Year: 1868

leave the Republican party and al d take III up
arms against despotism. Applause.I


i@ oi]zf1 .REcoNsTRucri6N. b""Tso


When the, late war came to end, 81
which it did with the dispersion of the
Confedeate armies and Surrender, of
their officers, there was a pressing de-
mand for high statesmanship on the part
of the political organization then hold
ing centrel Of the Government, and this
craftsmanship meant forbearance, for
giyeness and bretherly kindness. p Had
we conquered another, people-had, we
oyerrpn a foreign province, we might
have followed the, course of war and die
tated punishment to the conquered. 7sM
III But these were .iour own citizens
their country was a part of our country
they were yof ourselves, and, come
veal, come woe, it is our destiny town
them if we wish to retain the Republic
asst is and as our fathers. destined tito
be. Then our best policy, i may say
our only policy, was one of kindness.
We should have sought to- heal, the
wounds, and quiet the, irritation that
came of long partisan, strife and deadly
war. : We might have failed but it was
our duty to try. And there is that
which responds to the kindness, of a
brave nature, that you can, always build
upon We had conquered, we could af-
ford to forgive. We should then, have
been as, generous as we had been cour
ageous, and treating the brave men Of
the South like men, we should have
given them all their rights as, citizens
and said, come, let us be brothers. -


That the South was prepared for sub.
mission to. any reasonable terms at the
close of the war I am prepared to be-
lieve. IF any one doubts this, let him
read the report made by General Grant
to Andrew johnson lon returning from
the tour of inspection at the. South, or.
dered by the acting President. 3, 1 an
sorry that l have not this report to read
now in support of my position. Either
General Grant was exceedingly stupid
or very dishonest, if that report is un-
true. His followers will scarcely admit
either supposition. is..g7fIl arot


Instead of the craftsmanship of love
we had, in all its wrath, the partisanship
of hate. We sought to degrade the men
We had fought, and destroy the very
foundation of our Government in our
eagerness to punish. State lines were
wiped out and military districts formed
and put under the control of men igno.
rant of law, and who squared their &C.
tions by the regulations of the barrack
room and the drill Of the same mate
rial courts were formed, organized tc
convict, and property, liberty, and life
itself, made subject to the arbitrary will
of little, mean, military despot. States
have, in fact, ceased to exist. { Why, gen
tlemen. it was but the other day that
a commission appointed by Congress
went into Kentucky to investigate the
characters of Congressman elected from
that State and report upon the sort of vo
ters.that made their constituents. They
had the same right to send committee
to the Fourth Congressional District OF
Ohio, and dictate to you who should be
your representative, and the process by
which you may become his constituents
/ raise my. voice not only in behalf ,o
the South, but for all the States, and
all the people i protest against this
usurpation, against despotic centraliza
tion Of power; Applause. 1 would
have universal amnesty and, univer
sal suffrage. I believe the white
races are able to take. care o.
themselves. and it they are not, nc
legal disability can save them. With
this change only, and it is one of the
results of the war, we could not prevent
nor were we disposed to prevent.
would replace these States precisely as
they were before the war. It is the duty
of the Democracy, should it have power
to wipe out these so-called Acts Of Re
construction, and dig down and bring te
light once more the old landmarks Of the
fathers. Loud applause.I This can be
done quickly and peaceably. Thank
God, we yet have the ballot-box and the
ballot, and if the American people car
only awaken, to reason, and do their duty
the great work-the real work-of re-
construction will be accomplished9 At


PARTIES.


Il return to, you, my old Democratic
friends, to find still existing the ole
Democratic principles that once made us
powerful and the same clear line of de


markation that ran through the land, di
viding the two political parties, yet ex
lists. find still recognized the old doc
trine that the only use of a Government
is to keep the peace, and the better sort
is that which leaves the largest freedom
of action to the citizen. 1t does not
therefore, seek to interfere with the laws
of trade, the religion of the Church, OF
the customs of society. The Republi
can party which is the successor of th'
old Whig organization,th that. in turn cam,
from the Federal party of the Revolution
regards the Government as the guardian
or rather, the parent of the people,
Hence the class legislation tina


has so disturbed us -during the
last u. eight q years. We ar


not only made to pay heavily for th'


support of an extravagant Government


but we are forced to sustain claims o


trade that it is asserted are too feeble t.


stand alone Let me give you one ex


ample: When this war broke out the


Republican party, then left in power by
the secession of Southern members o


Congress, passed tariff law tina


amounted to prohibition. Thus protect


ed, the manufacturers of New England
ran their mills at full time, and realized


vast profits. Now, at time when of al


others we needed cheap articles, we wer'
forced to pay high prices, and while sus


tanning huge armies in the field on ont


side, we were forced to sustain a hug,
monopoly on the other. And it is diff


cult to tell with accuracy which was The