OF revolution and civil war:
That's the question:"
REcoNsrRUcTIoS REVIEWED.
Upon that question 1 was severed from the Rad
ical party. Ny voice was raised for peace and re-
Cancellation when it was done. l desired to re-
eem Il e pledges had given 10 restore the
States and the mass Of their people, under the
Constitution, to their rights, when they laid down
their arms, and # any were TO be punished by dis
frGnchiseme i1r other punishment that they should
be tried, and have a fair trial according to law,
and that such Acknowledgement should be pro
nOnnced az part OF the Judgment Of the court
The Radical party, under the lead OF States,
listened TO the voice of he tempter, who said 4:
" Vow we have them III our power. They alleged
that their States Were taken out Of the Union and
freed from all allegiance TO the Constitution. Let
Ne deny that they have any rights whatever Let
Us deny that the tates any longer exit Let US
IL Iare them 20 be mere conquered provinces.
Let us disfcauchise the whites, Let us give uni
ycrsal suffrage 20 the blacks. Let Us subject the
whites even 10 the control of the negro, and hold
them in that position at the point of the bayonet
until we secure the permanent ascendency Of our
party. Let u compel them to adopt amendments
to the Constitution and dsfranchise al their lead
ing men, and take away from a majority of the
Congress Of the people the power OF ever graut-
ing them amnesty This was the substance of
the reconstruction Of the States.
lopposed il at every stage of its progress. If
ii were still an open question, should oppose 1t
now. My first speech in opposition TO 1t was mad :
here ana then. told you that the terrible storm
Of war vas past: that the ship of state had out
ridden It, bat that we were still upon troubled
sea-. and far from the the haven of peace. l said:
- As the night now clears up, let Us take obser-
yatIOns by the fixed stars OF principle, and thus
wisely shape our future course. There times
when it is we'll TO examine the foundations of our
faith and to see II II rests upon solid basis. and
this Is such II time in my opinion. In doing so,
shall address myself at once to the Judgment and
reason OF my fellow citizens, and to them alone.
have no time AID no disposition to deal in cpl
thcts and denunCatons II would beClCud my
own Judgment, and prevent me from reaching the
Judgment of Others, to deal III the language of
passion. which, in those who deal with great qGes
.aly e foil, nt
al this moment | may be com -elled to pass
through the furnace heated seven times hotter
than usual, | know the sacred cause of republican
liberty walks with me, and viii come out without
the smell Of fire upon her garments. And for
what purpose do now encounter all this obloquy,
this denuncatiou from p-ofessed friends-more
bitter than that of political enemies? How easy
would 1t be TO avoid all this, to fold the hands,
close the eyes, hold the tongue, AID float upon
the popular breeze of the passing houri But no,
fCilOW-CitiZens my duty to you-a Cuty still
greater from the position in which you hay placed
me-my duty To my country. my duty to the sa-
cred cause OF liberty, in which we have struggled
10 = AID sacrlfCet much, demand that | should
meet the respo sblity Of this hour and not keep
silent be the consequences TO me personally what
they may would not shrink from that RESPONSE
Dility If the grave were 10 open before me in a
single honr, and tell you, and tell You plainly,
tHsJ TINS uoctIlue OF Hpt LsetsHt tnat the South-
States. with their l. 0ll.'t0 of people, not
States under the Constitution, but conquered
provinces. held by the law OF nations is the coun-
terpart OF secession, akin TO II, and born of the
same falsehood.
This revolutionary idea well accorded with the
passions which the war had engerdered, and
which the assassination of President Lincoln made,
if possible. GS-Cer than ever before. II took full
possession of the leaders OF the Radical party,
and has teen actually carried ont in the military
re construction of the South. And, fellow Demo
Gratis, however much we may have opposed it and
deplored lis adoption. we are cOmpe led to admit
the fact that it has become part of the histor of
the country, and that all the States from the South
have been admitted to representation upon it.
We cannot recall the past; we cannot deny
what has already been done Nor can we close
our eyes to the results of WHIST has been done,
nor avoid the consider ton of what shall be now
done to mitg lie the evils of the present situation,
and to give promise OF a better future.
Il Is upon that subject upon which have now
IN September, 1871, come 10 address you once
more.
DIsFEANCHIsEMENT \ MISTAKE.
And, in the first place. let me address a word to
those who have favored military reconstruction.
However widely you and may have differed upon
TINS quesion-upon the policy OF white d franchise
ment and negro sLIfrage-let reason together
upon the future As men who have common in
terest ii our Country's welfare. Military recon-
slrIcIion Is a fact, and it cannot be changed.
UNIVERSAL negro suffrage Is, also, an admitted fact.
Ii cannot be changed. The acknowledgements OF
the leading whites of the South is also TACT but
that may be changed By two-thrds vote of both
Houses of Congress. Shall we not iOn hands
together TO bring that about-to remove that dis
reimbursement! That is now one of the most i'm
pNrtant issues of the present zine. | have no
uplAbl tIAt sweeping Observation-Disclosures was lear
ful mistake. Ii was. in thousands OF instances, q
violation of the national faith, because the Presi-
dent, under the Constitution and the express pro-
vision of the law of Congress- had already
granted to them full pardon and amnesty. which
this Acknowledgement and military reconstruction
annulled and took away.
Let me be sure upon this point. and give YOU
exact words. The Constitution says the President
" hall haye power To grant eprieves and pardons
fer offenses against the United states, except in
cases of peachment'
The law of Congress says that part of the pun
islment, upon conviction for treason. shall be TO
ma ,e the person guilty forever incapable and
disqualified TO hold any Office under the United
STATES" az tat, PSI, sec. s.. And the law Of
Congress also says 2 Stat, 59N: The Presi-
dent Is hereby authorized, at any lime hereafter
by proclamation. TO extend 10 persons who may
have participated in the existing rebellion in any
State or psrt theRof. pardon and amnesty with
suCh exceptions, and at such time and on such
conditions a he may deem eXpedient for the pub
lie welfare
The Supreme court in the Garland's case q
Nallacel says land Senator Carpenter with Rever-
dy johnson were the counsel 10 urge them TO say
IT. Congress can neither limit the effect of this
pardon, nor exclude from its exercise any class of
offenders. The benign prerogstive of mercy re-
posed IN the President cannot be fettered by any
legislative restrictions. A pardon reaches both
the punishment aud Acknowledgement is a part of
it, and the guilt of the offender. II granted be-
fore conviction, it removes the penalties and re-
stores him TO all his civil rights, and makes him,
9 i VS. ,aFr@--