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pleasant home at
Silver Springs, in the vicinity of the
Federal City.
He said,—
I hope yet to find some night and day of uninterrupted quiet and repose of mind and limbs, when I may yield myself to friendship and philosophy under the shadow of its groves.
On the 21st of June, a meeting was held in Faneuil Hall, to consider the question of the re-organization of the
Rebel States, at which
Theophilus Parsons,
Professor in Cambridge Law School, presided; and speeches were made by
Mr. Parsons,
Richard H. Dana, Jr.,
Henry Ward Beecher,
S. C. Pomeroy,
United States Senator from
Kansas, and
George B. Loring, of
Salem.
Letters were also read from
Governor Andrew,
Alexander H. Bullock of
Worcester,
Charles G. Loring,
Alexander H. Rice and
Samuel Hooper of
Boston, and
Benjamin F. Butler of
Lowell.
The letter of
Governor Andrew, which contained the views he then entertained, and which he adhered to during the remainder of his life, upon a subject of such engrossing interest and importance, cannot fail to be read with interest at this and in all succeeding time.
We therefore quote from this letter as follows:—
It is not my belief that in any one of the seceding States the time has yet arrived when its State government can be re-established with.
safety. Whether the white man only votes, or whether the colored man also votes, I regard the movement at the present moment with inexpressible concern.
It has taken us four years to conquer the rebels in all of them.
I would not run any risk, great or small, of allowing the same class of men to beat us by an appeal to fraud. They appealed to force, and were conquered.
Let us hold on to the power we now have to do right, to protect the loyal, to rebuild the State, to re-establish society, to secure the liberty of the people and the safety of the Union.
Let it be used with parental kindness and in the temper of conciliation.
But hold on to the power, and in the fear of God let it be used.
It was bought with the blood of more than a quarter of a million of heroes and patriots, who have given up their lives for their country.
Let us see to it that by no error of ours such torrents of human blood shall flow again.
I think the loyalty of the South needs time for concentration. Therefore I think no reconstruction will