The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1872-10-08
c R 1 ! / / 7
speech al JefFersonville, Indiana

ent and ungrateful if my life had not
been devoted, according to my best un.
Iderstanding, to the interest and welfare
of the great laboring class. out of which
have sprung, and to which have al,
ways been committed. Beginning life
as laborer on farm, going thence in.
to mechanic shop, and Learning my
trade as o printer, have devoted the
rest of my subsequent lite, first, to my
employments as printer and editor, and
alteward, to some extent, as an humble,
moderate farmer as well. | feel that my
sympathies could not have been other
wise than with the immense majority of
mankind who, in all ages, are required
to subsist by their own manual industry.
have meant to be-in my politics as in
my business, | have meant to be the
friend of labor. l may have made mis-
takes. Who has not? In the policy
which / thought best adapted to pro-
mote the interest of the workingmen /
may just as well have been mistaken as
equally honest, equally earnest men, who
have advocated different policy But
know what my purpose was, l was
in the days of slavery an enemy of sla.
very, because l thought slavery incon,
sistent with the rights, the dignity, the
highest we'll being Of free labor. That
might have been mistake, but it was,
at any rate, an earnest conviction. i,
So when our great trouble came upon
us was anxious, first of all, for labor,
that the laboring class should he every
where free men. / was anxious most
that our country's unity might be pre-,
served without bloodshed if that were
possible; by means OF bloodshed II that
dire alternative should he fastened upon
us But, friends and neighbofs, blood.
shed is always sad necessity, always a
WCeful necessity, and he who loves his
fellow mat must desire to make that ne.
cessity as short as possible, as brief as
possible; to have the least amount oi
bloodshed possible; cHd So as soon as
peace can he restored g. eHace imme-
diately as can be evtTv trace not mere
" of blood on the earth, hut of vcnge
ful feelings from the hearts OF his fellow
men Such has been the impulse of the
course have pursued throughout the
last few eyentful years Ny life hiss
been an open book; all could read it
My thoughts have been given to tie
public warm and fresh, sometimes be-
fore an opportunity has Been afforded
for due consideration and correction,
very often thingled with the thoughts OF
Others which we're not my own, but
which it was Very easy to attribute to
nae.
So have conTe on to this time. Nc
one who heard my utterances, or listen
ed to them in any way, directly after the
close Of the war, when | pleaded fol
magnaniniity, for forbearahce, for the
speediest possible effaeement of all sore:
and Sorrows from the public mind, nc
one who needed me then can doub
where i stand to-day no one. My
course has been plain and simple. Dowr
with all manner of lawlessness and VIC
lence. If there are Ku-kluX or othe
disturbances, put them down with ;
| strong hand; for mercy to them is quit
different from mercy to the quiet, peace
able men of the country. Violence ant
lawlessness you must suppress speedily
energetically, earnestly; but when it il
suppressed, then forget wrath and re
member mercy.
y l pleaded for universal amnesty
What, say some, were there no men wht
committed crimes during the war?
say, if there were, punish their crimes
Amnesty won't forbid that. If mel
, committed murder during the civil wal
whether on one side or the other,-i
they committed acts contrary to tn
laws of humane war, then l would pun
ish them sternly for those acts, and
would have done it long ago, for ever.
such act or outrage against the laws Q
war in war is as black crime as thoug
it were committed in time of peace
Punish those men always; but for a
those men who were simply our antagc
nists in that great struggle, I have n
feeling of vengeful wrath after they hav
laid down their arms and complied wit
all the reasonable requirements of tn
Government and of public safety. Fo
security and peace any thing; for Yer
geance and wrath nothing, nothing =
Such has been the feeling, such the cor
viction, that | cherished throughout th
war and since the war. .st
Now, / say the time has come fo
, universal amnesty, so that no huma
being shall feel that because he was o
what you and | regard as the wron
side in our great struggle, he shall
: prescribed, distranchised or suhjecte
to any penalty for it. The time hs
come when we should proclaim th
amnesty, and having secured the righ
of every black man in the country, 5
l. that he is just as good as you or l, v
should gige the white man chance, to-
Let us say to those who were mistake
who fought against us and against then
r, selves-for it was as much against lher
D selves as against us-let us say "Fc
.t low countrymen; you were wrong; yc
c. Undertook to divide country tn
ought net TO lie divided; YOU were mi
=, taken. but that is all over The cou
: try is reunited, we are all free. Now |
4. Us make you free also. Let MS all t
81 getfer, every one Of us, be citizens
this country, with equal liberties al
y privileges, so far as man can give theI
cf y If God has imposed disabilities, we cs
y not remedy that. We can only say Il
2. law is just as good for the ignorant, f
the colored people, as for me or you
Their standing in the Courts is the san
as yours, their oath is the same, L
every one tell his story, and let the jpr
giving each story due weight, determil
g. which is correct, and let not color en-
tie to favor This is the ground f
9 which have fought: Not to have
IL subject class, prescribed class,an ali,
class, an outlaw class, in the counu
wv but to nave men stand on an equal al
"a lawful platform Of one common Natio
atty; free citizens; free to exercise su,
fo .ultios O G C-od hon oiren fo 'fboo, G.