Year: 1868

almost completed, tho productions
of a large portion of tho country
have, from year TO yenr, fallen off
that tho exports which those pro.
ductions furnished, enabling us 70
keep up the balance Of trade in our
favor, have fallen so much that, in q
large degree, that balance has been


made up in gold and in Govern
ment securities. The people want
ID know why it is that trade cannot
be allowed TO return to It's native
channels that the industries of the
country are not encouraged, but, on
the contrary, they are kept in that
disturbed condition that invest
ments dare not be made by capital,
and that labor Is afraid to make an
effort, oven if capital should be in.
vested. The people will ask one
further question what has been
gained by this controversy Like
tho question shat in former times
was asked by the grnndchild Of the
grandfather in relation to the great
battle-what has all tins been about?
Senators know very we'll that when
the thirty ninth Congress met, tho
work ofrcstOration according to tho
policy of Mr.. Johusun was almost
com mpletcd. Constitutions had been
adopted IN the Southern States
abolishing slavery or declaring il
abolished, foiover rcpudiating the
public debt, aud making every
pledge TO the Federal Union which


Northern sentiment demanded; but
Congress interviewed against that
policy and interpOsed its own, and
now the people, after two or three
years Of delay, Of distraction, OF the
disturbance Of trade and commerce,
want TO know what hns been gain.
cd by l.. When you come to an
swer that question 10 the people
you cannot show them q single
Southern constitution which any
republican mind can say ls better
constitution than had been adopted
under the Johnson policy, unless
you cay IT, a better constitution
because tho negros are enfranchis-
cd and q part OF the whites disiran-
chiscd, and the power in q great
section Of the country taken from
the white men and givon to the col
ored. Tho people will want to
know why il Is that after the close
of the war, after there was no long,
or rebel soldier with gun IN his
hand, after tho South had amended
its constitutions and changed its
laws according to the demands of
the North in every particular af-
ter 1t had declared slavery abolish
ed, secession fallacy, and tho rob-
el debt not TO be collected, why,
then, in one.third of this country.
did tho party in power break down
State governments and establish in
their stead military governments 2
Why was il IN that work you made
the civil law subordinate 10 tho mil
itury luw, the judge upon the bench
subordinate to tho commanding Of
ficor, and gave TO a military officer
the power to drive the legislators
from the halls of Legislation, and t.
substitute men of his own selection
in their place, aud subverted all the
principles OF free government, rec-
ognized, honored ana rovercd in
this country, and established IN
their stead system of government
that fiuds no parallel IN any Of the
countries OF the world since the days
of pro.consuls2 rn that question
il seems TO me it will be difficult to
find II suitable answer. 1t is not
enough to say that in noighbor-
hoods there were broils aud mur.
ders. Why, SIR, somo time ago l
read to the Senate from ono of the
papers published in this city tel
egram coming from the central por


tions Of Alabama, that the fifth
white man had been murdered in
the Same neighborhood, and no no.
tice W hatever had boon taken Of II,
and that, 100, under the govern
mcnt of the military, powerful and
despotlc, which you had established
there. When tho people of tho
country demand TO know of their
legislators why civil law IS subordi.
nate to military law, why the judgA
upon the bench is stripped OF his
robes of office, in his stead there
is substituted military command
or to decide upon the rights of the
people, when they demand 10 know
why, in secret commission and mil.
itarY court tho citizen is tried for
criminal otienso or touching civil
right, why these things arc done in
tins country ma time Of profound
peace, some grave and weighty IN.
swer must be gwen them. They
will want to know why it is that
you pretend for a time to repudlate
on the part of Congress the right to
establish negro suffrage IN North
ern States and yet established it IN
the Southern States ? Why it IS
that you rally upon platform at.
tempting to avoid the responsibility
of this issue at home, and yet woald
seek to establish such system of
suffrage in ten of the States Of the
South, and what answer would you
glvo2 DO you tell the people of the
North that they are not interested
in the question of suffrage IN the
Southern Statos2 ? You cannot make
tina: answer, for shis fall 1t may oc-
cur that tho negro votes of the
South will decide the Presidential