The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1865-06-07


sions Of the recent terrible stiie speedily
be husbed. Already millions in the
North and West regard them as brethren
still, and in little while these millions
will become vast majority of the people
and will see to 1t that the solemn pledge
be redeemed and The Union restored
"with all the dignity, equality and rights
of the several States unimpaired.' With
slavery, the people Of the South will pros
per within that Union, as before Wilh.
out slavery, if in wise and judicious
way, it shall be abolished, they must, in
less than a single gcneraiion-excspt pos
s,bily as to two or three Statcs--become
moro populous, prosperous ard powerful
than any other section. And though
every Southern State Government should
be re.organizsd-an act both impolc and
unnectssary-yet in ten years, if our
Federal system survive, the whole people
of every State will be restored to all their
lights within the State, and the South
hold, along with all her citizens, the
same position of equality and influence
which she held fifty years ago. This is
the lesson of history, the law Of human
nature, and no morrow, suppressing spir.
it of revenge, or bigotry and sectionalism,
in the form of test oaths and teasing, re-
Straining, denying regulations without
number, can stay the inevitable result
no, not even though it should succeed
now in controlling the civil and military
power of the Federal government, and,
Dressed in little brief authority.
Play such fantastic tricks before high Heaven,
As would make the angels weep"
But to return as to the time and man.
per, as well as the results of abolishing
slavery, and gravest Of all, ,ohat shall be
done lrith tie negro, the power and re-
sponsibility are alike with the Admins
tration and again it will be for the Dem.
ocratic party, guided by the light Of its
ancient principles, and looking only to
the public good, simply to accept or re-
jGct.
The question Of the political and social
status Of the negro, ls essentially and to-
tally distinct from the issue of African
/. scrvtudc; aud any man may have been
or be yet radically auti,slavery, without
being friend to negro suffrage and
equlity. Party spiritor pressure, indeed
has driven many into support of the doc
trine, contrary to both impulse and con-
viclion bat now the issue is changed. =
Outside Of slavery, the negro, where ad.
mitted TO reside in State, ought to be
the equal Of every other man in all lagal
rights and remedies, just as is the female
or the minor. But political rights and
social usage are questions which each
State and community or individual, must
be permitted alone to decide. And four
millions Of Afri,ans are not to become
the wards and pupils of the whole Amer
lean people, nor tho Federal Government
q vast clcemonysary institution made up
Of guardians and trustees and professors
, and school masters for the negro popula.
ton. Whatever party now, with the
pressure of anti.slavery and war removed
undertakes the task, will fall before the
popular reaction. Not the people only,
But large majority of the army and its
bravest and ablest officers, and foremost
, among them the gentleman whom l have
/ already ramed with honor, are dctermin
, ed in their hostility to the whole doctrine
/ of negro suffrage and equality, aud to its
{ natural and necessary but uuclean corrol.
i larry, misecgenation. And it is not 0
/ question Of religion or philanthropy, a;
!. slavery was assumed to be; but OF pure
i politics. Women, minors and aliens are
/ alike excluded from political rights upon
r grounds ofpublic policy; and yet all-are
i of the human iamily-nay Of our own
! race, and more yet, are, many of them
+, our own mothers, SIS ers and wives and
brothers. A far higher and impeline
I public policy, enforced by the example
+ of Mexico and other republics and coun'
. tries of mixed races not of one common
:, . stock, and fifty fold more essential now il
n four millions of African slaves are to be
set free Mt once among us, i0rbids polite
al equality to the negro, where We deny
= it to our own flesh and blood and to thost
/: Of our own households. Said Mr.. Jcffer
:. son for'yf,ur years ago, aud after lht
4 Missouri Question:
"No,hing is more certainly written il
0 the book of fate, than that these peopl'
II (negro sluvcs) arc to be free nor is il
y less certain that the two races, equaH,
: free, cannot live 10 the samo government
r Nature, habit, opinion have drawn indel
. ible lines Of distinction between thcm.p
Q And he advised gradual emancipation
h and deportation. Herein lies both the
. difficulty and the danger Of dealing nov
!; with, slavery in tho South. .ss, .
J, Upon the question Of the politica
!. rights Of the negro, We arc beyond the
d taunt and rcproach Of the monarchisis Of
D Europe, When they shall have intro
. duccd universal white suffrage, removed
! the disabilities imposed upon millions o.
i their own subjects, aud abolished all ii
!. ties Of nobility and other distinctions o.
' rank, it will be tine enough for them, L
| again intcrpose in domeJtic adairs Of the
5 American Republic. ~ 49,. I; q !. /.
On,his question, too, tho Democratic
Q party has a record which il can not reject
n 1t has proclaimed that though all men
!, Of whatever racc, may bc eqnal bef5r,
: the municipal law, yet that tho Cavern
' ments here were made by white men L
}, be controlled by the white race. But b,
= this as It may, the entire question, wheth
2 er slavery remain or bo abolished, belongs
! solely to the peopleof each State TO de-
O al, "a. Il o,,,,.i.,s. ol.. tla ,ph ala tlo,