Year: 1865




severe enough. TO be sure YOU will bring
them back to 4 sound and healthy condi-


ton before you rely upon them TO serve


any important purpose. Cheers


say il Is not so much reconstruction
as it is renovation am willing to adopt


the language of one of the resolutions,
which struck me forciblv a very proper


| am willing to wait for the solution of
difficulties to be furnished by the progress
Of time and the logic of events. / Will
apply nv remedies: | will rub them in


well and long. until the symptoms of
of restoration are unmistakable. II
there seems to be any mistake made on


this subject. either by our good Presi-
dent. in whom my confidence Is still un-
shaNel, or by any department OF the
Government. it seems to me that 1t comes
from that disposition of our people to
90 ahead and do their business up IN the
shortest possible time, without waiting
for permanent results of further action.
The Latins had a proverb. ''FtsttHd le1lfe
make haste slowly-which has great
deal Of philosophy in it. | do not know
any two words in our language embody-
ing more than that phrase, attributed
TO Calhoun, but borrowed by him from
another, .'masterly inactivity" And l
hold that there will be nothing lost by
slow processes, by waiting for the sOlu-
ton of difficulties, by taking time and
waiting for the rebellious States to devel-
op right conditions for the fall restora-
ton of their privileges. | would not hc
in a hurry to bring them back this year,
or the next year, unless they were fit TO
associate with the rest of Us; but | would
hold on to them with sufficient power TO
see that they are kept in a condition for
Improvement | would not be in n
hurry to set up out of the rlckety and
rotten old timber of secession. new
State Governments. | would wait till
new wood grows. Cheers. The peo-
pie of South Carolina have been thirty
years spelling to go out Of the Union, and
don't care if she is thirty years coming
back. Laughter and Cheers All |
want is, that when she does come back
she may come back all right, whether it
takes one or thirty years. We should
keep our hand upon them; have our mil
itary in charge of them; let them grow
and become a homogeneous part of
the great nation of freemen. | say /
would keep the military power upon them
| hold that the two forces to be applied
to this rebeliouS State are of two kinds:
The military power comes from without,
and must be impressed upon them by the
strong hand of the General Government;
the other power which IS for their reno
vation, their growth into a sound civil
condition, comes from within; and |
would keep up this mixed power over
them, until they grow up gradually into
sound public or political principles.


THE BALLOT IN THE Seeded STATES.


What practical questions do we meet
in considering this matter? 4 great deal
las been said as to who shall take part
N this reconstruction. | am exceed
ngly glad to observe that even our Cop
)crhead brethcren at the North, and
heir representative men elsewhere, their
public prints, the Statesman, for instance,
are praising some features of President
Johnson's proclamations seeking to es-
ablish Governments in those so called
seeded States. They approve these
in regard to the restric-
ion upon suffrage. What is that restric-
ion? Why, that none shall be allowed
% vote, even III their local affairs. ex-
cept men who have taken the oath of
allegiance, and bound themselves to
abandon their rebellious doctrines, 90
FOR the integrity Of the Union and the





oroclamations and laws enacted for the
purpose of putting down slavery. When
[ was sort of a Governor in the little
State of MARYLAND. and issued the famous
Order So. forbidding those who had
lided in the rebellion from voting, there
vas n howl all over the land. | am glad
hat they seem to have changed their
.one. and now think rebels should not
be allowed to vote, until they have taken
-hc oath prescribed. and swear to abide
" the Constitution and all the laws
for the emancipation of slaves


Who besides those who take this oath
shall be entitled to take part in recon
struction The question is whether all
The loyal people, including the blacks,
shall he allowed to vote. or whether only
he whites. shall have that privilege
So far as the local affairs of the States
are concerned. so far as starting the civil
again, on trial, under the
proclamation. | will not
the President, but when it comes
% the question how far they should be
recognized by the National Government,
[ will give YOU nv doctrine in regard to
voting in the rebellioHs States.


First let me inquire. what are the oc-
casions in which their votes NAV be
given? These votes have relation to our
form of government. so far as the Con
of the [ nited States is over us.
and are three in number: First they NAV
vote indirectly for President and Vice
President of the United States that is.
thew may vote for an electoral college. or
for their share of the electoral college,
who are to cast 4 vote for these high
Executive officers Second they NAV
also vote directly for Senators to repre-
sent the States in the Congress of the
nation Third. they may vote FOR mem
bers OF the Legislature in the several
States, which members OF the Legislature
are 10 indicate who shall be the Senator'S.
Now tie United States, the national Gov
has an interest and not only
an interest but duty to perform, in de
termining what shall lie their relations
in that general Government. in exercis-
ing the elective franchise | divide the
classes in the South who shall be called
to vote for President. for Senator. for
member of Congress- into three: the