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It　is　asked；　said　Henry　Clay；　on　a　memorable　occasion；

Will　slavery　never　come　to　an　end？　　That　question；　said　he；

was　asked　fifty　years　ago；　and　it　has　been　answered　by　fifty　years

of　unprecedented　prosperity。　　Spite　of　the　eloquence　of　the　earnest

Abolitionists；poured　out　against　slavery　during　thirty　years；

even　they　must　confess；　that；　in　all　the　probabilities　of　the　case；

that　system　of　barbarism　would　have　continued　its　horrors　far　beyond

the　limits　of　the　nineteenth　century　but　for　the　Rebellion；

and　perhaps　only　have　disappeared　at　last　in　a　fiery　conflict；

even　more　fierce　and　bloody　than　that　which　has　now　been　suppressed。



It　is　no　disparagement　to　truth；　that　it　can　only　prevail

where　reason　prevails。　　War　begins　where　reason　ends。

The　thing　worse　than　rebellion　is　the　thing　that　causes　rebellion。

What　that　thing　is；　we　have　been　taught　to　our　cost。　　It　remains　now

to　be　seen　whether　we　have　the　needed　courage　to　have　that　cause

entirely　removed　from　the　Republic。　　At　any　rate；　to　this　grand　work

of　national　regeneration　and　entire　purification　Congress　must

now　address　Itself；　with　full　purpose　that　the　work　shall　this　time

be　thoroughly　done。　　The　deadly　upas；　root　and　branch；　leaf　and　fibre；

body　and　sap；　must　be　utterly　destroyed。　　The　country　is　evidently

not　in　a　condition　to　listen　patiently　to　pleas　for　postponement；

however　plausible；　nor　will　it　permit　the　responsibility　to　be　shifted

to　other　shoulders。　　Authority　and　power　are　here　commensurate

with　the　duty　imposed。　　There　are　no　cloud…flung　shadows　to　obscure　the　way。

Truth　shines　with　brighter　light　and　intenser　heat　at　every　moment；

and　a　country　torn　and　rent　and　bleeding　implores　relief

from　its　distress　and　agony。



If　time　was　at　first　needed；　Congress　has　now　had　time。

All　the　requisite　materials　from　which　to　form　an　intelligent

judgment　are　now　before　it。　　Whether　its　members　look　at　the　origin；

the　progress；　the　termination　of　the　war；　or　at　the　mockery　of

a　peace　now　existing；　they　will　find　only　one　unbroken　chain　of　argument

in　favor　of　a　radical　policy　of　reconstruction。　　For　the　omissions

of　the　last　session；　some　excuses　may　be　allowed。　　A　treacherous

President　stood　in　the　way；　and　it　can　be　easily　seen　how　reluctant

good　men　might　be　to　admit　an　apostasy　which　involved　so　much

of　baseness　and　ingratitude。　　It　was　natural　that　they　should　seek

to　save　him　by　bending　to　him　even　when　he　leaned　to　the　side

of　error。　　But　all　is　changed　now。　　Congress　knows　now　that　it　must

go　on　without　his　aid；　and　even　against　his　machinations。

The　advantage　of　the　present　session　over　the　last　is　immense。

Where　that　investigated；　this　has　the　facts。　　Where　that　walked　by　faith；

this　may　walk　by　sight。　　Where　that　halted；　this　must　go　forward；

and　where　that　failed；　this　must　succeed；　giving　the　country　whole

measures　where　that　gave　us　half…measures；　merely　as　a　means　of

saving　the　elections　in　a　few　doubtful　districts。　　That　Congress　saw

what　was　right；　but　distrusted　the　enlightenment　of　the　loyal　masses；

but　what　was　forborne　in　distrust　of　the　people　must　now　be　done

with　a　full　knowledge　that　the　people　expect　and　require　it。

The　members　go　to　Washington　fresh　from　the　inspiring　presence　of　the　people。

In　every　considerable　public　meeting；　and　in　almost　every　conceivable　way；

whether　at　court…house；　school…house；　or　cross…roads；　in　doors　and　out；

the　subject　has　been　discussed；　and　the　people　have　emphatically　pronounced

in　favor　of　a　radical　policy。　　Listening　to　the　doctrines　of　expediency

and　compromise　with　pity；　impatience；　and　disgust；　they　have　everywhere

broken　into　demonstrations　of　the　wildest　enthusiasm　when　a　brave　word

has　been　spoken　in　favor　of　equal　rights　and　impartial　suffrage。

Radicalism；　so　far　from　being　odious；　is　not　the　popular　passport　to　power。

The　men　most　bitterly　charged　with　it　go　to　Congress　with　the

largest　majorities；　while　the　timid　and　doubtful　are　sent　by　lean　majorities；

or　else　left　at　home。　　The　strange　controversy　between　the　President

and　the　Congress；　at　one　time　so　threatening；　is　disposed　of　by　the　people。

The　high　reconstructive　powers　which　he　so　confidently；　ostentatiously；

and　haughtily　claimed；　have　been　disallowed；　denounced；　and　utterly　repudiated；

while　those　claimed　by　Congress　have　been　confirmed。



Of　the　spirit　and　magnitude　of　the　canvass　nothing　need　be　said。

The　appeal　was　to　the　people；　and　the　verdict　was　worthy　of　the　tribunal。

