Year: 1866

government was dissolved and the states
were out of the Union, and has acted
upon that assumption, We find
that in violation of the constitution, in
express terms as well as ia spirit, they
continue to deny them their representa-
tion in the Senate and in the House of
Representatives. The question in the
struggle before us is: viii We submit
or will the American people submit, to
this practical dissolution2 Will we
submit 10 a doctrine we have Tepudiated
and doctrine we have proved has no
existence and cannot be sustained. The
issue is now before you. IL is before
you and the country. viii these states
be permitted to continue and remain as
they are in practical-so far as legis.
lation is concerned-in practical con-
ditiOn of dissolution Are we
prepared now, after having passed
through this rebelliOn-are we prepared,
after the immen SC amount of blood that
has been shed-are we prepared, after
having accumulated debt of over three
thousand millions OF dollars-are we
prepared, after all the injury that has
been indicted upon the people North and
South of this confederacy-to continue
this disruption of the Union?
They are our brothers. They are part
of ourselves. They are bone of our bone
and flesh of our flesh. They have lived
with as and been part of US from the
commencement of the experiment of our
government down to the commencement
of the rebellion. They are identified
with its history and with its prosperity
in every sense of the word. We have
had hiatus as it were, but that has
passed by and we have come together
again, and now understanding what the
feud was, and when the apple of discord
has been removed, we are living under
the Constitution of the United States.


He then tells them what to do:


will tell you what remains to be
done. There is one duty to be per-
formed. "a Voice-Hang Thad. Ste
vens.) What is the duty to be per.
formed You have one department Of
your government throwing every i'm
pediment in the way, while the Others
are trying to restore and heal the breach
which was made by the war. We have
come to the point. The time is approach
ing for some other person to do their du-
ty. The bsyonet and the bullet have
done their duty in the field, and the time
| has come for the lovers of the people
to do their duty at the ballot-boX.


And after having called the Southern
rebels by such endearing terms-"our
brothers." "part. of ourselves" "bone
of our bone and flesh of our flesh he
caps the climax of Presidential dignity
and truthfulness, by stigmatizing the
true Union men of the North who elect.
ed Abraham Lincoln President and hin
Vice-P President as traitors :"


"I will repeat, and / thank God that
| have the power to repeat. it, what
have said elsewhere before, that the Au,
gust Convention which met in PhiladeI
;3haa in the midst Of enemies and those tCho ar
opposed to the restoration Of the Union Of Ties
States was to me a cheering indication
that we should come out right in tht
end. The Rebellion has beer
completely crushed in the South. in
tend now to fight the enemies Of tn,
Union in the North. God being willing
and with your help / intend to .fght on
the battle acith Northern traitors"


And such language is not eXceptiona
but is now habitual with-the Presiden
of the United States. If he can afford ii
his political opponents most assured,
can. But it is none the less disgracefu
to his office, none the less humiliatin!
to the American people.