Year: 1865

struction, and seeking his criticisms
upon it. No restrictions were placed
upon him In making it known, except
such as his own discretion and friend
ship might impose. You are misin.
formed as to my having requested my
views to be published at my home or
elsewhere. You must act upon your
own responsibility in determining
what publicity you shall give to this.
The importance to our country of de-
termining rightly the grave questions
which must probably be settled with
in the coming year, is too great to
make me willing to omit using what
ever influence or information / may
have in assisting at the solution
Whether in public or in private life,
I shall freely give the results Of my
experience and observation in the
South during the war, and the con


clusions to which my study oil both
races has led me, | shall expect the
facts that l have been an anti slavery
man from my youth up, that assist
ed at the original organization of the
Republican party, and acted with it
and the Union party ever since, and
that | have been, q Federal soldier
from the surrender of Sumter to the
surrender of the last armed rebel, will
secure me candid and even friend
ly hearing from all who have loved
the country and earnestly taken its
part in the late terrible struggle. If
other views than mine prevail, | shall


hold it my duty to act cheerfully and


promptly with the body of loyal men


believing that the best solution which


they can give will be the best attain


able, and that to divide from them will


be to. deliver the Government into


the hands Of its enemies.


believe that the President is earn.
,estly determined to seek the good of
the whole country and of all the races


in it !. that he has full claim to that


confidence which we declared that


we reposed in him; and that we as


Union men cannot succeed in doing


in harmony and cooperation with


him and his administration, we shall


fail Of doing altogether. Ny support
of him, therefore, will be no half


hearted support, but a Jealous and


thoroughly hearty co operation, with


no ulterior purpose or thought of sep


aration on issues likely to arise. 1t is


by the cordial harmony of Mr.. John


son and the Union members of Con-


gress that the country is to be carried


safely through its present perils, and


division between them would place


me in imminent danger of shipwrcck.


We may have diverse opinions as to


the true solution of this knotty prob.


lem of reconstruction, and during the


proper period for discussion we may


and ought to discuss them with can


dor, with fullness and with tolerant


spirit, but when this is done and the


time for action arrives, it will be the


business of Congress & the Executive to


agree upon the plan TO be adopted, and


that which is in this manner honestly


determinedby devotedly Union men, l


shall believe, as | have before said, to


be the best attainable result, whether


it agrce with my views or not. In


short, l believe that under no circum-
stances should VIC risk the transfer Oh


this Government to the hands of those
} who have been disloyal during the
war, by any divisions among our
selves, until all the questions which


grow out OF the war arc permanent y
and finally decided.


Having thus stated what | think is


the true doctrine of political organi-
zation, and indicated the great dan,
, ger of losing all for which VIC have
been striving by such divisions as
those at which you hint, | am
cow prepared to state my pri.
} vate views upon reconstruction, and
the claim of the freedmen to political
privileges in the Southern States, leaV
) ing to you the responsibility of youl
: action in regard thereto. B.. ..
; l presume VIC shall agree in regard
) ing the four general principles assert
, cd in the "Faneuil Hall Address" as


those which should guide the determ
, ination of our relations to both white:
, and blacks in the rebel States. Thai
, there may be no mistake in referencr
, to this, l quote them


: First. The principle must be pu
beyond all question, that the Repub
l lie has direct claim upon tho allegi
ance of every citizen, from which nc


State can absolve him, and to hi'
, obedience to the laws of the Republic
= anything in the Constitution or laws
= of any State to the contrary notwith
e standing. ....


r "Second The publicfaith is pledged
t to every person of color in the rebe
q States, to secure to them and theil
4 posterity forever complete and yer
table freedom. Having provided
t them this freedom, secured their aiC
o on faith of this promise, and by q sue
0 cessful war and actual military occu
i patton of the country, having obtained
n the power to secure the result, W.
t are dishonorable if we fail to mako i
@ good to them.


: Third. The system of slavery
t must be abolished and prohibited by
+ paramount and irreversiblc law
r Throughout the rebel States ther
< must be, in the words of Webster
: impressed upon the soil itself an ina
Q bility to bear up but free men,


o "Fourth. The system of the State
Q must be truly republican"