Year: 1867




Marshall? Is the country of Washing
ton, and Crawford. and John Adams,
and jackson to be forever divided. and |
must political gamblers increasingly
cast lots for its garments and speculate |
on its Constitution e?


1t is worthy of notice that the men |
who have piled us most actively with |
arguments, appeals, and diatribes
against reconstruction, have uniformly |
and in every instance failed to refer in |
terms of consideration to any of these
sublime acts Of kindness and fraternity. |
lake the whole range of our history
from the magnificent colloquy between
Gens. Grant and Lee, at the surrender
of the latter and his noble army-in
which General Granthad The sensibility
to Soothe the modification of brave
man whom he respected in his nisfor-
tune-to the present moment when
United States troops are protecting the
law abiding men of Tennessee against
the worst violence with which tie ex-
tremists on both sides, unrestained,
would deluge the country, and it will be
seen that these opponents Of recon
! struction have ignored the BENEVOLENT
attentions of government to the general
welfare. They even ignore the fact
which presents itself to every day obser-
vation, that bitter as is the idea of liv-
ing under military rule upon which
they carp considerably, at all evknts, in
the administration of General Ibpe in
this district, instead of tyranny there
is mild frmness mingled much with
forbearance. The greatest freedom of
speech is allowed, and he even shows SO
much of indulgence as to leave the
reinS Of our local governments in the
hands Of those inimical to reconstruction.


There has already been too much
pinchbeck < martyrdom for the lost cause
palmed off upon us. The real heroes
of the recent struggle are the men
who suffered in the battles and tedious
marches, and weary bivouacs, and who
have returned home wounded or shat
tered by disease. The greatest suf-
ferers are the widows and orphans of
the humble dead. These should be
cherished by us as we love the memory
of the worthy; but those who are en-
deavOring to lead public opinion against
peace, and who, in the name of the
Constitution, would ravish liberty of her
charms and sacrilegiously invoke an
archY, cannot complain if they find
1 themselves scrutinized. Their extraor-
/ dinary omissions, to which attention
| has been called above, demonstrate
that they are either selfish or the vic
tins of blind and passionate prejudice.
Time will develop which. If seeking to
serve themselves, | predict that they
will either leave us and go somewhere
else, where the paltry capital of notoriety
they may be enabled to centre upon
themselves may be coined into gold or
social consideration; or they will be
foremost in the advocacy Of recoRstruc-
ton when it shall have become an
accomplished fact but take them to
be sincere, and in that event their fail
ure TO advert to any of the facts Of the
kind referred to by me, is irresistibly
conclusive that they are the victims of
their own i'll governed feelings and
jaundiced sentiments, and are to be
pitied instead of followed. We need no
sophisms now. Neither do we need
sophomoreisms.


We need plain, solid food, and it is
important for us not only that We look
all the facts Of our situation in the
face, but also that we let the Leople of
the North know that these reckless
intellects are their own opponents, and
not the opponents OF the true existing
sentiment here; for it is not the least
of our mislortunes that the extremists
i'll all parts OF our country are yet
conyerging in the past, though
actuated by rank hostility to each other
to issues that continuously threaten the
peace of society. The extremist editors
here will not publish arguments of the
kind given above in favor of recon-
struction, but every dirty diatribe
against the Union, and the complete
rehabilitation of the country, which
Washington and his compatriots estab-
lished, they print and praise, and
initiate. And they rejoice and feel
complimented by notices which jour
mails, alike inimical to reconstruction,
edited by extremists North, make Of
their congenial labors. If could get
the ear of the whole editorial fraternity
| would respectfully remind them of
the dignity of their calling, and of their
immense power.


In behalf of the women and children
who have some interests in this question,
would eXhort them to WELD that power
for good and in behalf of law and
order. | would remind them that ever
since the days Of Junius-who was
ashamed to put his name to what he
wrote-weak men like him have had the
folly to think buIlyism, and vulgarity,
and insult synonymous with wit, sar-
casm and logic whilst true journalists
have not withheld facts, but have stood
by the law, advocated principle and
combatted passion, carrying the tastes
Of the gentleman even into party gladia-
ton. ! would further remind them
that there is no party now but our coun-
try, and earnestly urge upon them the
advocacy Of reconstruction, so that the
expression of opinion would be worth
something. Now it is mere G,utun,
f, .tnlmen-thcn it would mould destiny at
the ballot box.


This much | have said, because, as
we all well know, when our hearts get
right, the work of reconstruction is
almost entirely accomplished. When.
ever we decide that having laid down
our arms and agreed to have peace, we
will, in that spirit of frankness and
sincerity which distinguishes the
Southern people, inquire how can our
relations with the Federal Government
be fully resumed? The reply is plain
and palpablc. The plan of recon.
struction contained in the Sherman
Bill, and acts of Congress supplement
tary thereto, is the only way. If it
fails, we can only get one involving
severcr terms. By the Constitution of
the United States the Government is
confdcd to three separate bodies of
magistracy. The President has said
he will execute it; the Congress passed
it and will enforce it; the Supreme
Court has been appealed to and refused
even temporary injunction.


Thus the Government is a unit and