Year: 1866

range matters in the new order Of
things, that neither the rebel States nor


others shall ever hereafter have the


pretence of authority to institute q re-


bellion, make war upon the Union, and


institute a hostile government within il.


And we, the representatives of the


loyal people of the Union, propose to


become the sole judges ourselves of the


terms and time of that restoration.


We can no more submit that ques-


tion to the judgment and decision OF


those lately in rebellion than could our


Union generals have dared to submit
), their councils of war to be controlled


by rebel leaders when great battles


with treason were pending. If we had
; submitted TO war, such as they would
|, have directed on our part, we should
. have had brief and bloodless conflict,
the confederacy would have triumphed,


and our Union discovered forever.


As in war, o now in peace, we shall


take care to guard the citadel of free


dom; and while we proffer the right


hand of fellowship to those who have


SO long and so perSistcntly struggled TO


destroy us, let them know that solemn


duty requires that we exercise the same


watchful vigilance in legislation that


our soldiers did in war to prevent the


success Of the cnc mics of the Union,


that it may not he said Of us hereafter,
to our shame, that the achievement Of
: our armies came up to the summit Of
| public expectation and did its work
well in breaking down the rebellion,
but that Congress was wanting in wis
dom or fidelity to make secure the
fruits Of victory. r,...,
: Who does not know that an uncon-
| ditional restoration Of those States
{ would result in fresh revOlts, and that
5 all our bloody battles will have to be
/ fought over again before our grand
/ children shall have attained to man.
i hood? .-.
Why did we fight at all, II the cause
OF the conflict is TO remain as seed of
future carnage? Nay, sir, peace is too
sweet, and blood too precious, to be
. exposed to the perils Of such recon-
. struCtiOn. The hour has come, and
4 the men are here, to do the work that
e loyal people are praying for. Let us
t do it as men instructed by four years
4 of terrible conflict, and inspired by the
5 prayers Of millions of loyal hearts, who
I feel deeply the magnitude of the work
upon our hands, and who daily and
t hourly ask God to help us to wise and
safe conclusions.


: We ask no concession of these peo-
pie that would be edegrading or unman-
ly III them to concCde; we ask nothing
that should offend the pride of brave
: men; we must demand of them that
they renOunce the right to take the life
of the nation. May we not do this9
; Nay, will we be held guiltless if we
accept anything less? ... .
Slavery is gone; it expired before
they laid down their arms that much
we have without asking; it fell by tho
sword, the arbitcr to which its friends
appealed. One Of the great elements
of discold it certainly. was, and posi-


Sihly without it our late troubles would
never have .Overtaken us. But there
= Is now time to remove the remaining
re OtS of bitterness, that if left untouch-
: ed may give us future grief. Let us
pull thcm out, and as we start afresh
with reconstructed Union, let ii be
under the most favorable circum-
stances, that the hearts and hopes Of
our people may be fidly inspired with


the promises of glorious future. Ha
= The great purpose, the only purpose
of the war on our part, was the sup
, preston of arrled rebellion. BY war
D we broke down the military power Of
the insurgent States; in no other way
was it possible to make head against
e treason, and save the nation. We did
break it down, and quasi peace, tho
e peace we now have, succeeded the no.
, bic achievements of our armies. But
i who will dare to assert, in the face Of
!, facts known to exist, that treason has
o been cXtermlnated, or that the peace
= we have is such a peace as gives that
! ample, COutiding security to persons and
! property we have a right to demand
Q upon any foot Of land over which tho
+ rebel flag ever foated as the emblem
y of confederate rule?


Why, sir, the most hopeful portion
7. Of all the South, whence the word OF
a promise is brought to our ears with a
J. persuasive soothing that fiatters us
l. with the hope of settled peace and 10y
II atty, and that treason and rebellion
'e are only spoken Of as things of the
II past-evcn there, we have almost daily
q reports of utterances and acts of trea.
y son of the most startling character
q Such is the unsettled condition oi
d things even there that bushwhackefs,
y highwaymen, and bandits carry on
y their trade of crime and outrage with
e in the very limits of the State capital,
oi and the civil, military, and moral


power of the State is utterly made
s. quate to the preservation Of order OF
II the rejection of the loyal people; and
s, and rothing but the national forces In
m the v cinity prevents the outlaws from
r? driving the loyal citizens out Of the
n. State, and treason-bold, unblushing
so treason-agan 81 reading out its bloody
~ banner over that devoted land.


n The war did not squelch out rebel.


ion; it simply disarmed it. 1t did
lt not burn out treason; it lowered lie
to front and taught it to be silent, and
lg that silence is the peace we have
IN nothing more,