Year: 1866

must remember that the Northern people
have like passions with ourselves, which are
| excited by similar causes. We have lost our
property and many whom we loved IN me
! rebellion, and this remembrance is calculate
| ed to fill our hearts with bitterness and
| there is also mourning in thousands OF
| Northern homes produced by the same
cause, and if We forget not our passions and
| prejudices can we reasonably expect them TO
forget and forgive? AS long as there IS .
| political sympathy manifested by the South
for secession and its leaders, it will increase
the tendency to radicalism at the North
These two sectional feelings by operating up
on each other produced the rebellion, and
they are now in the way.of reconciliation;
and conservative men should alike oppose
both, if they expect speedy and complete
reunion of the nation.


President johnson has often expressed the
| opinion that the work of reconciliation can
! only be effected by the Enthusiastically loyal
men at the South. Who are these unmls-
| takably loyal men, They are those who
now have no political sympathy with the
| principles and leaders of the late rebellion,
but who earnestly desire the prosperity OF. the
whole country and the perpetuity OF the
l Union. These men are now denounced as
being untrue to their section and unworthy
| of public confidence, by men who claim to
be the peculiar friends of the President, and
they appeal to the people to sustain them
because they were active in the rebellion and
tsus true to their country. The President
has not and never will have any sympathy
with such men, He has suffered and sacri-
feed too much for the Union to be in accord
with men who once hated ii, and who now
fear but do not love it.


desire no political prescription, but the
peace of the country requires that those men
1 who glory in their secession ideas, and claim
that they are the true patriots at the South
should stand aside until the work of restora-
ton is completed. Then we can have an
open field and fair fight and let the people
decide who were the best friends of the cOun-
try, those who preferred and obtained subju-
CATION. or those who wished an honorable
peace and restoration to the Union.


The President in his plan Of restoration
laid down another test of loyalty. THE aoar
debt mast not 6e assumed By the rebel States.-
1t would be difficult for us to satisfy the
country that we were loyal, if we had ac-
knowiedged as just debt incurred in an
attempt to overturn the government This
was part of our treason, and it was strong
power in the gigantic rebellion, and it is but
right and just that it should perish with the
rebellion. In this respect we have fully and
promptly done our duty. As to the debt in
CURED in acts of necessity and charity, and
in the proper discharge ofthe civil functions
of the State government, it ought to be left
to future legislation, when it can be calmly
considered and properly adjusted. Our pco-
|. pie ought not now to be burdened with tax
alton for the payment of any old debts, as it
will be difficult FOR them to meet present OBJ
legations. Let us hope that our posterity
will be prosperous, and able to meet the
honest and loyal obligations which we incur
red. In refusing to assume the war debt we
gave the highest possible evidence of our
loyalty. 1t involved the destruction of our


public credit of which we had long been
justly proud. 1t swept away all of our pub


lie charities our banks and private fortunes,


and left thousands of widows and orphans


the helpless objects of charity. If our State


is fully restored to the blessings of the Union


these pecuniary losses will soon be forgotten
in the peace, security, happiness and pros


perity of the future. gzsg


The restoration policy of the President


required the emancipation OF slavery


Slavery was the prime cause of the rebellion.


1t was the stake we ventured in our appeal


to arms. After long and fearful struggle


we have lost the stake and we should yield


itup fully and cheerfully. The Southern


peopew were always unnecessarily sensitive up


on this question. 1t was safe under the con


stitution, and could never have been DESTROY


ed without a revolution in the government


The Supreme Court had solemnly adjudica


ted and established the proper status Of


slavery, and the government had Away!


faithfully endeavored to protect it. Politi
clans made it hobby and by frequent agi


tation produced a strong feeling of sectiona


alienation which led to terrible war


This question should now be settled forever


A large part of the Christian world was op


posed to slavery, and it was only maintained


at the South by the protection of the con


stitution.


In yielding up this question we should
also properly recognize the consequence


which necessarily follow. By the action o
the government the slave became freeman


and it was but proper that the govelnmen
should demand for HIM the cigI rights of
freeman. The great fundamental rights t.
: which every freeman is entitled is" th,
right of personal security, the right of pei





, pertyn If the Southern people, after tn
: surrender had by proper legislation prompt
/ ly guaranteed these rights to the freedmen
J the government would have been satisfied
and even radicalism would have been quiet
But we permitted our old prejudices to con
troll our action, and thus we kept alive an,
strengthened the spirit of radicalism at tn
North. The President gave US his wise an,
, | ind l,nt
= asked us to hold up his hands in his grea
3 contest for our rights, but we failedto do SO


and now radicalism has triumphed.i We rt
:, fused to grant negro rights, and we MAY no,
, haveto take negro equality.


Why should our legislators be so reluctan
!. to allow the negro to sue and testify in ou
$ Courts in cases in which he has an interest
l He is entitled to the protection of the law
: and this is the only means of obtaining it.
: With learned and upright judges and hones
4 juries have no fear that the white ma
: will ever suffer wrong from negro testimon
$ I have long thought that the rules of ev
dence ought to be so modified as to do ava
: with most of the objections to the comp
$ tency of witness and allow him to 90 befo
s the Courts upon his credit. The object
}, every Court in a legal investigation ought
/ be to find out the truth, and do justice to IL
parties litigant, and it matters not wheth
:. the truth comes from white or black lips
II AS to negro suffrage, that is entirely di
} ferent question. The right to regulate su
e frage certainly belongs to the States, and an
n interference upon this subject by Congress
IS an unwarranted usurpation of power II
r right of suffrage is founded upon the id,
l. that the elector understands the true theo