Year: 1866

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war with the Fundamental principles of
cur fern Of government If tolerated in
one instance, it becomes tie precedent for
future inyasicns Of liberty and constitu>
tional right, dependent eolely upon the
will Of the party in possession CT power,
and thus leads, by direct and necessary
sequence, to the most fatal and intOlerable
of all tyrannies-the tyranny Of shifting
and irresponsible political factions. It is
against this, the most formidable OF all the
dangers which menace the stability of free
government, that the Constitution Of the
United States was intended most carefully
to provide, We demanded strict and
steadfast adherence to It's provisions. In
this and in this alone, can we fad basis
Of permanent Union and peace.


LOYALTY OF TIE SOUTH UNQUEsrIoNED.
Fouth- But it is alleged, in juStitica
ton of the usurpation which we condemn
that the condition of the Southern States
and people is not such as renders safe lheil
readmissi on to share in the Government ol
the country that they arc still disloyal in
sentiment and purpose, and that neither
the honor, the credit nor the interests OF
the nation would be safe if they were read
mitted to a share in its councils. We
I'M sht reply to this:


l. That we have no right. for such
reasons, to dcry to any portion of the State:
or people rights expires ly conferred upon
them By the Constitution of the Unitec
States.


,. That 50 long as their acts are those o.
loyalty-so long as they conform in al
their public conduct to the requirements
Of the Constitution and iaws-we have NJ
right to exact from IL EN- conformity il
their sentiments and opinions to our own.


3. That we have no right to distrust
the purpose or the ability of the people o
the Union to protect and defend, under al
contingencies and by whatever means may
be required, its honor and its welfare.


These would, in our judgment. be full
and conclusive answers to the plea thu:
advanced Tor the exclusion of these States
from the Union. But we say further thai
this plea rests upon a complete misappre,
hension, Or an just peryaslon ofexistine
facts.


ITS pEAcEABLENEss.


! We do not hesitate to affirm tn at there
Is no section Of he country where the
Constitution and laws of the United State;
finds more prompt and entire obedience
than in those States, and among those pe0
pie who were lately in arms against them
Or where there is less purpose or less dan
+ ger Of any future attempt to overthrow
their authority. 1t would seem to be both
natural and inevitable that, in States and
sections SO recently swept by the whirlwind
OF war, where al ordinary modes ano
methods of organized industry have been
/ broken up, and the bonds and influence:
! that guarantee social order have been des'
! troyed-where thousands and tens OK thou
sands OF turbulent spirits have been sud
/ denly loosel from the discipline Of war
+ and thrown without resources or restraint
upon a disorganized and chaotic society
and where the keen sense of defeat is al
ded to the overthrow OF ambition Il I'd hope
scenes Of violence should defy for timC
the imperfect discipline Of law, and excite
anew the fears and forebodings of the pa
tro.ic and we'll disposed 1t is unques
/ tionably true that local disturbances ot
this kind, accompanied by more or les:
violence, do still occur But they art
confined entirely to the cities and larger
towns Of the Southern States, where diff,
erent races aud interests arc brou ght moro
closely in contact, and where passions and
rescntmcnts are always most easilFfei and
famed into outbreak: and even there they
are quite as much the fruit Of untimely
and huftful political agitation as Of any
hostility on the part of the people to the
authority Of the National Government.
ADHESION To THE GOVERNMENT.


But the concurrent testimony of those
best acquainted with the condition of socie-
ty and the state Of public sentiment in the
South-including that of its representa-.
tives in this Convention -establishe the
fact that the great masses Of the Southern
people accept, with Us full aad sincere
submission as do the people of the other
States, the re established supremacy OF
the National authority. aud are prepared
in the most loyal spirit. and with zeal
quckened alike by their interest and their
pride, to cooperate with other States and
sections in whatever may be necessary to
defend the rights, maintain the honor,
and promote the welfare of our Common
country. History affords no instance
where a people, so powerful in numbers, in
resources and in public spirit, after war
so long in its duration destructive in its pros
cress. and so adverse in its issue, have ac-
cepted defeat and its consequences with so
much Of good faith as has marked the cons
duct Of the people lately in insurrection
against the United States. Beyond all
question this has been largely due to the
wise generosity with which their enforce /
surrender was accepted by the President
of the United States aud the Generals in
immediate command of their armies, and
to the liberal measures which were aiter-
ward taken to restore order, tranquility
and law to the States where all had for the
time been oycrthrown. No steps could
have been better calculated to command
the respect, win the conf ience, revive the