Year: 1866

feed m ore, or who has devoted more of his
time and energies to the accomplishment of
the great end than II and have done Il
from the promtings Of my own heart.
believe II was right, and with your hearts
and your countenances and your encourage
ment | shall 60 through on that line.--
[Cheers and laughter.] And when come to
talk about sailors and soldiers, about this to
be done, and that to be done, all want Is
for you to wait and zee, 90 far as you are con-
csrned. Wait and see II don't stand by
you, although every one may falter and fail.
Cheers. want to see measures Of policy
brought forward that will advance the in
teresls of the people, and Of that portion Of
the people who constitute the gallant and
brave men who, in both branches Of the SER
vice, upheld the national flag and sustained
the country in the recent struggle.


l thank you, gentlemen, for this encour.
agement. l thank you for your countenance
on this occasion. II cheers me on, and gives
me strength to perform the work before me.
If we are true TO ourselves-if we are true
to the Constitution--the day Is not far dis
tant when this Government will be restored
Let US go on and restore the Government;
let us enlarge the area Of our commerce and
trade; and let MS not only inspire confidence
at home, but respect abroad by letting the
nation resume its career of greatness.
know that some will find fault with me, and
say am too lenient too kind, and all that.
If we were all TO be put to death. or punish
ed, or thrown away for one offense, or for
second offense, and were to be lost and ex-
cluded from society, and communion with
our fellow men, how many of US would be
left7 have felt when have done wrong,
that VIC must reason with each other, and
understand our nature, and what is necessa.
ry to restore peace, and harmony, and con-
cord to distracted and devoted people.


In time Of war 1t Is right to burn villages,
sack cities, and devastate fields, to lay waste
a country, and cripple and reduce the enemy,
but in time of peace the reverse Of that
course is precisely the right one, and the
true policy of q nation is to rebuild Its cities.
restore it's villages, and renew its fields Of
agriculture. ! know there are some who
have been at home cultivating during the
war, and who bring to the consideration Of
questions of peace, harmony, and the avoca-
ticns of civil life, all the feeling of resent
ment which animated us when the war was
running high. But take the brave men who
sustained the flag on the field and on the
wave, and you will find better feelings and
better judgment on these questions than you
will find with those who have been sitting
in the closet, and never smelled gunpowder.
[Cheers.J


Yes, from the private to the General, they
know better how to treat the present circum.
stances than any of those closet patriots and
m a N rsl
low-citizens, soldiers and sailors, let us re-
joice that peace has come. Let US rejoice
that the relations Of the States are about
being restored; let us make every effort we
can, on proper principles, TO restore the re-
lations which existed between the Federal
Government and the States and | thank
God that our brave men can return to their
families and homes, and resume their peace
full avocations. / thank God that the bale
full planet Of fire and blood, which short
time ago was in the ascendant, has been
chased away by the beniguant star of peace.
New that star of peace is suspended in the
heavens, let us cultivate the earth and the
relations of peace, and all those associations
which appertain to men in peace. The time
| Is not far distant when we can have a polit-
cal millennium, political jubilee, and when
we can proclaim to all the nations of the
earth, that we are again united people.
and that we have triumphantly passed
through our third ordeal, have peace at home
and have power to bid defiance to all the
world. Loud cheers. Remember one
thing, gentlemen, that in my past life, tho
slandet may misrepresent none can say that
! ever deceived or betrayed him. 1t will be
for you TO see in future who will redeem all
bis promises, and who will be most faithful.
| thank you, gentlemen, for the compliment
you have paid me.