Year: 1868

4


| These men are now placed in position


where they can not only urge their views


of politics, but where they can enforce


them, when there shall be admitted, in


this manner, senators and representa-
tives from the remaining Southern


States. Although they will have, in
truth, no constituents. they will have
| more power in the Senate than major
ity of the people of this Union living in


nine of the great States. In vain mem


bers of the Republican party have pro-


tested against the policy that led to this


result.


While the chiefs of the late rebellion


have submitted to the result of the war,
and are now quietly engaged in useful
pursuits for the support of themselves
and their families, and are trying by the


force of their example, to lead back the
people of the South to the order and in
dustry not only essential to their well


being, but to the greatness and prosper
ity of our common country, all see that
those without ability or influence have
been thrown. by the agitation OF civil
convulsion, into positions of honor and
profit, and are striving to keep alive the
passions to which they owe their eleva-
tiOn.


And they clamorously insist that they
vare the only friends of our Union. Proof
of that can only have sure foundation
in fraternal regard, and common de-
sire to promote the peace, the order and
the happiness of all parties of our land.


Events in Congress since the adjourn
ment of the convention have vastly in
creased the Importance of political
victory by those who are seeking to
bring back economy, simplicity and jus
tice in the administration of our nation
al affairs


Many Republicans have heretofore
clung tie their party who have regretted
the extremes of violence to which it has
run. They have cherished faith that
while the action of their political friends
has been mistaken, their motives have
been good. They must now see that
the Republican party is in that condi-
tion that it cannot carry out a peaceful
policy. Whatever its motives may be,
ii is a misfortune, not only to the coun
try, but to itself; for its action is un-
checked by any form of opposition


1t has been the misfortune of the Re-
publican party that the events of the
past few years have given it so much
power that it has been able to shackle
the executive, to trammel the judiciary,
and carry out the views of the most un-
wise and violent of it's members. When
this state of things exists in any party,
It has ever been found that the Judgment
of it's ablest leaders do not control.


There is hardly an able man who has
helped to build up the Republican organ
ization, who has not, within the past
three years, warned it against it's ex-
has not been borne down,
and forced to give up his convictions OfI
what the interests of the country call
for; or, if too patriotic to do this, who
has not been driven from the party.


If this has been the case heretofore,
what will be its action with this new in
fusion of men who, without decent re-
spect for the views OF those who have
just given them their positions, begin
their legislative career with calls for
arms, and demand that the States shall
be regarded as in a condition of civil
war, and declaration that they are
ready and anxious to degrade the presi-
dent of the United States whenever they
can persuade our free Congress to bring
forward new articles of impeachment2l


The Republican party, as well as we,
are interested in putting some check to
this violence. 1t must be clear to every
man that distribution of po-
litical power tends to check the violence
of party action, and to assure the peace
aud good order of the country, the elec- |
tion of a Democratic executive, and a
of Democratic members in the |
House of Representatives, would not
give to that party organization power
to make sudden or violent changes, but
would serve to check these extreme
which have been deplored by
the best men of both organizations.


The result would most certainly lead |
to that peaceful restoration of the Union
and re establishment of federal relation
ship which the country desires. l am
sure the best men of the Republican
party deplore, as deeply as L do, the
spirit of violence shown by those recent |
" admitted to seats in Congress from
the Southern States. The condition of
civil war which they contemplate must
be abhorrent to every right-thinking
man.


have no mere personal wishes which
mislead my judgment in regard to the
election. No man who has
weighed and measured the duties of the
office of president of the Uuited
States can fail to be impressed with the
cares and tolls of him who is to meets
its demand. 1t is not merely to float
with popular currents without a policy
or a purpose. On the contrary, while
our Constitution gives just weight to the
public will, its distinguishing feature is,
that it seeks to protect the rights of