Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1872-06-19
Sppcch Of Hon. LIKE =. Poland,


Committee of the Whole on the state Of the
Union, Mr.. Poland said
Mr.. SPEAKER IL am greatly obliged TO
my colleague on the committee Mr.. Steven.
som for allowing me the remaining ten min
utes Of his hour and to the House for the
extension of il to a half hour | had not the
slightest intention Of addressing the House on
this subject till my colleague kindly proposed
TO yield me portion of his time. speak,
therefore, without the slightest preparation,
aud Of course can only express my general
ideas on the subject, and any allusion to the
evidence taken 10 such immense quantity by
the committee will be from general recollec.
ton merely, for | have not had time to ex-
anime it since it was printed.
l came into Congress, Mr.. Speaker, at the
first session after the close Of the war. The
war was over and the rebel armies were dis.
banded The South was PROSTATE before the
couqueriug North and West, who had upheld
and maintained the integrity Of the Union,
aud poured out their treasure and their blood
like water for that purpose The problem was
how TO restore the Southern States to their
proper place in the Union, and how TO allay
the hate and bitterness growing out Of the long
and bloody conflict, so that we might again
live together as a harmonious national family
/ then felt, and have ever since felt, not only
the Importance, but the wisdom Of dealing
magnanimousy and leniently with the people
OF the South, and that at least nothing which
was Justly due them should be withheld. |
did not look upon the great mass Of the people
Of the South, as many Of our people at the
North did, as criminals in intent and heart.
The doctrine of State rights in the South
had degenerated into that terrible heresy that
the primary and principal allegiance Of the
citizen was due TO his State, and that he owed
no personal allegiance TO the nation as his
sovereign; that the State only held relations
with the Federal Union, and that when the
State chose TO sever those relations the cousti-
tutiona oath and duty Of every citizen required
that be should 60 with his State. This had
become the accepted theory in the South as
the true philosophy Of the government; it
permeated all classes and conditions Of men.
For the ambitious aud wicked leaders Of the
rebellion, who knew how baseless were all
their alleged complaints against any action oil
the Federal Government, who knew they were
on false pretenses melting these people TO re-
volt against the best government the worlC
ever saw. who knew or ought TO have know
the untold miseries and caIami,ies thew wer,
bringing upon their people-for these wioket
men / felt no sympatby or compassion. Tn,
great mistake in our whole noliev of recon-
struction. as I have always thougbt and said
was that these men. or some of the mos
nrominent and influential of them ware NO
bronobt 10 sneedv trial and punishment an.
made IN snHer rs thev deserved the traitor,
doom. Had This been done at the close Of N,
war. tho whole work Of recons,ruc,;on wonI,
have been rendered comnarativelv easv an,
speedy,
But as for the mass of the Southern peopl,
nv feelings were entirely different. re
garded them as the victims of nol;,icol baros
and of omh;,io,s ond ,y;oL cd noI;,;o.i loo /
ors u;ll sa, 80 NJ ST. -.
hove novor roarcd 20 dsolaro a,,o., nv, ON,
raosla -, honaa 49,, I hoi;aro ,h ~, ~"
IF ,hoss Who sonab, n t'o go go ~ " ~
So,,h 81, .s Ssno.i, nS .o;~s, ~ "
IA Is - ' IL 'o.ssie"'' y %
T,;nn '" "so ,t -. ,u ;om a'I H. ~
:, ,ha .1;an sc ,.,e s,o,o"sh;a ~ Js.
~ fy"y " w"
susio'! aue ~ w." wv oou.". 81
es, pss'Y' ~ " y"
my. auu 'oi 'ro na,'onA' so'e'nnou'' a"'
sesaS" mn Ta lo 'S sii. 'o'"e' oiio's ap'
S~s'h iuv mau ,ony VI s1mO o, IN
Sou.ne'" povP'.' a"u .sP'''a'ly VI 'ue oou'n
.'u P.eSs' "n''" "S' ga eA'en' oon
a mUeu ~ mI O,a 80 =; ,Saas p,essn'e'
sn ",,, ~.I's,'. ~ - .ats se"s du'
sSay 'I h.. ~, I"s e'at'ou =, an'ioAo''
.s r. $500 NV liz s.o'''p1 =, '"e eouu
~ a1, '' ~ na,e 'Aso y,
'aas"s a"," " al 'ao peVPie VI 'ns
~, L. ~ Ii 49, ~ s"s ,eO'.' "a a"'
az ,'e' naIe "a' 'no sA's'ao'iou VI seo'ug
80 ,,o,ss-i 80 y wy ,;';st eo.ou' ''"''
Dnr;na ,bs war ,S WV ra p 81 P 49, r,;oo
NO., ~ we" e.. '1S p'opv.y " 90 @any J"mn
tna 49, 81 ,ho armv Co.. xh;oh ~ ha+
never received comnensa,ion The const;,u
t;onal au,v 10 male novmen, was s,ronn,h
eued by the fact that thew adhered 10 IN
Union under circumstapces Of great ncr;I an
the ipinstice Of not having them was ON
HANGED by the taunts Of their rebel neigbhor
of the ingratitude and in;ustics IF ne ooy
eminent te which thew had CHM, a, The nor
of their Eves h.ys heen ono of ,hos. wh
have constantly and nersis,en,lv advoca,e
the passage of some law bv which ;nsti(
could be done in this class OF cases. Man
of my political associates feared that an
law which would enable payment to be mad
10 these cases would ope,, n door nv wbic
unjust claims and claims of disoval me
would also come in and get paid from II
treasury. This feeling for a long time pr,
vented any act h, but this also has at la
been accomplish Cd, and n tribunal for tho n,
justmcnt of such claims been established
trust and believe that it will not be fouu
beset with sucb danger or loss 10 Tho ,over,
mept as has been predicted.
have alluded 10 these things. Mr.. Sneak a
for the purpose of showing that | have hes
actuated by no feeling of hostility to the ne,
pie Of the south-that | have ever desire
not only to deal Justly, but generously an
and mapnanimously BY them. and III,
when was placed at the head of this con
mitiee on the part of the House, there W,
no feeling or desire on INV mart 70 do nm,
thing or to report apythipJ in relation 10 4