Year: 1866

say these people, we are in hurry; this
schism must be healed. You never
heard Of n chronic disease being cured
with one dose Of medicine. You have
got to give Alternatives till you change
the whole system, and make pure that
which was impure. | say here, my fel-
low citizens, right at this point, is where
the difference has sprung up between
the President of the United States and
Congress. | am not here to defend
Congress in it's action; it would not be
becoming in me. But am here to say,
and this much | can say without any
indelicacy, that l have never seen a
body of men that have worked more
faithfully, more earnestly, and more
honestly to devise means by which this
great schism can be healed, than Con-
gress. What earthly consideration
could move Congress, that has not
moved you, to have this trouble healed!
But we are told, my fellOw-citizens, that
there is but one way to heal it, and that
is to adopt the Presidents policy. If
that is the best, | will take it; if it is
not best, we ought not to take it. |
hold that treason taints the whole moral
being of a man; that it is as incurable
as consumption; that man that has
once had his system infused with treason
can meyer get well But, they say,
would you keep them out always? |
answer, by no means. But | will illus
trate what | would do by little Incl
dent that occurred in my early life. On
a stormy night, | was found fifteen miles
from home, and the snow falling rapid
lily, A gentleman came along with
sleigh, and asked me to ride. He was
an old man. The night was cold.
"Won't you let me drive" said |, 'I'm
aprctty good driyerw "Young man."
said he, "you' may as well learn the first
lesson of life now," and he gave it to
me; and it was, that an invitation to
ride is no license to drive. Now, while
| am willing to let these men ride along
in this great ark Of safety, while am
ready and willing to forget their sins,
yet | will engage that loyal men shall
make wholesome laws by which they
ought to be governed. But they say
we keep them out of Congress. How
came they out7 Radical Congressman
did not put them out of Congress. |
am not for letting one of these red
handed rebels back again. have taken
great pains, fellow-citizcns, to learn the
truth about affairs in the South. have
sat for months learning it from the
mouths of witnesses from the various
localities of the various seeded States


| have read the testimony of Alex. II.
Stephens, one of the prime movers Of
the rebellion, and have had opportni-
ties to become acquainted with the views
and sentiments of all classes at the
South, and from Stephens down to the
humble soldier I have never seen one of
them who regretted anything about the
rebellion but that it was defeated. But,
men say, the great commercial channels
of the country must be opened up, and
therefore, we must make haste to recon-
struct as we'll as we can. Oh yes, the
commercial channels must certainly be
opened up. They have Convention
in Philadelphia now, or will have soon;
and they have another in Saratoga to-
day, decidedly commercial Conven-
ton, and composed of men who are as
commercial in their politics as in their
trade. Laughter. |, too, want to see
the channels of commerce opened up,
but want to see them so opened that
when it is done they shall never more be
closed. Applause, But, say others,
this state of things cannot exist much
longer-those Southern gentlemen are
getting so mad Well, now, have they
not been just about as mad as they can
be? Naughter.) They were mad
enough some short time ago to kill
twenty thousand of New Jerseys sons.
There is not battlefield in the South
that has not been moistcned by New
Jersey blood. Do you want that re-
peated? Would you learn the lesson
over again, learn it from double expe-
rience? If not, / warn you, be careful
very careful. Prudence demands that
you should be SO; and the Congress or
the President that does not see this and
act upon it is unfit and unworthy to be
Congress or President. (Applause.) }
But Congress is so radical, they say. A
friend of mine in the Cabinet "a man
who, if | had served my maker as faith
fully as | served him, l would feel pretty
sure of finding favor hereafter)-this
man said to me: II don't hold po-
litical principle to-day that | did not
learn of you" daughter and cries of
"Seward, Seward" When that great
man declared the irrepressible conflict,
|, with others, accepted the issue, and
that conflict is not over yet. After all,
what is the great hurry to get these peo-
pie back? For commercial interests ?
A few days ago we had evidence of
what they regard as their commercial
interest The Mississippi River, as you
all know in New Jersey, runs on hill
top; and in order to drown out the Yam
KEGS they cut their lcvees, and thus
flooded and devastated the whole coun-
try. And now they come and ask Of
Congress 100000 to mend those lev
ees that they cut, and to reclaim the
lands that they dcspoiled. They ask
that Congress shall give them this mon