J. - KORAspartanhistory.kora.matrix.msu.edu/files/7/29/7-1D-67F-36... · 2016. 2. 22. · could...

List preserved inviolate ; the Rebel Debt repu-I dialed ; nnd exclusion from office of those. who, havin" oncd taken and brok9rl nn oath of hue)ity to th,;' Nniion . coulcl not be tru•ted i!' ~he faith­ful fulfilment herenfter or another s1m1lnr . oblt-

\gag~,~trnst this with th~ c~nrse ofonr Fathers t o­ward~ those. who. dHrlng the .Revolutionary . war, refused to fig ht for tha ln.depen~en~e of t '1e Col.­on\P!'. Th e ~\1ries o t a.t.<lay 111s1sted tl!at thctr 8 llfgiancc and iuxalty were ilue to the Kmg. and that 1hev shuuld ' not he compelled to . transfer theni . ·But th e s1ern patriots who founded our Go,·ernmfi.nt w ould tole rate no s uch argum ent.­Deterniitred tu create a pure Nntional . s~ntimeut, they mndC Toryism odious in e ver.\' P?s51ble ~ay. The y admitted t;ione , f the m t~ s eats an the Con­grefl:> of the Nntirm ag a inst wluch .1 hel had wa1 r­etl. The.r al lo wed no fl oral procesS1on• to the graves .,r 1 he T ory dea d. nor the. ·use of such rrc:­tcxt9 for t.reasonable .speeche• o! eulogy on th~1r lost ca use. They sulfored no T ory papers to ex­ist and scatter their malignant . trcus"'n over the Ja~d. Such was th• lleconstructio n.poli~y of our Fat hers. · .

Stronglv in contrn•t "'iih th,.. ns is the Recon­struction j:>olicy of Congress. so mild and forgiv- 1

ing of the LllockcsJ of crime;, not .for r~ven_ge but for defence, not for pnniSbment but for JUSt1ce,our 1 DemQcratic opponeuls liave arrayed them~elve3 aga inst it, nnd the p-eople are to decitle the issue. lf you would ·take on boa rd a s a crow to work your sh ip, those who bad just been s tri ving to scuttle anti destroy it . th en it might fi~ believed t.hat the American people would throw open t~1e doors ofthe it· CoPgres~ . i:.nd ent.rust appror_.na · tions for Pensions and the Public Debt, am! Leg· i'3lntion for all matten of Natioua l concern. to those who souO'ht to whelm the Nation in a com·

9th District of mon ruin. a nd~vho if they had the powe! to-da1:. Congressional Convention, I would shatter the Uepublic and retuild · their

Indiana. · Confederacy. ..

WE&TVIL.l.ll, J 11Jy 10,,lSGG. Jn J8G4, when t4~ D_emocrnt.ic Nat~onal Con-• · l ·d t 11J 1 \-eiiilon nl l:hi< ago resolved that the W.ar was a

The convention was ~a led .tt' ol er a . o - I failure iud demanded au immediate cessation of clock, by Geo. B •. Roberts, cha.1rma? or die Cori- hostilitie• by our armies, thus waving the white

I greu1on!'l comm.1ttee, and on motion, was per- flag of•urrender, Jefferson Da•is,. the President mane1my orgar.11ed l>y. th\' OhQi9' of tho !oJlow- of ihe Rebe l conspiracy, waited and watched for ini: officers: . . . the.result \Vith the deepest anxiety. Th~ magn1-

Gol. T . H. Brm;:huret, Pres1de1!t. ficent uprising of the people destroyed Ins hope•; Y19;: PuzsrnENTs-Benton. '".· Rollms; C 188· und with the resistless b).,ws of our gallant soltl­

