Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1872-09-23
and banned in the act which doomed their

and banned in the act which doomed their
leaders.
Now, fellow-citizens, why do we condemn
prescription? They are mistaken who say there
arc only two or three hundred left now, forbid
den to exercise the common rights Of American
citizens 1t is not So There are thousands.
There are 5000 DISTINGUISHED in the State of
Arkansas alone and the men who hol dthem dis
iraachlsed expect to carry that State against us
by virtue of that Acknowledgement But it is
not the number of prescribed men who, as not
under this ban, feel themselves prescribed be-
cause others are TOR an otfensc which was their
ottcnsc as well.
The question reaches not several hundreds
utscrera millions OF our people Well they say
what do the people care about this. The banks
are making money, the people are prospecting,
manufacturers are thrifty, who cares that few
hundred OF thousand men are diSfranchised? |
care. | say war which ended nearly eight
years ago ought to have had nearly all its bloody
traces wiped out before this time Applause
| say that while We have often been amused
with promises of general amnesty, the govern
ment Of the country has practically been con-
tro!led by men like Senators Morton and Chan
dler aud General Butler one of which Senators
is saying: well then all may forgive rebels if
they will but never can Now that spirits
not one which should rule republican country.
y republican should be generous and faithful,
generous to errors whereof the very last evil
consequences have long since faded away.
Grant that il was wrong indefenSbe wrong;
grant that the whole Confederate movement
was as hcinous as you Please, still it was utterly
defeated 1t became lost cause aud there is
no more probability and may say no more
possibility of another serious attempt to divide
the American Union than there is of an attempt
to disrupt and destroy the solar system. Never
before did the Union stand so strong as to day.
Never was It's future so assured as day and
never did any movement result in more com
plete and utter discontinue than the Confede-
rate movement. Then ISay seven and half years
after the last shot was fired in behalf Of that
movement, it is time for amnesty complete and
perfect; it is time for oblivion Of ofenses that
50 long since passed away.
Fellow citizens, we stand on the principle en-
bodied in our platform. Those principles our
anniversaries do not assall. They confess judy
ment but they insinuate that purpose is
therein declared which is not our real purpose,
and that We mean something utterly different,
and therefore proceed to attribute to US pur-
poses which we never cherished which we pos
itively disavow and which they ought to know
are utterly absurd. The most important of
them are utterly forbidden by the constitution
and they know it. No man can 90 to Congress
or be chosen President without taking solemn
oath to sustain the constitution, which absolute
ly torbids the payment of rebel debts or pay
mcnt for cmancpated slaves.
commend my case to the sober jundment
ofthc American people. | ask them tojudge us
without prejudice, without passion aud with a
spirit unintlamed by wrath and vengeance. |
ask them to judge US as citizens who are sim
ccrcly trying to do what we believe best for our
country aud DO trust that passion and preiu
dice will not prevail; tina. we shall be judged as
We are and not as we are represented and ben
eGcent triumph which will increase the value
Of every acre of land in the Southern States,
which will Increase the product Of these States,
make their people harmonious black and white
and make them live in more trustful peaceful
and fraternal relation than they have hitherto
held towards each other will be secured. trust
this result will be attained aud that generations
to come shall rejoice over the inception pro-
gress and triumph Of the liberal movement.
Applause. Friends, | bid you good night
1t the c ose OF his speech Mr.. Greeley re-
tired amid cheers.