Year: 1866

its right to be considered as an integral
part of the General Government.


1t will not do to tell me that there are
scattering men in these States who did


not agree to all these proceedings, fol
there never was a war, either civil Orpubllc,
in which there could not be found some


men in both nations who were opposed to
the war, and who so expressed themselves.
We know that during the war OF the R-v


olurion many of the eminent statesmen
of Great Britain sided with us in the Brit
ish Parliament, and sympathized with u
throughout that struggle; but were We
less at war with England, or she with US,
because some of her statesmen and many
of her middle classes were with US, believ-
ing that we were right and their own
country wrong? Would publicist, deal
ing with international law, or even NUM-
cipal law, pretend that you were any the
less a nation at war because here and
there a man out of Office could be found
who did not believe that his GOvernm ent
was right? That is not the way that
statesmen treat such subjects.


You must take the people OF State as
you find them in fact; and If they are
rebels, if the State organization has lost
its power as part of the Union, ifits old
loyal government Is rooted up root and
brnach, and new government formed on
its ruins hostile to the General Govern
ment, | say then it is out of the Union
to all intents and purposes. Then all Is
anarchy, except by virtue of their new
State organization, which IS a reasonable
ORGANIZATION and whether there be more
Or less of the people who favor 1t, Is not a
question for statesmen to look to. States
men, look to the organization. look to
those in power, see who the Governors
are. see who the Legislatures are, see who
makes the laws When treason has so
triumphed over State that her Cover
nor and her legislative councils are all Or
gans of treason, enacting treason into law
and raising armies for the destruction OF
the old Government, to tell me that In
such State tha5 government IS not dis
placed is nonsense. If the State Is able
to maintain its old organization and put
down the insurrection, the individuals
are guilty of treason, the State standing
intact; but when the State organization
has yielded to the storm, has ceased all
resistance, we have to look upon its peo
pie as they are, public enemies, and moth
ing else.


That, sir. briefly, is the view l entertain
on that subject; but have said 1t makes
no difference what theoretical view may
be taken, for do not know that any body
supposes that those States are IN such a
conition that Immediately upon the re-
bellion being quelled they could come
right into Congress and demand partici
patton in the councils Of the General Gov
ernment. If they cannot, 1t then de
wolves upon Congress to say how they
shall come in, to prescribe the rule, and to
define upon what conditions they shall be
permitted to come back. Therefore,
whether YOU call them outside OF the
Union or inside makes very little differ
ence: they are hel pless; they are con-
uuered they are incapable of any act OF
their own. That would bring US to con-
slider what is their temper and dlsposI-
ton now. Is it such that, according to
the great principles of human action and
human experience, it is safe to permit
them to come in tn the councils of the
Nation on an equal footing with the old
members of the Republic that have stood
by your old fag throught? That Is the re-
result to which | wish to come. would
not legislate on any vindictive principle
any quicker than 'hese gentlemen, and l
am willing to consIgn the past to oblivi
on, if it can be done. You must judge
of the characters of men by what they
have done heretofore Did ever a nation
on the face of the earth which had been
so mercifuI as to save the lives of traitors
that sought to destroy 1t, on the very
next day after wrenching the arms out OF
their hands, invite them into its councils
to participate in its deliberations? Would
a man who was not utterly insane advo-
cate any such thing? Will you entrust
the burglar with your keys =? Surely no.
body will advocate that. The Senator
from Wisconsin himself would not admit
that these States my come here at once
and thrust their representatives upon US
without inquiry on our part.


l hardly supposed that it was necessary
to raise a committee 10 inquire into this
subject, all-important as 1t Is. l supposed
that every man who had arrived at an age
which enabled him to be qualified for a
seat in the Senate would have had sutii
cient human experience to know that
whole nation OF traitors of the most vim
dictive character that were ever heard Of
on the face of Gods earth, men who had
resorted to the most baleful atrocities
against our people, would not on the next
day after their arms had been wrenched
out of their hands against their will, be
in temper and disposition to participate
in the old Government which they had
been for years endeavoring with their lives
to overthrow, and were invoking Europe
an despotisms to aid and assist them in
l L. py
Are your penal laws enacted with view
to such a trait in human nature? Do
men change so quickly? st. Paul him
self, as we are informed, was ike these
men for a time; he breathed fire and
destruction against the Christian church,
and on his way to Damascus-it Is one Of
the most notable miracles recorded in the
Book-he changed in a twinkling Of an
eye.


But, sir, you contend for a miracle inf
nitely greater than that. You contend
that a whole nation has changed in one
night from the most vindictive enemies
to the fastest friends, with whom it is
safe to trust political power. This is the
greatest miracle of modern or ancient
times. if men believe it. The conversion
of St. Paul was a small incident compared
to it. Indeed, it does not require mir
acle, according to the gentlemen's no
tions, to convert the vilest traitor into a
political saint. l want no committee of
investigation for such a matter. | know
that if | were to enter into it l could pro-
duce abundance of evidence showing that
their temper is just what might have
been expected. l need not, however, 60
into it. The Senator from Massachusetts,,
Mr.. Summer, some three or four months
ago, in an elaborate speech, furnished ev-
idence sufficient to show their fell pur
pose and intent had not been to relin-
ouished one jot or one little yet. That
was unnecessary; it was only what all
men would know without any evidence.
It Is human nature, and if man is not
.iudge of that so as to solve such a propo
sition as this, he does not know enough
to he a member of the Senate of the Uni
ted States Laughter Talk not to me
of conversions of that kind.


Another gentleman will tell you that
very few of the Southern men were en-
gagged in the rebellion. that most of them
we're good Union men who were dragged