Dr. Justice; Fulton, Capt. C«lluns; Jasper, E. iors: his wicked ·cause went down. Now, in 1866. Wri1?ht; Lnke, Hon. D. Turner; 1.~P?rte, Dr. A . H. Stephens. the Vire President of that trea­Teeicarden; Mushall, I. Mattingly• Miami, H_. sonal>le orgauizatio11. proclaims that their hope ' C. Chapin; Newton, E. L . Urmston; Pnlask~, -is in the elections of this fall. Again these fa_lse John llarnard ; Porter, Gen. I. C. B. ~um~n • hope• must be destroyed. The rel>cl States will ~I.ark, J. ~· Bender;. St. ~.osepb, llfaJ. J. l\l. realize, iu the r esponse of the lo_ynl mi:Jions to • ierce ; 'Vhae. Judge G: u. · 1 est.. the issue, that the 'determ!nation of those w)io sa-. Cor1don E. Fuller. Pr111e1pal Se~ret_ar • . ved the U ion from their fierce attacks, to Jiavc

A.JI the U1~ion Editors of the D1str1ct-Assist- guarantees against anot.her llebellhm i• iullexible. ant Secre•~u1e1. . -: Yie!din~ as they must to tl•ese demands, winch,

.Qn motton of J B. Belford, ": . committee 0· considerin., their course, are eyen more generous one fro~ each ~o~nty w~s al' porntcd to ~eport 1i:nn just, 7he l~ortie1h Congress will witness loy­Resoluuon•. Said comn11ttee 11 a• fol lows· al Senator. .und R~presentat.ive• in their s.eats L~Porte, ~horles Cathcar~; St. Joseph,Jo~e~ l'rom every Srnte. A nd the U l).io u t~1us auspic­

D,av1•; M1am1, J. Y • B":llou, Jasper,!~· S. Dr.g. iousl.r reco 1structed, on the endur1ng corn~r­gms; Newton, John :41d: Ca'3, J . I . Br.ran• stones of Loyally, Uni•ersal Liberly, the e:e•a11011 .'\'tarke~ Samuel B.eatt1~;. Fulton,~; G. Shryocl<; of the oppressed. and the right of all me n, bcm\ La~e. I~. C. Field•; V. mte. C . . H. lest 1 Benton. und<r ••ur !lag or naturalized in our C ourts. LO

Wrigh~ R.~lhns; M_arsl>a.11: _Marcu.• L. Smith' the· equal prot.ection ot"the law, will commence a Port tr, J. ~' _Heaton, Pulaski, Enoch Ii. Drewer. new career of prooo:ress, prvsperity and power .

James Da•J• of St. Joserih coul'ltv anno.unccd 'fru ly Y'ours, SceuYLER COLFAX. that W. J. Holloway and h1mse!f had rece1Ted a To Jas. Davis au1 l a letter fro~ Hon. Schuyler ~oltax. to b,e ~ead to W. J. Holloway. 5 . tins con•ent1011, and on motion, !\fr. Davis then Congressional Committee for r ead the following lette.r: · St. Joseph Cvunty.

LETTER ll'BOM srEAKEK COLFAX. . .Hon. Ezra Wright, of Jasper Co., then

HousE o:r REPRESENTATIVES, l W .\smNOTOll, JulJ 2d, 18Gti. 5

Dear Su Tho harmony and aucce•• of the Union oryani­

zation, welded together in the. fiirnace·fire of a four Jears wor, i!t of such parAmouot importance to nil other cunsidern1iono, that I write you this letter to be read at the \\>est•ille CouTentiou.that m) positioo may be unmistakably understood by those who have honored mu with their confidence,

moved (hat Hon .. Schuyler Colfax be n o m­foated by ncclnrnation. Before . put~iog th is motion ioq uiry was made by the J;>res· ide nt whether t·here were any other can­

didates before the Conventl.on. Nooe be­ing named, the motion was unanimously

and enthusiastically adopted.. After announcement that Gen. Natl1ao

Kimball \ vus present, and would address the Convention, when it should re-assem­

ble, a motion to adjourn until H o'c)ock:.

was adopted.

