Year: 1872

and purposes Of those she has known and
esteemed. 80 feel sure that when the
bitterness and passions OF the day shall
have passed away I many return 10 Eric
and re.unlte some Of the ties Of friend
ship, which later occurrences have some
what tried, but which ! am sure have moi
totally separated me. Ihave kind memo
ries OF Eric and l trust that some thai
are here havegreate remembrances of me
so that in the future, as In the past, I shall
come 10 them with open hands and q
hearty smile, and be with them as In the
days goneby.


A RECURRENCE TO POLITICS.


Now, then, q few words with regard Ia
our political condition. l have differed
with old and dear friends. l have differed
for years past with them. 1t has grad.
ually grown. l have very early and
very ardent liking for tho Republican
party, whose principles were nothing
new tome. l had held them, cherished
them long before there was any such a
party. Consequently, when the time
came when the old Whig party should
perish and disappear, was one OF the
first to step out from under that banner
and link my efforts and my fortunes with
the new party, whose great leading fun.
damental purpose was the preservation Of
the Federal territories from human bond.
age. | worked with that party till all oi
Its purposes had been as fully accom-.
pllshed. The territories had been saved,
and saved forever. The Union being as
sailed was defended, and thoroughly, ab.
solutely, and finally rescued from the
peril Of slavery, which in my judgment
had been the great curse and the
great danger Of the country ever since
its foundation. A growing peril, IN
enormous evil, passed away with the re-
bellion 1t had excited. Now, then, l said
the time has come when, with slavery and
the rebellion gone, what shall hinder us
from being ever more thoroughly united
and fraternal people, Applause. did
not ever curse those who fought against
us, for it seemed TO be very likely If had
been born South as they were, educated as
they were 10 believe slavery the highest
good, I might have acted and fought as
they did. But the evil having passed
away, l said now let peace and friendship
reign. Well, there came obstacles. In
the first place l held that the necessity of
our position dictated that we should act
with good faith, that we should take care
of the colored people OF the South, and
that they should not be made to suffer
in their free estate for our acts. We
had cmsncipsted them and now there
was, 1t seemed to me, peril that they
would be held accountable and made to
feel the edge Of tho wrath, and l said we
must stand by them. When in 1860 a
very commendable effort was made 10
reconstruct the country and bring it IN
harmony without saying one word In
behalf OF the blacks, ! was not ready. 1t
was said let the States do it. But who
are the States? You mean the whites of
the States. 80 l held back and refused TO
Join that movement, because it seemed TO
me that no guarantee, no assurance
was given that the black people
oil the South would be fairly treat
cd. We went on demanding that they
should be enfranchised, and they were
enlranchised. Their rights are as assured
as yours and mine; they are better assur-
cd than those Of the Southern whites, for
while there are no black men dislranchis.
ed, there are good many white men
who are allowed no voice in the disposi.
ton Of their own property, which men
without property vote away and mort
gage by enormous debts, so that at this
hour do believe there are States in this
Union where the mortgage created BY
unjust and iniquitous legislation, in the
form ot public debts, salaries, &C., Is equal
to moro than half Of the entire value of
the property. 1t amounts 10 confsca.
ton of the property. The men who
ownI the property are allowed no voice.
They cannot vote and the men who own
no property vote the taxes, and 1t is NOR.
tagged until the owners sink into despair
Now it seems to me that the time has
come when we who have been generous,
as well as just, to the blacks Of the South,
should begin to be generous or at least
Just to the whites Of the South. (Great
applause.) They we're our enemies. They
are so no longer. They did oppose the
measures which we deemed necessary to
the public safety and well being, but
those measures were carried and they no
longer opposed them. They thought the
Democratic National Convention at Balti-
more in July last gave an authentic ex-
preston Of their sentiments. They said
we accept the results Of the war;
we accept emancipation; we utterly
repudiate tho idea that the slaves are to
be paid for, or the rebel debt paid or any
thing like this. We look only 10 be ad-
mitted on the common platform of Amer.
ican citizenship, standing there equal
with those who were once our slaves,
equal with you who were once, and are
again our c0untrymen. l think that offer
ought to be accepted. I think the
Northern people who fought against
them, who vanquished them, can now al
ford 10 be generous and can unite with
them under one flag, with one law for the
rich and poor, white and black; and we
of the north will remember only what Is
good and just, and gratifying In the past,
and clasp hands with our late enemies,
now our countrymen, in genuine, in hear.
ty and traternal union. Those were my
sentiments. You have heard them in
the past; you know how often they have
exposed me to bitter hostility from old
friends. Men could not see that my Ell
fort to go bail for JEFF Davis had
nothing 70 do with him. He was
but one man. It was an overture to the
whole Southern people. There were mil.
lions Of men who felt that act as kind
ness to their section. For their sake l
deemed Il wise to do as did. There had
not been three days passed since the
armies OF Lee had surrendered until was
pleading with my Northern brethren to
treat them with forbearance. / told them:
you will make great mistake If you stain
your victory with one drop of blood. "a
gentleman here whispered to Mr.. Greeley
that the train would start In five minutes |
Since l have but FIVE minutes more let me
improve them TO this purpose. You SEQ
| mNn all nrnund mo yvhn aayy ohoN ho ,In