Year: 1865

"GENTLEMEN:-We have passed


through this rebellion. say "wE" fol
it was us who were responsible for it.


Yes, the South made the issue, AND l


know the nature of the Southern people


well enough, to know that when they


have BECOME CONVINCED of an error,


they frankly acknowledge it in a manly,
open direct manner, and now in per-
f6rmanoe of that duty, or indeed in


act they undertake to perform, they


do it heartily and frankly. And now


that they come to me | understand


them as saying that we made the iss-


ue-we set up the Union of the States


against the Institution of Slavery. We


selected for the arbitrator the god of


battles. The argument was the sword.


The issue was fairly and hororably met;


both the questions presented have been


settled against us, and we are prepared


to except the issue. .,s.


/ find on all sides this spirit of cam
| dor and honor prevailing. 1t is said


by all that the issue was ours, and the
| Judgment has been against us, and the


decision having been made against us.


We feel bound in honor to abide by


the arbitramept. In doing this we are


daing ourselves no dishonor, aud should


not feel humiliatcd or degraded, but


rather that we are cnobling ourselves


by our action, that we should feel that


the Gnyernment has treated us mag


unanimously, and mset the Government


upon the terms which it has so mag
unanimously proffered us. So far as /


am concerned personally, / am unin-


tiIcIped by any question, whether it
effects the North or tho South, the East
or the West. / stand where l did of old


battling for the Constitution and the


Union ct these United States. In do
ing so | know / oppose some ofyou of
the!South when the doctrine ofsecession


was being urged ON the country, and
the declaration of your rights to break
up the Government and disintcrgrate
the Union was made. / stand to-day
as l have ever stood, firmly in the opin-
ion that if monopoly conte nds against
this country, it must go down and the
country 90 up. Yes, the issue was
made By the Sopth against the Govern
ment, and the Government has triumph
ed, and the South, true to her ancient
instincts of frankncss and manly honor,
comes forth and expresses its willing


ness to abide the result of the decision
in good faith. While think the re-
bellion has been arrested and subdupd,
and am happy in the consciousness of
a duty ellpcrformed, ! want not only
you but the people of the world to know
that while drcaled ami feared disin.
tegratiop ofthe Statea, 1 am equally
opposed to consolidation of conccn;ra-
ton here under whatever guise or name
they bear, and if the issue is forced up
on us, shall still cndeavor to pursue
the same ctforts 20 aissuade from this
doctrine of ruDni.Ig to extremes; but j
say let the same rules be applied as !
have before remarked to you, / am
gratified to see so many Of you here to
day, it manifesis spirit / am pleased
20 observe. know it has been said of
of me that my aspari,ies are sharp, and
l had vindictive feelings to crafty,
and that should not fail to avail my
self of the opportunities that would
present themselves to crafty such dcs-
picable feelings. If my acts will not
speak for me and for themselves, then,
any profession I might nov make would |
be equally useless; but gentlemen, if
know myself, as think | do, know |
ara one of the sorthcrn people and /
love them, and will do all in my power
to restore them to that state of lappi-
ness of which they enjoyed before the
madness Of misguided men in whom
they had reposed their confidence, led
them astray to their own uldoing. If
there is anythin. that can be done OH
my part on correct principles of the
Constitution, be assured it shall be
done. Let me assure you also that
there is no disposition on thc part of
the Government to deal harshfy with
the Southern people. There may be
speeches published in various quarters
q different spirit, do not Jet
them trouble or excite you, but believe
that it is rs it is, the greet object of the
Government to make Union of these
Union States more complete and per-
feet than ever, aud 70 MAINTAIN it on
principles if possibly
more firmly than it has ever before
been. Then why cannot .we all come
up to the work in proper spirit; i'll
other words, let us look to the cause
the is-ue has been made aud decided ,
then as wise men, as men whose rights |
are determined to follow fathers and |
brothers, and as men who love their
country in this hour of trial and suffer-
ing, why can we not come up and help |
to settle the questions of the hour, and |
adjust them according TO the principles
af honor and of justice. The 'instiiu-
ton of slavery is gone: the status of
the negro had to be changed, and wo,
as wise men must recognize so potent
o fact, and adopt ourselves to circum-
stances rs they surround us, Voices
owe arc willing to do 50 yes, sir, we
are willing 10 do So" / believe you
are, and believe when your faith is
pledged, when your consent has been
given, as have already said, / believe |
it will be maintained in good faith, and
every pledge or promise fully carried
out, cries, it will, all j ask or desire
of the South or the North, the East or
the West, is to be sustained in carrying
out the principles Of the Constitution.
1t is not to be denied that we have
been great sufferers. On both sides
good men have fallen, and much misery
is being endured as the hecesssary
result of so gigantic contest.
Why then can we not conc together,