Year: 1868

"iohoo VI tnclr IellOW-cltlZenS. WI hllt


confusion reigns they are the dispensers o


the profits and-the honors which grow ou


OF government. of mere force These


men are now placed in positions wher,


they can not only urge their views of pol


icy, but where they can enforce them


When Others shall be admitted in this


manner from the remaining Southern


States, although they will have in truth nc


constituents. they will have more power in


the Senate than majority of the people Of


this Union living in nine of the great


States. In vain the wisest members Of the


hepubllcan party protested against the


policy that led to this result. While the


chiefs of the late rebellion have submitted


to the results of the war, and are now uui-


etly engaged in useful pursuits for the


support of themselves and their families.


and are trying by the force of their exam


pie to lead back the people of the South to
the order and industry not only essential
to their well being, but to the greatness
and prosperity of our common country, we
see that those who, without ability or in
fiuenoe, have been thrown by the agitations
OF civil convulsion into positions of honor
and profit, are striving to keep alive the
passions to which they owe their elevation;
and they clamorously insist that they are
the only friends of our Union-a Union
that can only have sure foundation in
fraternal regard, and common desire to
promote the peace, the order, and the hap
plness of all sections of our land.


Events in Congress, since the adjourn
ment OF the Convention, have vastly in
creased the importance of a political victo-
ry by those who are seeking to bring back
economy, simplicity, and justice in the ad-
mlnistration of our national affairs. MANY
Republicans have heretofore clung to their
party who have regretted the extremes of
violence to which it has run. They have
cherished faith, that while the action of
their political friends have been mistaken,
their motives have been good. They must
now see that the Republican party is in
that condition that it cannot carry out
wise and peaceful policy, whatever its mo-
tives may be. 1t is q misfortune; not only
to country, but to a governing party it.
self, when its action is unchecked by any
form of opposition. Tt has been the mis-
fortune of the Republican party that the
events of the past few years have given it
SO much power that it has been able to
shackle the Executive, to trample the iu-
dietary, and to carry out the views Of the
most unwise and violent of its members.


When this state of things exists in any
party, it has ever been found that the So


Der judgments of its ablest leaders do not
control. There is hardly an able man who
helped to build up the Republican oreani


zation who has not within the past three
years warned it against its excesses, who
has not been borne down and forced to give
up his convictions Of the interests of the
country called for; or, If too patriotic to
do this, who has not been driven from its
ranks. If this has been the case hereto
fore, what will be its action now, with this
new infusion of men who, without decent
respect for the views of those who have
just given them their positions, begin their
Legislative career with calls for arms-with
demands that their States shall be regarded
as in condition of civil war, and with the
declaration that they are ready and anxious
to degrade the President of the United
States whenever they can persuade or force
Congress to bring forward new articles of
impeachment. The Republican party, as
well as we, are interested in pntting some
check upon this violence 1t must be clear
to every thinking man that division of
political power tends to check the violence
of party action, and to assure the peace
and good order of society. The election
of Democratic Executive and majority
of Democratic members to the House of
Representatives would not give to that
party organization the power to make sud-
den or violent changes; but t would serve to
check those extreme measures which have
been deplored by the best men by both DO
litical organizations. The result would
most certainly lead to that peaceful resto-
ration of the Union and establishment
of fraternal relationship which the country
desires. am sure that the best men of
the Republican party deplere as deeply as
l do, the spirit of violence shown by those
recently admitted to seats in Congress from
the South. The condition of civil war
which they contemplate must be abhorrent
to ever right-thinking man.. I have no
mere personal wishes which. mislead nv |
judgement in regard to the pending cleo |
tion. No man who has weighed and meas
ured the duties of the President of the
United States can fail to be impressed with
the cares and tolls of him who is to meet
its demands. Tt is not merely to float
with popular currents, without policy or
purpose on the contrary, while our Con-
stitution gives just weight to the public
will, its distinguishing feature is that it
seeks to protect the rights of minorities
its greatest glory is that it puts restraints
upon power; it gives force and form to
those maxims and principles of civil liber-
ty for which the martyrs of freedom have
struggled through ages; it declares the
right Of the people " to be secure in their
persons, houses, and papers, against unrea-
sonable searches and seizures; that Con-
gress shall make no law respecting an es-
adjustment of religion, or the free exercise