The Van Buren press., 1876-01-25
(From the New Haven Comm Register
Mr.. BIaine's Speech.

the war, pursued narrow bigoted, illbcral
or proscriptive policy towards the people OF
| the south; but, on the contrary, that 1t has
! been actuated by a spirit of mNEnanlmty,
| f0rbealance and generosity unrqualed IN any
| similar struggle since the world began. In
making this declarution-lhe substance at
| least--Mr. Blaneis guilty of pharisairal hy-
| pocrisy that would put to blush the most un-
| scrupHlous demagogue that ever secretly
plotted revolt. and after it was crushed plead
| ed against magnanimlty at the hands oi the
| very government he had sought to destroy
For it comes down to this fine point, when we
! consider the attempt of the radical party to
| destroy the government of united States
| those declared to be free and independent
States, and, in Mr.. Blaine's own state, free.
independent and sovereign StdtcS'--into one
grand centralized government capable of an
Initiating States, or reducing them to preto-
rian governments under the absolute sway
and despotsm of thoroughly centralized
power
Rome was full of just such senators; after
the Cassian revolt was crushed by Marcus
Antonius, and they pleaded with the emper-
or to make an example of all traitors and
especially of Cassius' family and those who
espoused his cause" while their own hands
were unwashed of the perhdy that had preyi
ously blackened them in their encourage
ment of the Identical revolt against which
they clamored. But this noble heather em-
peror listened to none of their importantly,
His reply to these senators was " Let mel not
suffer In the character Of my clemency by
eondemning any person to death Let none
of the senators be punished. Let no noble
blood be drawn; recall the banshed. and let
those under ioi teiture enjoy their estates
And heartily wish it was IN my power to
bring the dead to lite again, and fetch them
out OF their graves! For relish not the i'm
putation that any emperor of Rome should
| Il
act OF noble clemency on the part OF Romes
greatest emperor. that it may appear how
idle is the boast of Mr.. Blaine in regard to
the magnanimity and clemency of the radical
party, as shown towards the people of the
South since the war. -
Let us subject this boast to the crucial test
of few historical facts. After the capitula-
ton OF the two great southern armies under
Lee and Johnston, in the spring cf 1865. the
| several seeding States were called upon by
| Pres sident Johnson, who was fully in accord
with his party at the time, to remove certain
| impedimants in the way of restoration, when
they would be readmitted into the Union on
a footing of entire equality with the non-Se-
eeding States. We do not go back to the as
surance given by Mr. Seward, as Secretary of
State, that the republican party had no idea
of reducing the seeded States to conquered
| provinces, and that none but an imperial Or
despotic government could subjugate thor
oughy disaffected an insurrectonary
States,' but eontine ourselves entirely to
events transpiring after the surrender of the
tive great armies named, and after the
pledge given by General Grant at Appotto-
max Court House, that all those who laid
down their arms, retired to their homes, and
obeyed the laws Of their respective States and
OF the federal government, should be undis-
turbed IN their rights of citzenshipand share
in the same guarantee of life liberty and prop
] .attV .. rad coll 1tap. Of
public
The necessary steps for the Southern States
to return to their allegiance were first indica-
ted by President Lincoln in his proclamation
of December 1868, and subsequently, stated
by him IN his conference with the confederate
commissioners at Fortress Monroe, and still
later adopted as the policy of President John
son, in 1868. In pursuance of this policy.
eommissionswere issued to provisional gov
| ernors, with the necessary instruction to Or
ganize temporary governments, and shape
their final action in accord and harmony with
the demands Of the federal government. A
speedy restoration of all the States to the
Union was what seemed to he es pecally. desi-
red by the party, taking their professions At
| the time as the true criterion of their wish
es. The people OF the South. acting on the
good faith OF the pledges given them, went
| sheeriuly to work, and removed every requi-
red impedilnent for the proper rehabilitation
bi lHtl' scNtIhl Dltlcs, anu llltlI SpttNy
| toration to the Union. So far as they had any
knowledge or Information, they did every
| thing that was enioincd, and, in some partic-
ulars even more. For two years and upwards
| the republican party intmatcd no dissent
whatever from the plan of President Lincoln
and thus tacitly assured the South that the
conditions imposed by him were all that
would be required,
On the strength of these assurances, and
after they had accepted the conditions impo-
sed by President johnson, then acting with
! hardly one dssentient voice from his party,
| the people of the South proceeded to organ
! ize their State governments (till then under
! provisional governors)a = elected their leGis-
! latures and State officers; provided tor send
ing senators and representatives to congress ;
were recognized as States by the federal gov
ernment and were reinstated-or supposed
| they were so at least-to all the rights OF free
and independent States, Bat when their SEN
ators and representatives elect came to enter
congress. they then learned for the first time,
upon their application for admission,
that something more was required OF them.
| The unpardonable crime OF being democrats
in principle, was the one sole ground of cX-
clusion. The plighted faith OF the govern
ment had been given them. They had ac-
cepted it. Congress had interposed, up to
| that time, no objection to the manner in
which this plghted faith was given, and was
accordingly as much bound in honor to keep
| tinyiolabe as the executive himself The
| southern States had abolished slavery as the
first condition of restoration; they had de.
! oared their ordinances of secession null and
void; they had repudiatel their confederate
war debts. in compliance with the conditions
imposed; they had done every thing, in fact
which had been demanded of them by any
branch of the federal government, and their
senators and representatives bad presented
| themselves with clean hands at the doors OF
congress, and rere Suamdrily 6orred from en-
trance BEcAUsE THEY CAME AS DEMOCRATS,
AND NOT BLACK REPUBLICANS!
Then the radicals, of which Mr.. Blaine was
consp spicuously one, demanded that an amend
mcnt to the federal constitution should be
submitted. which should leave no ground for
| +" bad faith on the palt of the southern States
prohibiting slavery from being establish
ed by any of the States, This was after every
State had abolished slavery by their own or
ganic laws, and when, in submitting this
amendment TO the southern States, the gov
ernmeni virtually pledged itself to admit their
senators aud representatives INTO Congress
and themselves into the Union, upon their
adoption of the same in the manner proyi.
ded by the constitution, This constitutional
amendment was promptly and cheerfully
adopted by every southern State But the
punc faith OF the radical party, with Blaine
conspicuously at its head, Immediately dis
played itself in other and more humiliating
demands and conditions. And so this triiiug
went on from one step OF punic faith 70 II n
other-with pledge violated after pledge
until the reconstruction on the basis OF uegro