Upon　an　occasion　of　his　own　selection；　with　the　advice　and　approval

of　his　astute　Secretary；　soon　after　the　members　of　the　Congress　had　returned

to　their　constituents；　the　President　quitted　the　executive　mansion；

sandwiched　himself　between　two　recognized　heroes；men　whom　the　whole　country

delighted　to　honor；and；　with　all　the　advantage　which　such　company

could　give　him；　stumped　the　country　from　the　Atlantic　to　the　Mississippi；

advocating　everywhere　his　policy　as　against　that　of　Congress。

It　was　a　strange　sight；　and　perhaps　the　most　disgraceful　exhibition

ever　made　by　any　President；　but；　as　no　evil　is　entirely　unmixed；

good　has　come　of　this；　as　from　many　others。　　Ambitious；　unscrupulous；

energetic；　indefatigable；　voluble；　and　plausible；a　political　gladiator；

ready　for　a　〃set…to〃　in　any　crowd；he　is　beaten　in　his　own　chosen　field；

and　stands　to…day　before　the　country　as　a　convicted　usurper；

a　political　criminal；　guilty　of　a　bold　and　persistent　attempt

to　possess　himself　of　the　legislative　powers　solemnly　secured　to　Congress

by　the　Constitution。　　No　vindication　could　be　more　complete；

no　condemnation　could　be　more　absolute　and　humiliating。

Unless　reopened　by　the　sword；　as　recklessly　threatened　in　some　circles；

this　question　is　now　closed　for　all　time。



Without　attempting　to　settle　here　the　metaphysical　and　somewhat

theological　question　（about　which　so　much　has　already　been　said　and　written）；

whether　once　in　the　Union　means　always　in　the　Union；agreeably　to　the　formula；

Once　in　grace　always　in　grace；　it　is　obvious　to　common　sense　that　the

rebellious　States　stand　to…　day；　in　point　of　law；　precisely　where

they　stood　when；　exhausted；　beaten；　conquered；　they　fell　powerless

at　the　feet　of　Federal　authority。　　Their　State　governments　were　overthrown；

and　the　lives　and　property　of　the　leaders　of　the　Rebellion　were　forfeited。

In　reconstructing　the　institutions　of　these　shattered　and　overthrown　States；

Congress　should　begin　with　a　clean　slate；　and　make　clean　work　of　it。

Let　there　be　no　hesitation。　　It　would　be　a　cowardly　deference

to　a　defeated　and　treacherous　President；　if　any　account　were　made　of

the　illegitimate；　one…sided；　sham　governments　hurried　into　existence

for　a　malign　purpose　in　the　absence　of　Congress。　　These　pretended　governments；

which　were　never　submitted　to　the　people；　and　from　participation　in　which

four　millions　of　the　loyal　people　were　excluded　by　Presidential　order；

should　now　be　treated　according　to　their　true　character；　as　shams

and　impositions；　and　supplanted　by　true　and　legitimate　governments；

in　the　formation　of　which　loyal　men；　black　and　white；　shall　participate。



It　is　not；　however；　within　the　scope　of　this　paper　to　point　out

the　precise　steps　to　be　taken；　and　the　means　to　be　employed。

The　people　are　less　concerned　about　these　than　the　grand　end　to　be　attained。

They　demand　such　a　reconstruction　as　shall　put　an　end　to　the　present　anarchical

state　of　things　in　the　late　rebellious　States；where　frightful　murders　and

wholesale　massacres　are　perpetrated　in　the　very　presence　of　Federal　soldiers。

This　horrible　business　they　require　shall　cease。　　They　want　a　reconstruction

such　as　will　protect　loyal　men；　black　and　white；　in　their　persons　and　property；

such　a　one　as　will　cause　Northern　industry；　Northern　capital；　and　Northern

civilization　to　flow　into　the　South；　and　make　a　man　from　New　England

as　much　at　home　in　Carolina　as　elsewhere　in　the　Republic。

No　Chinese　wall　can　now　be　tolerated。　　The　South　must　be　opened

to　the　light　of　law　and　liberty；　and　this　session　of　Congress

is　relied　upon　to　accomplish　this　important　work。



The　plain；　common…sense　way　of　doing　this　work；　as　intimated

at　the　beginning；　is　simply　to　establish　in　the　South　one　law；

one　government；　one　administration　of　justice；　one　condition

to　the　exercise　of　the　elective　franchise；　for　men　of　all　races

and　colors　alike。　　This　great　measure　is　sought　as　earnestly

by　loyal　white　men　as　by　loyal　blacks；　and　is　needed　alike　by　both。

Let　sound　political　prescience　but　take　the　place　of　an

unreasoning　prejudice；　and　this　will　be　done。



Men　denounce　the　negro　for　his　prominence　in　this　discussion；

but　it　is　no　fault　of　his　that　in　peace　as　in　war；　that　in

conquering　Rebel　armies　as　in　reconstructing　the　rebellious　States；

the　right　of　the　negro　is　the　true　solution　of　our　national

troubles。　　The　stern　logic　of　events；　which　goes　directly　to　the

point；　disdaining　all　concern　for　the　color　or　features　of