Year: 1866

mensurate with whatever responsibilities
the future may impose. Our success thu
far is a marvel.


Nothing short of rare intuition, know
edge or superhuman guidance could hav
led us through the labyrinths that we hav
travelled. We should not fail now. W
shall not taa The experience of the pas
is the assurance of the future. The cap
tain and crew who have guided the shil
through storm and tempest avoiding th'
rock upon one hand and the gulf upon tn,
other, bringing their charge at length safe
ly into port, though with rent sails ant
splintered masts, should, after casting an
chor, have sagacity sufficient to fumigatt
the vessel and drive out the vermin with
out sinking the whole craft. The architec
who throws up temple, gorgeous anC
huge, bringing the Capstone with shoutings
of victory, should be able to take down the
scatfolding and remove the rubbish without
breaking his own neck


Among the many questions yet to be
solved, are those originating with the col
ored man in the late Rebel States To wha
extent shall he be free ? What shall be his
status among men and who shall determine
that status? What shall be his rights
privileges aud immunities What are the
duties of this Government towards him il
his loyalty, and towards the ex-master in
his treason? These and kindred questions
are yet to be settled Shall the freedmen
vote? This subject now agitates Con
gress.


They touched it just as they touched
the emancipation of slavery, beginning
with the District of Columbia You cannot
keep it there, however, no more than you
can keep the light of the sun in a half bush
ell


| admit that if you enfranchise the col
ored men of the District of Columbia they
will expect it elsewhere. If | find that en-
reimbursement is extending to others out
side the District | should not stop it.


While considering this one subject and
others connected with it, allow me to call
your attention to some automatic self-evi-
dent principles.


One is this That the enquiry of the Am,
erican people now should be, what is just,
what is true, what is right? | know not
that | can carry with me the convictions of
those around me, but | say sir, and stand
by the saying, that the great enquiry now
with men-marching as we are from this
terrible baptism of fire and blood-should
be, what is just, and true, and right, and
these guiding stars we should follow.


Why, Mr.. Speaker, the sublimest sen.
tence that l ever saw in the English Ian.
guage-a sentence surprising anything in
Milton or Bacon--was the declaration of
our martyred President, when, in defining
his position, he said, with malice to-
wards none, with charity for all, with firm
ness in the right, as God gives us to see
the right"


If that is not grandeur of soul, sir,
never saw anything in human language
that was. 1t sounds like the voice of an
old prophet, pealing from the White House
humble, gentle, yet lofty as inspiration
itself Let US close it with this noble ut
terance-"a firm adherence to the true and
the right"


1t is principle with me that no man can
gain anything by following a lie no po-
litical party can benefit itself by pursuing
false principles s no land can prosper by
burning incense to wrong but to follow
truth, to practice right, to plant yourself
fairly upon justice and equity, makes you
honorable and makes you sure of success.
We are now in reforming state. The
Government is in plastic condition. We
have been melted in a furnace of fire. New
Impressions are to be given. What these
Impressions shall be is for us to determine


submit that now, while in this state, we
should plant this Government and country
upon permanent basis ofpeace by stamp
NTH hn 4,ui IN
faces of liberty and virtue.


hope my point will be seen 1t is the
bounden duty of every man, particularly OF
those in authority by the vote of the peo
pie, to see that this Government shall be
built upon the basis of permanent peace, SO
that hereafter the whirlwind of war cannot
again desolatc the land


Now is the time to do it. Now is the op
portunity. Let that opportunity pass, and
you will be unable to do what in the future
you may wish you had done.


Another point is this The people of the
South have the same anmus to-day that
they had three years ago. If | could put
my hand upon some documents that have
read, could illustrate this very quickly.
| could show you that to-day they have the
same feeling towards you, the people OF
the North, towards your Government and
towards your country that they had three
years ago, and would to-day stab you tc
the heart if they had fitting opportunity.
say this, and / mean IT, The reason
they do not do it is because they have not
the ability, but they have the disposition.
What did Henry A. Wise say recently, il
the rebel capital at Richmond, in deliver
ing an eulogy upon the rebel soldiers--up
on those men that murdered your sons, thai
murdered your brothers and your friends
What did he say? If any man brand.
them as traitors | repel the charge, and
will swear upon the Holy of Holes, as higE
as the throne of God, that they were not
rebels, but true and patriotic men, tina
died for their principles"


What does Governor Brownlow, of Tenn
essce, say in giving his reasons for admit
ting the members of Congress from Tennes
see ? " If you admit our members of Con
gress, and as consequence withdraw the
United States forces from Tennessee, pray
you not to admit the members, for we cal
get along better without members in Con
gress than we can without United State,
muskets in Tennessee" What is the dis
position that that indicates Withdraw
the troops, sir, from the South, and yo,
will have a perfect pandemonium there
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