ad been fully indicated and had been
made one of the issues of the contest, those of his political friends
who are now assailing you for sternly pursuing it are forgetful or
regardless of the opinions which their support of his reelection
necessarily involved. Being upon the same ticket with that much-lamented
public servant, whose foul assassination touched the heart of the
civilized world with grief and horror, you would have been false to
obvious duty if you had not endeavored to carry out the same policy;
and, judging now by the opposite one which Congress has pursued, its
wisdom and patriotism are indicated by the fact that that of Congress
has but continued a broken Union by keeping ten of the States in which
at one time the insurrection existed (as far as they could accomplish
it) in the condition of subjugated provinces, denying to them the right
to be represented, while subjecting their people to every species of
legislation, including that of taxation. That such a state of things is
at war with the very genius of our Government, inconsistent with every
idea of political freedom, and most perilous to the peace and safety of
the country no reflecting man can fail to believe.

We hope, sir, that the proceedings of the convention will cause you to
adhere, if possible, with even greater firmness to the course which you
are pursuing, by satisfying you that the people are with you, and that
the wish which lies nearest to their heart is that a perfect restoration
of our Union at the earliest moment be attained, and a conviction that
the result can only be accomplished by the measures which you are
pursuing. And in the discharge of the duties which these impose upon
you we, as did every member of the convention, again for ourselves
individually tender to you our profound respect and assurance of our
cordial and sincere support.

With a reunited Union, with no foot but that of a freeman treading or
permitted to tread our soil, with a nation's faith pledged forever to a
strict observance of all its obligations, with kindness and fraternal
love everywhere prevailing, the desolations of war will soon be removed;
its sacrifices of life, sad as they have been, will, with Christian
resignation, be referred to a providential purpose of fixing our beloved
country on a firm and enduring basis, which will forever place our
liberty and happiness beyond the reach of human peril.

Then, too, and forever, will our Government challe