Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1875-02-11

&, i LID. Ill, 1910.
before ajury having power to decide
what weight is to be attached to them
The defense will necessarily occupy
long time in answering the points made
by the prosecution, after which comes
the oratorical display Of counsel. If the
case proceeds to the end with no more
interruption than has been met thus far,
the public may expect a verdict by
Christmas.-[Minneapolis Tribune.
THE following we clip from the Chi
cago Standard:
Some very grave questions are now be-
fore the country. They are all of them
consequences Of that great civil war, in
which all our national institutions were
summoned to an ordeal so severe: an or
deal by no means as yet fully ended. Of
these questions, such rs CO ncern nationa!
finance are serious and 1nomentous. Most
| important interests, not alone secular, but
but religious and educational as we'll, are
involved. All classes of citizens are justi-
fed in the solicitude they feel that the
| finances of the country may BE- settled up
on basis that shall secure not alone the
national prosperity, but the prosperous
condition of those manifold enterprises in
which Christian men are seeking to pro-
mote the highest Interests Of the race and
the age.
But this is by no means the sole, or
even the chiefest of those grave matters
| which demand the attention OF American
citizens at the present moment. Ofneces-
sity, the settlement Of affairs in the South,
after such tremendous overturnings as
were there experienced as result Of the
war, and with so many causes at work
| tending to disturbance and dcmcral "a
ton, was most difficult task. It be-
comes those Of us who have no. had that
task to perform, to think and speak gen
erously of those who have. The hardest
work OF lie century fell to them. Whe,h-
er or not they have perfectly succeeded
in every part of it, their acts and their
measures should be fairly Judged, and all
the difficulties of their position justly esti-
mated. An interesting "reminiscences con-
nectcd with this subject was recently
brought forward in the New York State
Legislature, by Hon. F. W. Seward, son
Of the late Senator. Some Of our readers
may have seen it in print already. Its
importance will justify its reproduction
here. Mr.. Seward said:
The questions about Louisiana are not
new ones. On the contrary, they are very
old ones. They arose Immediately on
the close of the war. On the morning OF
the 18th of April, 1865, when Richmond
and Peters burg had fallen, and Sherman!
Was holding Johnson's army at bay, every.
thing bctokened that peace was at hand,
President Lincoln called Il Cabinet meet
ilg at the Executive Mansion, and invi
ted to participate in it the victorious gen
eral to whom Lee surrendered at Appo
tAdttO A-AAG SuNA q AiAOItA':S III GuN Al q
time, there could be but one question
that Of reconstruction, restoration, or re-
establishment of the seeded States III
their former relations, as members Of tbs
Federal Union. The conference was long
aud earnest, with little diversity of opin
ion, except as to det..ils.
One of the difficulties Of the problem
Was, who could be recognized us S;ase
authorities. There was Il loyal Governor
in Virginia. There were military Gov
ernors in some Of the other States. Blu
the Southern Legislatures were, for the
most part, avowedly reasonable. Wheth
er they should be allowed to continue un
til they committed some overt act Of hos
tiIity; whether the Governors should bt
requested to order new elections, whethc
such elections should be ordered by til,
General Government-all these were
questions raised. Among many simila
expressions of the President, in that tcrs
aid homely mode or speech, the memor,
, Of which still fingers pleasantly in th
hearts of the American people, le said
1--WE can't undertake to run State Govern
> ments in all these Southern States. Thei
:, people must do that, although at first, the,
= may do it badly" The Secretary of wal
l. Mr.. Stanton, produced some sheets Of pa
' per ON which he had drafted the outline
- of plan Of reconstruction, embodyin
. the Presidents views, and, as undel
stood, those of most Of the other member
- Of the*Cabinet.
q In substance it was, that the Treasur
9 Department should take possession OF til
Custom House. and proceed to collect til
= revenues; that the War Department shoul
@ garrison or destroy the forts, take pose:
u sion of arms and munitions, and m.intal
n the public peace; that the Navy Depar
4 ment should in like manner occupy til
h harbors, take possession oft the navy yard:
, ships and ordnance; that the Interior d.
partmcnt should send out its surveyor.
# hand, pension, and Indian agents, and s(
r them at work that the Postmaster Ger
Il eral should reopen his pos:-of1ices an
q establish his mailroutcs; that the Alto
q ney General shonld look after the rec
tablishment of the Federal courts, wit
their JUICES, marsha's, and attorneys, i
a short, that the machinery Of the Unite
:, States Government should be set in mt
ton, that its laws should be faithful
- executed, and vigorously enforced, tia
everything like domestic violence or il
r, surrection should be repressed but thu
>, public authorities and private citizen
o should remain unmolested, if not toun
p in actual hostility to the Government {
H., tnc Union.
f. In u word, it was plan based upon tn
1, Constitution Of the United States. Tn,