The Norfolk post. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 1865-1866, 1865-07-20
"TEN YEARS PROBATION"

TEN YEARS FhUbATlUN"
The New York Evening Post is argu-
| ing that those Northern reasoners, who
are insisting that the South should serve
nyears' probation, before they are again
admitted to full political rights in the
Union, are all wrong. 1t finds evidence
of this in the letters which Ex-Governor
Brown, of Georgia, and Mr.. w. w.
Boyce, formerly member of Congress
from South Carolina, both influential
men in their States, have addressed to
their public. Mr.. Boyce tells the peo-
pie of South Carolina that though the
military forces are actingwith greatpro
priety, civil government is better yet !;
that he is satisfied President johnson
means 10 have the civil power re-estab-
lished in South Carolina; that Mr.. John.
son is an able man, of great energy, who
is likely to receive hearty support in the
States for his policy. 4 He goes on to say
that slavery is dead:
IT consider slavery as gone, and the
best thing for us to do is to recognize
and accept it in perfect good faith with
all its logical consequences. Any other
course is only going to protract and in
tensify the darkness of the night through
which we are now passing. Let us re-
cognize the great fact that the negro is
no longer a slave, and let us act toward
him in kind spirit. This does not, of
course, imply that we are to sacrifice
ourselves for him, but it means that we
are togive him fair chance. This is
our policy, this is our duty. Less than
this will not satisfy oursister States.
And finally, he urges kindness and
Cancellation towards Northern people:
RI" Our greatest craftsmanship now con-
sists of pacification with the North
Every man shouldlend himself to this
work. Whoever does kindness to a
Northern man is doing a wise thing for
his country. Upon ourselves
will depend, in a very large degree, how
advantageous this peace shall be to us.
If we are wise there is still hope for us
in the future. If we are weak, every
Serbonian bog We must act at,ader the
influence of neaO ideas. We must not
listen to our passions, but to our reason.
And the future may be more suspicious
to us than the most sanguine now
imagine"
Governor Brown speaks to the same
effect. He tells the people of Georgia
that slavery is dead that they must
adapt themselves to the new order of
things; and that he intends topay wages
to those who were formerly his slaves
he advises all who arenot within the ex-
ceptions to take the oath; and he urges
that the convention which is called shall
at once legally and formally recognize
and enforce freedom by repeating the
slave laws.
Now, says the Post, here we have two
of the most eminent and active men of
the South-at one time among our worst
misunderstanding the people as to the
proper line of duty; but do We find in
their words that virulent and ineradica-
BILE virus of hatred, which the veteran
| Observer" and other writers assume?
Are they hypocrites and liars, or do they
| honestly reflect the interior and grow
ing sentiment of the South? Do they
conceal under their fair and promising
aspect, the fellest purposes of future in.
surrection and revenge, or do they mean
what they say when they declare their
determination to conform to the new or
der of things brought about by the war?
For our part we shall trust them, believ-
ing that slavery is dead, and that the So
cieties in which it persisted should be
generously helped to get rid Of the car
| cass. f...