the Northwest Territory,
and the Northwest Territory--well," says he, "we looked upon that as
away off, and didn't know anything about it. Fact is, we didn't know
anything at all about it."

Said I: "My friend, think of it a moment. Down here in Georgia, one of
the original thirteen States which formed the great Union of this
country, you have stood fast. You have stood fast while the great
Northwest has been growing with a giant's growth. Iowa to-day, my
friend, contains more railroads, more turnpikes, more acres of
cultivated land, more people, more intelligence, more schools, more
colleges--more of everything which constitutes a refined and enlightened
State--than the whole State of Georgia."

"My God," says the man, "it's awful. I didn't dream of that."

"Well," says I, "look here, my friend; I was once a banker, and have
some knowledge of notes, indorsements, and so forth. Did you ever have
anything to do with indorsements?"

Says he: "Yes, I have had my share. I have a factor in Savannah, and I
give my note and he indorses it, and I get the money somehow or other. I
have to pay it in the end out of the crop."

"Well," says I, "now look here. In 1861 the Southern States had
4,000,000 slaves as property, for which the States of Pennsylvania, New
York, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and so forth, were indorsers. We were on
the bond. Your slaves were protected by the same law which protects land
and other property. Now, you got mad at them because they didn't think
exactly as you did about religion, and about this thing and t'other
thing; and like a set of fools you first took your bond and drew your
pen through the indorser's names. Do you know what the effect will be?
You will never get paid for those niggers at all." [Laughter.] "They are
gone. They're free men now."

"Well," says he, "we were the greatest set of fools that ever were in
the world." [Laughter.]

And so I saw one reconstructed man in the good State of Georgia before I
left it. [Laughter and applause.]

Yes, my friends, in those days things looked gloomy to us, but the
decree came from a higher power. No pen, no statesman, in fact, no
divine could have solved the riddle which bound us at that time; nothing
but the great God of War. And you and your fathers, your ancestors, if
you please, of whom I profess to be one [applause], had to resort to the
great arbiter of battles, and call upon Jove himself. And now all men in
America, North and South, Ea