so cord ially and •O l ~ ng . · Lili winte: , when my na me had been su~gest

ed b.l' several pap•rs in various part; of the Si ate for the Sennte, l published n card Slating that l was not. ant.I never had been n candidate for that distinguished positiou, having alwny~ preierred eervice in the House. But m1 name rnust not be in the way a single moment. if any cons1derable 1 t o'clock P. rtl. por.iion of the (;onrcntion prefor sonic other stan . On m otion, C o ngrnssional Committee rtard-bearer, even thuug h ti.at portion •hould be of two from each county was appointed us n minority. Jn that eve nt, the Delegation from St. Joseph County are requested to withdraw. m_y follows : · name, and to pledge my most earne•t exerJiuns Fulton-K: G. Shryock, (Chairman,) W. to whoe ver .of the man.l' actil·e and fai thful friends II. Calkin s, of the Union cause tho Co11nn1ion may prefer to St. J oseph-John Ga1la glier, Geo, '.Mil-nominate. ·

The conte•t before· us is o( l!~ vita 1 importauco · burn. · to the truest ·and best interests of the Nation as LaPorte:..._Geo. ·B. Roberts, James B. Bel· the eicitrng contests uf 18li:l and 1864; and the . ford. i•sues should be clearly and .dis tinctly detine_d be- Lake--b · p ·tfb 1 B ·woods. fore the people. TheJ can he condensed into a . · C l 01 e, · ~inole quem"n : "\-V.hich sl1all govern in .~ - Pulask1-E. H. Brewer, Samuel Ward. co~mcils of the Nation, Loyalt)' u . ,._,,sloy- Porter-Gen. R. A Cameron, A a ron Gur-alty t" . ~t has been well sa _,. 111 la nguage as ney. , · te.,e as it ~s t.tue, that ···" power to carry on War · ]\fa,-shaH-1\farcus L. Smitll. I. Mp.tingly. Natio~al ~"-~ce c111ries with it the power to Stark- Samuel Beatti e , Jno. S. )i\e nd c r. pre5cn • tle terms o{ i'eace. '.(he duty of guar- Cass-Col. 'l'. H. Bringhurst, J: M . Jus· _: ng the lac.l against the d":nger of a •t:cond Ue-

' hel H ..-ll is as imperatiTe a1 its prcserr:iuoo from tice. . .. _ t e first. And nothing seems cleµrer than thnt Jasper-Ezra Wrigh t , David B. Halstead. the sn111e authority which preventvd the eleven 1\Iiami- J. ~I. Brown, W . S . B e nham. States from destroying the Union, has a right n• Fcwton- \Vm. Ross. Ril a s Johnson. indisputable as the right of •elf derence, to r~gu- Vi'hite - C. H. T est, M . N . Sill. late the resumption of the relations of the~e States. · 'A. C . When the rebel armies surrendered, the l'r~s1- Benton-Wright Rollins; John amp-

dent decided, and rightly, that ciTil Goverumeot hell. had been destroyed in each of the R obel States, Cha.des W. Cat hcar.t, Chairruµ.n...of the-"b• ollieially.procl .. imed that.fact ro lnrcom- committee on Resolutions made.the follow­miseion• to the Proviaional GC»"ernors thereof·- ing repoi:t, which was un,animously _adopt-

. The Congressional polk'J' st":rts from the very . 881118 initial point. The Pres1der-t declared that ed :· . easennal condilions, in•ohinir great changes.must we, the loyal voters

