Year: 1865

mcnt and assist TO the utmost OF ms hpiii'y
in repairipg the injuries inflicted upon the
country, and will in good faith sustain its
policy-in all such cases itaifords me pleas
urc to recommend the pardon prayed Tor,


Where am in doubt hesitate until the
doubt i. removed; and in all eases where |
am convinced that the party does not come
with the proper spirit Of devotion to, ami
respect for the government and It's nulhorl-
ty and policy, have and will, unhesitatlng-
ly refuse 10 recommend.


t There are, fellow citizens, few subjects
lof particular interest, to which desire vc-
Ey briefly TO call your attention. First,
perhaps, in Importance is the change that
has taken place in the condition Of the ne
grocs of the South. On this subject, feel
that would be wanting in the discharge of
my duty to you, If failed to speak plainly
and explicitly. There are still, l fear,
great many persons who earnestly desire
TO be loyal to the government of the United
States, and to support in good faith, the
Constitution and laws, who yet indulge the
hope that some system of compulsory labor
will be restored to the South. Fcllow-citi-
zcns, it is my profound conviction thatit is
best for all Of us, and especially for our
postcrity, that this should not be DONE
There has never been any question since
the adoption of the Constitution OF the
United States upon which the great majori-
ty of the people of the North are agreed as
they arc upon this question. Slavery has
ceased to exist in this republic. 1t will
never, under any shape or form, be restored.
There are those who say they do not desire
the restoration of slavery, but WHO think
that laws should be passed to compel spe-
ciiic performance Of contracts for labor
Such laws would be contrary to the genius
of free government. Compulsory labor IN
the performance of q contract, would new
ertheless be involuntary service, and not
being for crime, would be qualified slavery.
More than this, compulsory labor in the
performance of contracts is, in its nature,
an impracticable thing, and incompatible
with the freedom of the laborer. Let me
earnestly conjure you, fellow citizens, tore
ceivc the truth that slavery has passed
away. The first gun that was fired at
Sumpter at the flag which protected this
institution, was its knell. Slavery, as L
said before was aggressive in its spirit
1t had triumphed so often in its contests
with its opposers, that it vainly supposed
itself inyinciblc. Rather than submit to
any limitations upon its pretensions, 1t
defied TO mortal combat the government un-
der whose protection it had grown sogrcat.
1t set up u government, the perfect repre-
sentative Of itself, false, arrogant, boastful
contemptuous, waseful shameless. This
government not only waged unrelenting war
upon the government of the United States,
but with an instructive knowledge that the
whole on-slavcholding population of the
South were its natural enemies it made war
upon them, in the shape of exactions of
every kind, taxes upon their industry, CON
script laws, impressment laws &c, while 1t
protected the wealthy slave-owner, and the
obsequious sycophants who fawningly did
its bidding by means of exemption laws,
and stupcndous system of details, real
and pretended real, where the poor mans
labor was wanted-pretended, where some
sleek favorite was obe kept out Of the way
of gunpowdcr,


The struggle between slavery and the
government was death struggle. The gov
ernment survives, slavery did in the lists.
What remains to us is to give it decent
burial. Having done this we will then ad
dress ourselves to the patriotic duty of heal
ing the wound inflicted upon us by the
terrible war, out of which We have lately
come.


In my Judgment, fellow-citizens, we
should make up our minds to put the ques-
ton of slavery in this State finally to rest,
by incorporating in our State Constitution,
when Convention shall assemble, pro-
vision that it shall not hereafter exist in this
State. Many will say, if slavery be indeed
dead where the necessity of any constitu-
tional provision on the subject! 1he gene
raj government, fellow-citizens, will natu-
rally regard the action of the States with
Jealous eye, until this question shall be H.
nally disposed Of. The government OF the
United States is not weak. 1t needs no
help from the State of Texas to settle the
question of slavery. But if the State ex-
hibits an upwillingncss to recognize the
truth that slavery no longer exists, by some
conclusive act on her part, the government
of the United States may think proper to
keep us in n state of probation, until we
recognize the true state of the case in sueh
manner as will be satisfactory TO that gov
ernment My earnest advice to you, then,
fellow-citizens, is to waive any punctilio
that may still have q lodgment in your
minds on this subject, and when you send
your delegates to Convention, which l
hope soon to be able to call, instruct thom
TO put this question finally to res. by a Con-
stitutional provision. by so doing we will
the sooner regain our just influence in the
councils of the Nation. In the meantime
let us recognize the fact that the negroes arc
free, and are entitled TO have rights accord
ed to them which they could not enjoy as
Slaves. Ihavc, by proclamation, instructed
the Courts to place them upon an equality
with white men in respect to the punish
ment Of crimes. In doing so, have pro-
cecded upon the idea that the freedom OF
all men Of color, as the political result OF
the war must necessarily draw to 1t, GER
tain rights not before enjoyed under our
laws. either by slaves or free men Of color.
| regard the Emancipation Proclamation OF
the late President Of the United States,
made effectual by the military power OF the
government, so as actually TO secure free
dom to all men of color, as equivalent to
express legislation by the State, mitigating
the punishment of crimes committed by
persons Of color, TO the extent Of placing all
men in this respect upon an equality. -


1 am also Of opinion, fellow-citizens,
that the State ought, by express legislation,
10 provide for the admissibility of the tes-
timony Of persons Of color, in Court, in all
cases. subject only to the rules which apply
to the testimony Of white persons. This is