Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1872-09-04
Reconciliation and the Policy of the
Republican Party.
By GEORGE WILLIAM CURTIS,

Ole worn IuTEneTs W z dI0 bOlO IuCL lLll
is a campaign of reconciliation, that we
want peace and therefore we want change
in party. - Let US clasp hands over the
bloody chasm," says Mr.. Greeley. Very
we'll, answer we. Who in this country has
refused to clasp hands? Is it those men in
the Southern States who morally supported
them, or those men who have said equality
for all shall be maintained at all hazards ?
Let us clasp hands, Yes, Mr.. Greeley, we
have sought to clasp hands from the moment
of Lees surrender" {" am against the
policy of hate" says Senator Sumner. Eel
low citizens, the name Of your great Senator,
the name of Charles Sumner, shall never be
mentioned by me except with affection,
gratitude and respect. | do not forget
though for the first time have come To that
moment which | believed never would come
to me in this life-when |, a Republican,
should stand before you, Repu olicans, and,
above all, Massachusetts Republicans, and
have to speak to you of what Senator Sum
ner has said, in infinite sorrow. But do
not forget, nothing can blot from my mind
the great past OF your great Senator L ne
member his illustrious services. | remember
how for twenty years, during the very tenn
pest of our politics eliminating IN civil war,
in deadly peril Of his life he stood erect,
spOtless in character, answering in his
principles. | remember how, like the gran
lite cliff, Charles Summer opposed hImsel. 70
the oceans of hate, to the oceans OF SANDER,
to the oceans OF ridlcule that came rolling
in upon him, and were swept back by hun
into the impotent froth and foam. | rem m
Der those great serglces-and no departure OF
ms from what seems to me the true faith,
makes me forget lt-yet when Charles sum
ner says | am against the policy OF the
Republican party, | remember IT any man
has shaped the policy of the Republican par
/ ty 1t is Senator Sumner. Ii that pOhcy D.
as be implies in those words, the policy OF
/ hate, he denounces his own work. lie con-
dennis himself He it was down to the last
days of Congress who urged and urged the
passage of the civil rights bill. lie 1t wa
who, in the most convincing and elaborate
/ speech of the session, asserted how much re
manned TO be done He it Is who, in his
letter to the colored men, declares that the
peace of the colOred man Is still in great
danger, and he it is who declares that he vii
now trust all the great purposes and objects
Of his life in the hands OF his most implaca-
BILE enemies.
Fellow citizens, never was q great victor
in great war marching in robes So abso
lutely spotless Of injustice as the robes D
the American people, organized into tho
Republican party When the war ended
the state of things at the South was very sad
Greeley has described the Southern NORTH
cation and rage. | thought he used strong
language, but we know what our feel
ings would have been if we had beer
conquered. | believe that pacifcatiJn by
the Republican party would have proctede.
quietly, and would have effected its end bu
for one fact. and that fact Is the Democratic
party. 1t resisted every measure Of recon
structon and called them unconstitutional
But Just as fast as anything was done tn,
Democratic party declared It ought to b.
undone. What would we have done II W,
had been in their position at the South ha.
we discovered our own political allies still
working with u.s. The people of the SOuti
cannot bear to give up. They believe theu
old political friends will unite ~ their be
half, and all that Will have 70 be done IS {.
carry their own States. They supper
Horace Greeley to-day, because they talnt
he will bring Democratic restoration. :
long as this feeling exists, 50 long be.iey'
reconciliation Is impOss bic. In a word,
believe no reconciliation. that is % say, n'
perfect obliteratiOn of all the wounds an,
sorrOws Of the war, Is possible until TIN
Democratic party finally disband. That d
the source of all our woe, ii has beer
hitherto. IL is an old Christian tradition
that when Christ was born, voice Is sal'
30 have rung along the shores of thu
Mediterranean sea. '' The great Pan b
dead" 50 on next November, when "
bear, as surely we shall hear, that the Dem
ocratic party Of this country, which was th
power Of slavery, which was the power o
rebellion, that has perplexcd reconstruction
that that party is not only defeated, but dls
organized, dlsbanded and dis-1vin- thei
the glad heart Of America Will thank 60,
that at last, perfect reconciliation has bct1m
possible, because the new Z MON born of TIL
war Is unchangeably established. Grel
applause and three cheers for the speaker.