on and who will receive to seats in Congress their loyal
representatives from every State in allegiance to the United States."
This sentiment was embodied in many forms in Mr. Raymond's address,
was, in fact, the one fundamental article in the creed of the
Administration and the Democratic party, and afforded the common ground
for their political co-operation.

Mr. Raymond undoubtedly marred the general effect of his address by
carrying his argument to an extreme point. "It is alleged," said he,
"that the condition of the Southern States and people is not such
as renders safe their re-admission to a share in the government of the
country, that they are still disloyal in sentiment and purpose, and
that neither the honor, the credit, nor the interest of the Nation
would be safe if they were re-admitted to a share in its counsels."
Mr. Raymond maintained, even if the truth of this premise were granted,
that it was sufficient to reply that "we have no right, for such
reasons, to deny to any portion of the States or people rights
expressly conferred upon them by the Constitution of the United States,
and we have no right to distrust the purpose or the ability of the
people of the Union to protect and defend, under all contingencies and
by whatever means may be required, its honor and its welfare."

This assertion of the right of the Southern States to take part at
once and peremptorily in the legislation of a country they had sought
to ruin, was not conceded by the people of the loyal States. They did
not require any refinement of argument to convince them that men who
attempt to destroy a Government should not be permitted at once to
share in its administration. They believed that the Congress of the
United States would be guilty of a great wrong if it should
unconditionally surrender its power to the men who demanded admission
to peaceful control of the National only because they had failed to
disrupt it by war. Mr. Raymond's personal friends and admirers, who
were not confined to any one party, were amazed at the recklessness of
his position. He did violence to sound logic by claiming more than
was necessary to his argument, and he seriously injured his reputation
for political shrewdness by attempting to enforce a policy which grated
on the sensibilities and aroused the prejudices of the vast majority
of those who had filled the ranks of the Union Army.

Great advantage was expected by the President's supporters f