1867.] OF THE HOUSE OF DELEGATES. 7

feelings of mere passion or resentment," it would "recollect
its duty to the whole country," that the war should not be
waged "in any spirit of oppression, nor for any purpose of
conquest or subjugation," nor of overthrowing or interfering
with the rights or established institutions of these States, but
to defend and maintain the supremacy of the Constitution and
to preserve the Union with all the dignity, equality and rights
of the several States unimpaired, and that as soon as these ob-
jects are accomplished the war ought to cease." The spirit
of these resolves finds a noble precedent in the history of our .
country. In January 1784, after the close of our revolution-
ary war, and immediately upon the conclusion of peace with
Great Brittain, the Congress of the Old Confederation unani-
mously passed a resolution earnestly recommending the
Legislatures of the several States "to provide for the restitu-
tion of all the estates, rights and properties which have been
confiscated belonging to British subjects," and "to reconsider
and revise all their acts and laws" in this respect so as to
make those laws "perfectly consistent not only with justice
and equality, but with that spirit of conciliation which, on the
return of the blessings of peace, should universally prevail."

How different the spirit which now prevails ! what strange
things do we daily hear and see ? The President of the
United States, with patriotic zeal and unflinching energy, has
faithfully struggled to follow this precedent and carry out the
letter and spirit of these resolutions, but for so doing he is
threatened with impeachment and deposition. The Supreme
Court has decided that the Constitution, the great charter of
our liberties, is a living instrument, that its sacred obligations
are supreme over both President and Congress, and that its
protecting aegis covers the citizen in war as well as in peace,
and for so doing the Judges of that August Tribunal have
been traduced and maligned as the friends of rebels and trai-
tors, and the protectors of treason, and it is said they are to be
reorganized out of office, or the Court itself swept away.
The established and existing governments of the Southern
States are assailed, and it is proposed to abolish them, and by
Congressional action to reduce these States to Territories, or
establish other governments over them. Their Senators and
Representatives are refused admission to their seats in Con-

gress, and, in a word, the Union is not restored, the end of war
has not brought the blessings of peace to the Country.

For this state of things a heavy responsibility rests some-
where. I do not pretend to declare where or upon whom the
blame attaches, but I do say that those, whoever they may be,
or wherever found, who are obstructing the restoration of the
Union and the full return of peace, who, instead of fostering
the spirit of conciliation and promoting that harmony which
in olden times pervaded the Republic, constantly foment hate