0

of the Ni nth Congre'8ion . ue conmlied "·ith by those Sta'te• before they al District of Indiana, in mass Convention as­could resume their forfeit<!cl rights. And so does semhlcJ. do hereby resolve, t:ongrcss. ·~·he Presid.e_nt_required the ratjfication ] st-T hi.I n ext to Him who. holds the destiny of. an 1mport11nt Con~tltoUon .. I amendment,wh1cb ·of na1ions in His hands. our grati111de is due to had been 1ubmittetl b1 a Congress repre•entwg our brave and. heroic armv anti navy for rescuing the . Joyal States. und 1n, which the rebel ~tat.es our ~ountry from the perfls of ·a gi~a11tic rebe1l­h3d uo voice. And t:on.ii:ress · makes a s•mil- ion; and that in pa1·t payme~t of the ~ht we owe ar demand to-day. Ir the fre9ident could rig ht- them, we de"Clare that bounues should be equal-lully require their ratific-.1t!eo11 ot one ame1ulment. ize<l a nd pensions increased. -changing their whole system of labor and des- 2d- '\\' e h.,Jd that the power to carry on a war tro.ying what they ~egarded a• ~ested _r1ghl3 of for na.' ionql exist~nce carries with it the power properly, prop~sed Ill a <?ongre~s ID winch they to prescribe the terms of peace. The duty of were unrepresented .. and tn conflict, bl it WBlli.w1th g ·mrJmg the }and against a second ·ebellion 1~ as

' their lifelong prejudices, why cannot the Congre•& imperat.1•e a"S its preservation from the .first., and elected 111 the law-making power or the countrT. nothing seems c :ea1·er than the t the sa me author­bJ the same •otera as l1imself, require the rnt1ti- ity wltioh pre.venteJ eleve n States from destr<:>y­cation of another amendment, pre•entiug the r eb- ino- the Uni on, hos 11 rig ht, indisputable as the el S1ate• from wielding increased power her~after right or •elf-defense. to regulate the r esu'mpl\011

1 because of the war. which, against their desires, of the r elations of those States to the Union; had lifted their slues int<> the full stature ot" free- 3d-The proposed ainendment to the constitu-

m~J~hat this amendment is in occor.Ja.,ce with the wishes of the loyal millions who won the br1lliont polilicol •ictor' o_f 1864', is proven by the nnanim~ itJ with which it was supported in the Hou•c: of Uepresentntivc1. Every man. elected as a Umon member, whether r~om the North o; the South, from the Eaot or the West, gue it bis vote; not barely the two-thirds required _by the Constitu­tion, but near!J four-fifths. On thi• amendment, as a security for the f,µture, the U mon por1 v of the Nation have planted themsehes; and l shall stand with them most cordiaJJy, vindicating- its justice, wisdom nod oeceSJ11ty, nod willing upun .it to sllu;d or fall . · .

tion, . tha t representation in <;011gress shall be ba~ed on those eligib le to participat~ in po litical power.; that the c ivil ri~hts of all persons, native bc>rn or 11a1uralized, shall lie maintained ; the na­tional d ebt alid pension list pres~rved iuviolate; tne rehcl deb t r epudiated. and exclusion from of­fice of those who, ha•ini: once taken and broken

· an oath of fide lity to the nation, cou Id not h e trusted in the faithful fulfilment. herea.ter of a similar obligation, is a measure just.VJt1e a nd ·ne­ces sary, and .which we cord ially 11pprove and en­dorse.

For or:e, l do not doubt the result. Shall reb­el• settle their own terms of coming back to g9v­ern ns? Shall they re-ascend to ei.larged and in­creased power, u•ing as steps the gra•e• of the Union dud? Should not Congie••, whose sol­emn dulJ it is to see th~t the Re~ ublic suffers no ents. evil, pause before the bitter foes of.Jesterdaj are · 5th-The oomi nati ons made by the Union State admitted to the inner sanctuary of the N11tio1i"• Convention we most l1c;irtily approve, and he1e• life? Ought the.r not to guard the lfalls of Na- by p ledge our;eh·<;s.~oc all l~o no~ab le means tional Le~j&Jatjon from heinoo troddsm Us the feet to secure the election of the nouuna tions.

