The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1865-08-03
''RECONSTRUCTION."
.t- = 10 [From the Cincinnati Gazette.
LETTER FROM I. D. MANSFIELD.


You did we'll in tho GAZETTE to cal
the present attempt at reconstructing
the South a "great experiment" 1t is
an experiment, and to call it such 18th
very best which can now be said Of it.
Ii is very curious thing that so many
men Of talent and education at the
North and the South, should deny the
Presidents power to fix the qualifica-
tions of voters in the rebel States, whom
the simple fact is he did determine the
qualifications of voters in those States
In each one of his proclamations estab-
Wishing Provisional Governors in North
and South Carolina, Georgia, and Mis-
siSsippi, he made the qualifications of
voters, those who were. entitled to vote
in March, 1861, or jus. prior to the war.
Why not make the qualifications Of
voters the same which existed in 1910,
or 1862 lie had as much power to do
one as the other. He actually assumed
the po,oer and erercised Il, of deter min
ing the qualifications of voters in each
of those States. 1t is too late to make
any objection of that sort. Another
curious thing is, to claim constitutional
rights for the rebel States, when their
,ohoIe ciUl structure is destroyed What
constitutional rights have communities
which have no legal Governors, Legisla-
lures, Judges, or Magistrates2 1t is an
admitted fact, that there is not legal
civil officer in,sNorth Carolina. The
very object in view is to get legal off.
GERS. They are in state of distress for
want Of them. What an infinite ab.
surdity then to talk of the constit1-
tional rights of North Carolina? Every
constitutional right it had was obliter-
ated by the rebellion. The President
of tho United States is to North Caro-.
lima precisely what the keeper of the
PeDitcntiary, or the trustee of a pauper
iufrmary is to their inmates. He must
keep them, care for them, and do the
best he can in their state of misfortune
and pupilage. To set the rebels of
Virginia and North Carolina voting, is
just like setting inmates of the Peni-
tentiary voting, and that is just what
has been done. It is an experiment
which nobody ever thought of making
before, and if its failure is not signal, it
will be a most extraordinary phsnom-
enon Of human nature.
The mistake of the politicians is in
supposing that it is necessary to the
safety or happiness Of the American
people TO reconstruct these rebel States
FIN a new and better generation comes
on the stage of action. We ought not
to insist upon these people denying
that they were rebels, or on taking oaths
that they do not mean to obey. 1t will
not help the Union in the least, nor
serve the cause of morality or religion,
to make millions of people hypocrites
and, perjurers. Oaths doa't change
facts, or make the world any better.
We kaoto that nine-tenths Of the South
ern people are bitter, unrelenting re-
bells to the Government, and that they
repent Just as much as they are con-
quered, and no more. They have been
made such by the constant, persistent
instruction Of both political and relig-
ious teachers for half century. The
powerful influence Of Northern men,
European immigrants, and above all,
educated freedmen, will, In few years,
change all this, and either bring the
whites to their senses or give the con.
troll Of the South to the educated ne.
groes. If there is not great aud rapid
change in Southern society, the negroes
will take possession Of all the cotton
States. There are tens of thousands Of
black children there, at Charleston,
viSksburg, New Orleans and other
places, learning far more rapidly than
the whites ever learned. A great social
change is inevitable In the next ten
years. Let it come. If none of the
lessons of history, of philosophy and
civilization are available to teach the
whites Of the South common sense aud
com non patriotism, why let the ava
lanchc Of a new revolution descend up.
on them with all its fearful force, The
@ Government is now issuing at Rich
mOnd, Virginia, rations to five times as
many whites as they do blacks This
tells the story. These poor, lazy, idle
worthless negroes won't beg while they
can help; but this proud, boasting chi.
vaIry can become paupers, fed by the
hands Of Yank eesl Was there eyel