Year: 1863

great and fatal error Should We for this be
stigmatised as unfriendly To the Unioni Who
will say that it is not right and lust that the
names of all the enrolled should be publshedf
Is there man opposed to having these rolls
fairly and publicly deposited in the wheel 80 that
all NAV see and know thar the conscriDtOn is
beng fairly conducted2 And yet wheE this is
asked for, those making the request are stigma
( tzed as inciing the community TO outrage and
wrong Our purpose is not 10 violate the laws;
our purpose is tn vindicafe the laws (Cheers
So much for the past and the present What of
the future?


Whatever wrongs may have been at the hands
Of our opponents | believe speak for those who
think and acI with when I saw LET the past be
for.o'tet. Let This violation OF law aud Of the
rights of the States and of individuals be buried
if you will ouly hear our prayers to avoid the
dangers that threaten u in the future Our
armies lIave been successlul Heretofore there
have been reasons ~hy We could not seek peace.
AL men have felt that, ii the war had ended
when we had failed in some OF our military under
takings. il might lead TO serious complications in
the future. Therefore have waited, But
now our successes enable Us 10 seek i with honor
70 ourselves and satisfaction 10 the people Our
policy would he generous and maguanimous. An
honorable. high-minded avais himself of
success to make a generous disposition of the
controversy in which he is involved This should





be our course now The war has reached another
stage in its progress, and policy. different from
that which has been pursued. must be marked
out. Shall il be policy of suhiugation. policy
that will strip the States of their rghtsi TCries Of
"No. no.''1 Such n policy implies a long and
bloody war. and an ncalcuable waste of lite and
treasure. 1t is policy which, il continued, must
result in national bankruptcy and ruin. This
would be its inevitable result. | appeal to
Republican friends that, LAYING aside party pas
sions and preudices, we superadd to power the
70 ce of Cancellation. Is there not more hope for
early and lasting peace and long career of
happiness for the country in aconciliat0ry line Of
policyf How can anv object to a policy
that will unite the people North and South and
call out ir m every section an ardent love of the
Union and the Consttution-a love which /
firmly believe only slumbers in the revolted
States and is not dead. Shall the party in power
say: "0ur brothers have not crouched down TO
US. They not yet suhjugated We have not
yet gratifed our malice and hate" Is that
generous, magnanmous saying: Return
to the Union; your rights shall be preserved sa-
cred and inviolateI" Men must choose between
these two lines fpOlicy. We may have differed
in the past But now our armies have triumphed.
our soldiers have proved their bravery and their
patriotism They have sacrificed for the cause
all that men hold dear; and now. will we. who
have had no share in the hardshps and perils of



showing to the world Just and fraternal regard
for our countrymen9


am not disposed to critcise the Presidents
recent letter unkndly, or to embarrass the Ad.
ministration. | am willing to leave the emanci
patton proclamation just where be has lef; ito
stand valid If the courts pronounce it valid. and
to fall if it is invalid and it must fall because it
is invalid | agree with him when he proposes
to leave it where he knows it must die without
regret He does not, in that letter, contemplate
an early termination of the war. mr. does he
propose any time when il will cease We. how
ever, are ready to mark out policy, and that
conciliatorv policy-that the States shall return
with all their rights as marked down in the Con-
stitution. ] believe that the great conservative
party of the country will say, Return TO your
allegiance, and we will maintain your rights"
Whatever NAV be the course of the Admins
tration, it becomes the conservatives to say
to the South, "Let the war cease-come back
to your allegiance-and we will protest your
rights


Never have / embarrassed the Administers
ton. and ] never will have at all times
sought to uphold the army. and have neg
lected no opportunity to send succor to our
men. ] have toiled without ceasing TO do my
duty to the soldiers from New Work. ! have
issued upwards of FIVE thousand commissions, and
don't know that the Administration. with all
the unkinG things its friends have said
of me, has had occasion to say that nv course
has been partisan in regard 10 them. repeat
that / am full of hope for the future. have
never doubted that the Union will be restored,
have never feared that the rights ef the States
will be DESTROYED / have never for a moment
believed that the invasion of the rights of the
States BY the Government would be of perma-
nent character The principles of conciliation
and wisdom which guided our fathers viii ouilive
the folly of their successors. Cancellation is
magnanimous Generosity, in its nature, is
larger hate. A generous course now will com
mend US to the world. Applause To the dis
solution Of the Union ! will never consent
tCheers wonld put forth every mower, i
would exhaust every measure OF conciliatiOn;
would appeal TO the interests. the hopes snd fears
Of the South. and urge every suggestion which
il becomes a man.to make to bring back the re
volted States, but as to dsunion will never con-
sent to that. Applause Let US put forth every
power to restore the Union. invoking every con
sideration Of patriotism doing all that is due 10
our country and TO ourselves. invoking the return
Of every State; holding sacred every star upon
those flags that surround us (poiniing to the iags
which decorated the hall,) and marking him who
would strike one from its blue field as much
traitor as he who would rend its folds as
sunder. 49, =