Year: 1866

IIepiylng to the declaration of Mr.. Saulsburv.
.nat continuance In the kind of measures
tSo ,o" 1 oluer consideration would very soon put
Ill DeiiOcratlc ef party in possession Of both
sbo,,,J hoCa.. hOaisIess. lie did not know that he
snould hesitate to do what he believed to he
right and proper, even in view of sncb . oaion'-
lty as the accession Of the Democrat;o 49,.
Ii he really believed that such co,,e,,o,S p~,sS'
tIon was to come about he did moi Know hnt
he might hesitate little, dreadino tba o,,;l "aS ~
much; but he did not apprehend any sncb 70.
suit as SO near at hand tnat it ought to infin.
ehce MS action In measures that he Thought
proper and just. Let us, said Mr.. Fessenden.
examine the condition in which we find our.
selves at the close OF great war, brought up-
on us by the Democratic patty The great
mass of the Democratic party-the leading
portion ofit-was the Southern portion. do
not say that all the Democrats were In favor
of bringing on the war. / acknowledge that
very great portion of them have proved
themselves to be good and true patriots but L
do say that the support which the Democratic
party gave to the South in all its measures of
aggression was degree of encouragement
without which do not believe the war would
ever nave occurred. That has been my opin-
lou Always, and have no hesitation in ex-
pressing II low. If the war was brought up
on US by the South itself, and a result has fol-
lowed which may be grievous to them for a
series OF years, 1t is not for them to complain.
Idey initiated the war and drove US into the
necessity of prosecuting it, and If the resnlt Ia
disastrous, and continues to be Oppressive. sn
far as the necessary measures are Concerned
they have themselves to thank for it. aid can,
not complain OF the Congress of the United
States. If the Democratic party, as a Marty
in its previous course is responsible in any de,
gree tor the condition of things that exists. IL
ia paf for fhof nj "a 90
OF the measures which may be found necessary
at present. l make distinction, however,
between the rank and file of the Democratic
party, and those of that party who acted in
advance OF the party. Many Democrats had
shown themselves lovers of the country. The
great mass of the Democratic party fought
bravely to sustain the government throughout
in manly and patriotic way. We hear much.
said Mr.. Fessenden, of the disruption of the
Union party-of the overthrow we are about
to experience. All of the good time coming
is to be for those whoPare not now having the
most agreeable time in the world. Perhaps Il
may come. 1t IS not for me to say that 1t win
not. Perhaps the great party which has con-
troll of the country at the present time win
commit such errors that the people will get
tired of it, and wish for change. Nothing Is
more natural. The possession OF power for a
long time is apt to make men careless, if not
corrupt, and it is good thing in a Republic
that the people can change, and do change,
their rulers. But let me say that Ihope the
party in power will continue therein long
enough to set things right, so that when there
is change there will not be so great capaci-
ty for evil as there would have been if we had
not got into power. We will endeayor to
strengthen the country, # we cannot strength
en- ourselves. As good patriots we will do
what we can for the public good while we re-
main In power, and will not be frightened by
threats that we hear made.


Mr.. Fessenden then discussed the bill befora
the Senate, answering one of the objections
raised against it by Mr.. Hendricks, and In
conclusion referred to the subject of recon-
struction. He had noticed that some gentle
men We're little anxious to discuss this mat
ter before they had the benefit of the fact that
the special committee might be able to state
the conclusions to which they might finally
come. That was amatter for every gentleman
to judge by himself, and for himself. But there
was one thing upon which he wished to say q
word. Senators have in the course of debate
chosen TO talk great deal about the policy of
the President, and the policy of CONGRESS.
cannot understand why gentlemen of the 9TH
er side OF the house, and gentlemen ofthe same
way OF thinking on this subject, should be so
veg anxious to get up the idea that there is a
collision OF opinion between the President
and Congress. We have all sorts of rumors
wherein the wish is father to the thought
Mr.. Fessenden would advise all who wished
such state of affairs to come about not to
hatter themselves with any such idea. He had
not as yet seen the slightest indications, and
he did not expect to see any.


Even suppoSing there was difference of op-
inion to certain extent as to the time and
manner oil accomplishing great work, which
all desire to see accomplished at the earliest
possible day, did it follow, because of the diff
ference of opinion, that there was to be the
collision that was tattled about? He knew
very well that men hung around the White
House and endeavored to persuade the Pres
ident that those who ought to be his best
friends are not doing their best to sustain him.
But they paid the President poor compliment
when they intlmated that he was not keeping
watch in these matters himself


There Is no collision, said Mr.. Fessenden,
between the President and his friends in Con-
gress. and make the announcement for the
benefit OF the country. The President has
done nothing that his friends complain of, and
his friends have done nothing that he can
complain Of As Commander-in-Ch Chief of the
army be had appointed Provisional Governors
in the South, but he had not ATTEMPTED to do
anything VIII 'ch, under the Constitution, he
had no right to do, or which belonged to Con-
gress to do.


In concluding his eloquent remarks, Mr..
Fessepden declared his desire to have the Un-
ion fully and speedily restored without the i'm
position of degrading conditions upon the
South, who were to form part of the Union
so restored. m.