Year: 1866

the world Will look with wonder and aClmi-
ration upon the magnificent spectacle, and
the lovers of liberty will every where rejoice
at the triumphant success of the Great
Republic" And cannot the patriotic citizen
hope that time will bring fOrgetfulness of
past bitterness; and that mutual forbear-
ance, kindness, and forgiveness. and the
sweet influences OF our holy Christianity will
make us again happy and united people


NJ. President, the members of this Con-
vention are actors in this great work of re-
conciliation, and we will have to answer to
our people and posterity for our action. We
have difficult task to accomplish, but sin
cerely believe that if we will be actuated by
proper spirit we can overcome every OBJ
stacle.


God has not forgotten to be gracious to
our people in this time of gloom and disas-
ter. He has placed at the head of our gov
ernment Il man just suited to the occasion.
sincerely believe that Andrew johnson is an
instrument in the hands of God to restore
peace and harmony to this divided and dis
tracted country. He is a representative man
of true American republicanism. By force
of intellect and public virtue he has risen
from the humblest walks of private life to
the highest position on earth. He now
stands forth as the greatest and most patri
otic of statesmen, and he is destined to win
the proud title of" Restorer of the Republic"
He thoroughly understands the nature of
our government, for during his whole life it
has been the subject OF his constant study
and the object OF his ceaseess love. In his
action towards the South he has been just
and generous. While we were in rebellion
he was our uncompromisng foe, but now that
the government has tTiumphed i'll the con-
flict, he is our magnanimous friend. After
long and anxious deliberation he devised a
plan OF restoration which he has submitted
to the American people, and upon their de-
~. C
upon this continent


The first principle which the President as
serts is, that the Southern States did not by
their attempted secession dissolve their con-
nection with the Union. He also asserts
that they are entitled to all the benefits and
privileges Of the Union as soon as they are
restored to the hcalthful condition OF true
loyalty. The only question which ought
now to be determined is, have the rebel
States shown this true loyalty The Presi-
dent was generous enough to indicate to the
States what he regarded as proper tests OF
loyalty.


First, the States must declare their ordi-
nance Of secession null and void, and thereby
deny their right to secede from the Union.
This has been done by the Southern States;
but whether it was done under the force of a
stern necessity or in a spirit of true loyalty
is still doubtful and undecided question:
We talk right, but our actions will speak
louder than words. The American people
are determined that this heresy of secession
shall be given up forever. 1t has been dis
turbing clement almost from the very founda-
tion of the government, and it has produced
the bloodiest rebellion in the history of man.
The dead Confedcracy must be buried beyond
the hope of resurrection, and we must cease
to mourn over its grave. Without regret
consign it to its merited doom, and turn
with cheerful and loyal heart to the govern
ment of our fathers.


Mr.. President, the political platform upon
which the whole Southern people should
stand is present Loynlty-hOneSt and sincere
This is the only common ground upon which
we can all meet and harmoniZe conflicting
opinions, and it is the only position which
we can take with truth and proper self-re-
spect. 1t is useless to tell the North that
majority of our people were at all times loyal
to the Union, for the striking facts of history
will contradict such assertion. Our peo-
pie were loyal and devoted to the Union un-
til the war began and assumed a sectional
character, and then sixty thousand of our
best and bravest men voluntarily rushed to
arms, and for four years in the midst of pri-
vations difficulties and dangers, fought with
a chivalric and stubborn valor which has
never been excelled either in ancient mod
ern times. A large majority of these men,
up to the very outburst of the rebellion,
would have bravely died beneath the old
flag for the preservation of the Union. But
the terrific storm of sectional strife for
time swept everything before it, and there
was scarcely any organized opposition to the
madness of rebellion.


Mr. President, / feel that I can with pro-
priety allude to distinguished man who
was type of conservatism at the commence
ment of the rebellion. 1 refer to the Hon.
George E. Badger, and have chosen him
an illustration because he is now gone, and
Ill. ,oLya f1,n CT
lent dust, or sooth the dull cold ear of DEATH"
He fought his last battle for the Union in
February, 1861, and gained a glorious tri-
umph. During a long life the Union was
the shrine of his political devotion, to which
he had carried as offerings the warmest affec-
tions of his noble heart and the richest gifts
of his splendid intellect. When he saw, as
he believed, that halowed shrine in ruins,
he turned from it with sad heart and join
ed his fortunes with his own people who had
so long honored and loved him. He strug
gled bravely to maintain the principles of
civil liberty in the government of hls adop-
ton, but his hopes were gone. and soon the
'silver cord was looscned and the golden
bowl was broken " at the fountain of his
life. 1 wish he was here to-day in his vigor
and mlturity, for he would be to us guild
ing light in our thick darkness. The splen-
did orb which shone so brightly in the noon
tide of our country's glory went down amidst
clouds and storms, hut 1t has risen In
fairer land, and it will shine in an endless
day


Mr.. President, there were great number
of our citizens who. before the close of the
rebellion, earnestly desired peace and restora-
tion to the Union; but our rulers were deaf
to all remonstrance, and with blind lnfatu-
alton urged on the hopeless and deadly
struggle to the humiliation and ruin of sub
jugation. I can forgive these architects of
l,,+ r frJJcf n
structing the political fabrics which they
have overthrown. Many of those MEN who
were prominent in the rebellion, and prefer
red subiugation to peace with the Union, are
now manitesting strong desire to maintain
their former political power, and unfortu-
nately for the reconciliation of the country
they are too often sustained by the people
These men with apparent willingness gave
up their negroes and money, but they regard
it as terrible hardship to yield political
power, and this they call eating DIRT. we
must remember that the Northern people


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