4th-~laintnining these principles, · with the patriotic C o lfax for our stan11ard bearer, w11ose course as our Representative we appro.ve, 're e n­ter t11e can vass confident in the jnstice of ou t cause, and pledg e ourse lves at tl1e en"ui11g elec­tion to return by a lriumphant m11jority,oor gal­lant champion tu the seat he ha• •o long . filled wi th honor to himself a11d cre·dit to his constitu-

of th .who have been murdering the defenders 6th-T hat we hearlily e11do1:se and approve 0 t 1e Union for fidelity to an alle!l"1ance they the arts of Gov. N orton ill the adminim·ation ·or themselveo repudiaied? - the affairs of our State, and r.juice to k no w that

Every new•paper in the land. North or South. he:18 regainin~ his health and former vtgor. which eulogized ~efferson Duis and •illified Ab: ,. raham Lincoln, now denounces Congress iJl the On motion, tlle 1ollow ing resolution was suerest term•. 1'very unrepentant rebel and un- also adopted: • ·. . · scrupulous •prpathiser joi111 them in their r e•i!- Resolped, 'l'hat :he thanks of this_ corwention ings. But 1 rejoic~ that 1t has been so faithful, so· are due and are hereby tendered ·10 the citizens iutt·exible, in what It has regarded as the pathway of W cslvillo for the g enerous hospi tality uter.derl of Duty aod of Right. And it now remains for to the m embers ot this convention during our •o­the People, by their endorsement or rejecLion of j ourn among them. its proposed Co11stitutional guaranty, to a p prove G N h TT" b JI U · or to conden1n those who present it as an i11dis- en. at an n..fm a ' n10n candidate l!ensible prerequi11ite to the restoration •f the for- ·for State Tre asurer, then addres sed the feited rigt.10 und tlte poJitical po.wer onr enemies convention in a very eloquent -and able made •u~h hot. haste to resign and .abjure at the -commencement of tbe ltel>elhon. speech, which wa9'received with enthusi-

Nor are these· terms oppressi•e orunjiat. Ne•- as tic applause. er ha11 a .Nation. whose e.xistence has been imper- H ()b \" n h H J R illed, and whose hundreds of tho11und• of graves on. as. '•. vat cart. on. no. . and thousands of million• of debt,attest i1s gigan- Niles , Judg e 0. H. Test~ J. B. Belford, tic sacrifices, offer•<i more le ni .. oi condiuons to Aaron Gurney and Gen. R. A. Cameron those who conspired for its d t atructioo. Hove "9e b · II II d · d forgotten the insulting cefiance with which · the ir ern g_ se vera Y ~n e ou~ entertame the members.sworn like ourselve• tu the Constitution conv ention with b rief but good speeches . and i he Union, left their sen ts here-the persecu- There being no fur t h e r business, after tlons, cooscriptions, tyranny, expulsions a nd hang- h I I • ings by the rebel a11tooriti•• '.'fall w.ho refused to t ree 1earty c 1eers for the nominee, the fouwear like them•el•e•, their ~lleg1aucc to their convention adjourne d sine die . country and tbeir f!ag--the wilful torture and T. H. BlUNGHURST

1 Pres't.

star~a ti on of scores or thousands of our soldiers a E F er , when prisoners in their hands- their unyield~'g, . · i · j.ULLER, IJCC Y· pe ... istency in th" pa1·ricidal conflict Lill armed re-:-~ ~=====-~====== ·bellioo expired, not from change of will but fro:n poverty ot resources and t.he herossm of the loyal boya in blue-the continued existence of this hos-tile feeling na evid·eoced In their political 1u1d so· cial proscription of e•ery Southerner who fought for his country, the disloyal utterance• of their press and the pulpit, and the elecuon in every Rebel State of Goyernors who had served or fought for the Rebellic•n? Despite all this, .Con-grosa only asks that a re 1 rescmatior>. North and ~outh, shall be bnsed on those eligible to partic_ ipation 1u political power; that the Civil ltights of all persons, uathe born or naluraliz~d, sh.II be I

'. maint<iined ; the National Debt an<! the Peusioo