The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1872-09-19
m the speech OF Attoruey-Genersl vii
l1alns, at Philadelphia, sept. ~.
About Reconciliation.


/ Reconciliation is one Of the watch
words Of the Greeley party. Horace
I Greeley and Charles Sumner appeal
{ for reconciliation. This Is one Of the
s-cnders Of the day. Are there any
expressions Of hostility or insult
which these men have not for wears
2 heaped upon the people of the South ?
l believe, before God, that not one
/ hUndredth part Of the i'll feeling be-
! tween the people of the North and
| the South which has displayed itself
I would have existed had it not been
for the writings of Horace Greeley
and the speeches of Charles Sumner.
Can anybody show me any appeal
made from the South for amnesty.
indemnity, or other iavors, which he
I has not strenuOusly opposed? While
L and Others in the Senate were vOt-
I ing to admit Senators chosen in the
Southern States to their seats, so as
to perfect their representation in Con-
gress, Charles Sumner was insisting
that those States should not be repre-
sented in the Senate, because he was
not pleased with the actions and opin-
ions of the men chosen for that pur-
pose. Now, without any conscious
change Of views, I find myself eIassed
among the prosecutors Of the South
ern people, while Charles Sumner
suddenly appears as the great evangeI
Of peace and reconciliation.
Who are the parties to be reeoneil-
ed aud what are the existing differ
enees? Considering the thousands
who were starved in the prison pens
of the South; the cOnspiracies that
were formed 10 destroy NOrthen peO-
pie, without discrimination Of age or
sex, by Greek fire and pestilenee and
all the multitUdinOus crimes commit
ted during and after the war, and then
considering that no one has been pun
ished for all these, and am sure those
who have had control of the govern
ment cannot be charged with a harsh
and revengeful policy. Such lenien-
cy and fOrbearance, I undertake to
say, is without parallel in history.
What are, then, the obstacles to re-
cOnciliatiOn2 Are not the men. wO-
men, and children of the South, with
the exception of few les q lers in the
rebellion, who were guilty of the
double crime of perjury and treason,
and are, therefore, excluded from Of
fee, in the enjoyment of all the rights
and privileges of American citizens
in other parts of the Union? Can any,
thing be done more than has been
done to effect reconciliation except to
repeal those laws Of Congress which
give vitality to the constitutional
amendments, and repress Iawlessness
and crime by the turbulent spirits OF
the South? Is this what the Greeley
party propose to do for reconciliation /
if they obtain power Can it be truth |
fully said that the President has said |
or done anything to prevent perfect !
reconciliation? While he was i'm
command of the Union army is it
pretended that he ever treated rebel |
soldiers who fell into his hands with !
or cruelty? Is it not admit |
ted on all hands that the terms Ofsur-
render granted to Lee and his forces
were as generous as they could possi-
bly, be under the circumstances ? Can
anybody point to an expression or act
of General Grant since he has become
President indicating any ill-will or
bitterness of feeling on his part to- |
ward the people of the Southern
States? On the contrary, has he not
an earnest desire to have |
the passions, animOsities and prejudi- |
ces of war give place to those offices
of kindness and fraternaI feeling
which are requisite to make us a uni
ted and happy people?