Year: 1865

tial happiness to all the powers Of the earth.
The Constitution Of the United, States, in
speaking of persons to be'chosen as Represen-
t;itives in Congress-, says that the electors in
each State shall have the qualifications reqni.
site for electors of the most numerous branch
of the State Legislature. Here we find rest:
ing place. This was the point at which the
rebellion commenced. All the States were in
the Union, moving in harmony; bnt portion
of them rebcled ,and to some extent suspended
and paralyzed the operations Of their Govern
ments. There is constitutional obligation
resting on the United States Government to
put down rebellion, suppress insurrection and
repel invasion. The slaves went into the war
as slaves, and came ont rs free men Of color.
The frictiAn of the rebellion has rubbed out the
nature and character of slavery. The loyal
men who were compelled to bow and submit
to the rebellion should, now that the rebellion
is ended, stand equal to loyal men everywhere.
Hence the wish Of restoration and the trying
TO get back the States to the point at which
they formerly moved in perfect harmony.


lie dil not intend to sclvc any particular
cliouc or interest. lie would say to the dele
CATION that slavery is gone as an institution.
There was no hope that the people of South
Carolina could he admitted into the Senate of
tue House of Representatives until they had
afforded evidence by their conduct of. this truth.
The policy, now that the rebellion is suppress
cd, is not TO- restore the State Government
through military rule, but by the people.
while the war hns crhancipated slaves, it has
'c,nancipatcd larger number of white men.
He would talk plain, as the delegation had
said that was what they desired. lie could
90 to men who had owned fifty or hundred
Slaves, and who did not care as much for the
poor white man as they did for the negro.
Those who own the land have the capital TO
employ help, and therefore some of our North
crn friends are deceived when they living afar
off, think they can exercise greater control
over the freedmen than the Southern mon who
have been reared where tho institution of slave
ry has prevailed. Now he did not want the
i;ltc shareholders to control the negro votes
against white men. Let each State judge OF
tic depository of its own political power. Lie
WIS for emancipation. lie was for elnancipa-
ting the white man as we'll as the black:


Mr.. Holmes asked-Is not that altogether
accomplished


The President replied that he did not think
the question fully settled. The question as to
whether the black man shall be engraite1 in
the Constitution will be settled as we so along.
lie would not disguise the fact that while he
had been prosecuted and denounced at the
South as a traitor, he loved the great mass Of
the Southern people. He opposed the rebel
lion at its breaking, and fought it everywhere,
and now wanted the principles of the Govern
mcot carried ont and maintained.


Mr. Holmes interrupted by saying: We
want to get back to the same position as you
describe, as we are with out law, no courts are
opened, and You have the power to assist us.


The President replied that the Government
cannot 90 on unless it is based on right. The
people Of South Carolina must have CoEvcn-
ton, and amend their constitution by abolishing
slavery, and this must be done in good faith,
and the Convention or Legislature must adopt
the proposed amednment to the Constitution
of the United States, which prohibits and ex-
cluics slavery everywhere.


One of the delegates said: "We are most
! anxious for civil rnlc, for We have had more
than enough for military despotisln.