Year: 1866

the States 70. he purpose, it was said,
Of securing and pres erving that pecu-


liar institution There was another por-


tloa OF our couatrymen who were 0p-


posed 10 that institution, and who went


TO such an extreme that they were vii


ling to break up the Government in or


der 10 get clear Of that peculiar institu-


ton Of the South l say these things


because / desire to talk plainly AMI in


familiar phraseoIogy. l assume moth


ing here to day beyond the position of a


citizen-oue who has been pleading for


his country and the preservation Of the


Constitution. Immense cheering


These two parties, 1 say, ware array


ed against each other. and | stand here


before vou for the Union to-day, as |


stood in the Senate of the United States


in 1852 | met there those who were


making war upon the Constitution. and
| denounced them in my place then and
there aud exposed their true character
and said that those who were engaged in
the work Of breaking up the Govern
ment were traitors. l have never ceased
on all proper occasions to repeat that
sentiment. and As far as my efforts could
90 | have endeavored to carry it out
! Great applause l have just remark
ed that there were two parties-one of
which was for destroying the Govern
mcnt and separating the same in order
to preserve slavery, and the other for
breaking mp the Government in order to
DESTROY slavery True the objects which
they sought to accomplish We're differ
ent so far as slavery was concerned, but
they agreed in the desire to break up
the Government, the precise thing to
which | have always been opposed, that
whether disunionists come from the
South or from the North, I stand as |
did then, vindicating the cause Of the
Union of these States and the Constitu-
ton of my country. Tremendous ap-
plause.


Rebellion and treason manifested
themselves in the South. | stood by
the Government. | said then that |
was for the Union without slavery, |
was for the Union with slavery. In
either alternative | was for my Gove~n-
ment aud its Constitution The GOV
ernmen. has stretched forth its long arm
and with its physical power it has pat
down treason in the field. The section
of the country which then arraved itself
against the Government has been "ut
down by the strong arm. " That did we





said no compromise; vou yourselves in
the South can settlo this question in
eight and forty hours / said again and
again. and repeat it now. disband your
armies in the South, acknowledge the
supremacy of the Constitution Of the
United States, acknowledge the duty and
obedience to the laws, and the whole
question is settled. Applause


That has been done. since their III
mics have been dishandoned and they
come forward now in a proper spiritand
say we were mistaken. We made an eff
fort to carry out the doctrine OF scces-
sion. and To dissolve the Cnion. In that
we have tailed We have tried TINS
doctrine to its logical and physical re
suits ana we find that We were mistaken;
we acknowledge the flag Of our country
and are willing to obey the Constitution
and to Weld to the Supremacy Of the
laws. TGreat applause. Coming in
that spirit | say to them. When You
have complied with the requirements of
the Constitution; when You have yielded
10 the laws: when you have acknow
el your allegiance 10 the Constitution,
will so far as | can open the door OF the
Union 10 those who had erred and stray
ell from the field Of Their fathers for
time, (Great applause


Who has suffered more by the rebel
lion than have? l shall not repeat the
story Of the wrongs and sutterinGs in
Hleted upon me But the spirit ct re
yenge is not the spirit in which - deal
with a whole people, | know that there
has been a great deal said about the ex-
ercise of the pardoning power So far
as vour Executive Is concerned, there IS
not one who has lahorei with more earn
estncss than myself 10 have the princi-
pie intelligent and conscious traitors
bound To Justice. the law vindjcated and
the great fact iudicia!lv established that
treason i crime. (ApplaHse-) But
while the conscious, leading and intel
Iireut traitors are to be punished, should
whole communities. and States and pco-
pie he made TO submit to the penalty OF
death. NO, no. | have, perhaps, as
much asperity and As much resentment
~ men ought to have. but we mast rea-
son in great matters OF government
about man as heis. We must conform
our actions and our conduct to the eX-
ample Of Him who founded our holy re
IIgion, not that | would make such
comparison in any personal aspect. l
came into this place under the Conatltu-
ton of MY cOautry. and by the approoa-
ton of the people; and what did tind:
| founj millions Of people who were, IN
fat condemned under the law, and the
penalty was death Was to yield to
the spirit of revenge and resentment
and declare that they should all be an
initiated and destroyed.


How different would this have been
from the example set by the Holy Foun-
der Of oar religion, the eNtremities OF
whose divine arch rests upon the hori
zon, and whose span embraces the uni
verse He who founded this great
scheme came into the world and found
man condemned under the Law. and his
sentence was death what was his exam
Qle Instead OF putting the world, or
even nation TO death. he died upon the
cross, attesting by his wounds and his
blood, that he died that mankind might
live. (Grear applause Let those who
have erred repent Let them ackEowl
edge their allegiance Let them become