The Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1863-1886, 1865-08-31
yhteOus care, whose rights we aro

uCu W very iOHk buuJeciiOn IN slave.
ry, they instinctively knew that tna
only hope Of freedom for thera, or Of
advancement in happiness and pros
perity, was to be found IN the success
.of the Federal Government, They
had learned that the war had beefi be-.
gun for the purpose Of riveting their
chains. They knew that the estab.
lismeDt Of the Southern Confcderacy
was the establishment of their bond,
age, and they never hesitated or fall
tered in their attachmentto the cause.
or in their faith in its ultimate tri.
umph. 1t was with them a Religions
belief. Their ignorance prevented
them from knowing precisely how ID
would result in blessings 10 them,
but they were confident in their faith
that in some way Gods providence
was bringing good to them out of the
struggle between their masters and
the Government. Hence they have
been loyal. TO have been disloyal
would have been to prefer chains and
SIaNcT9 W lTtFuont d. ttfr..r .r
i,. 0rE D;FT 10 rHr rltEbxEF. 80
Our obligation to them grows not
merely out Of .he fact that we have
liberated them, but out Of the other
fact that we, have used their services
as soldiers in the field; and that they
have borne arms under tbs. same flag
which our white soldiers, have fought
for, and by their fidelity and bravery.
have established their claims to our
gratitude We, theiefore, must recog-
nize our duty 20 make their freedom
thing valuable TO them. The hopes
VIII icb they haze cherished must not
be disappointed, if we have The power
to fulfill them. The freedom which
we give them must not be freei
dom in name simply, but in deed
and in truth = q freedom which
shall give them the fullest oppor.
tunity to make such advancement
in civilization and enlightenment as
they are capable Of. which shall
open for them q future ia which the
ouly limit to their progress shall be
such as they themselves, in their own
notions, shall impose. These rights
are the rights 5f all men. Humanity
must be recognized and its need Of
justice awarded IS completely and sin.
cerely in their case as in the case Of
any other human beings. How this
shall be done-in what way the truest
philanthropy and the purest reverence
for right and justice may mark o6t
their future cal eer is one Of the great
questions which the successful end Of
the war is brlngihg upon US. l rec.
ognize as fully as any one can the fact
that revolutions DO not gd backward,
The quesIion'is in what direction is the
truest progress for both races, and by
what course can the greatest degree Of
happiness ultimately be secured for all.
THE PROBLEM OF REcoNsTRUcTIoN.
The problem of reconstruction, there.
fore, is how to find plan, which with;
out giving any Of those palpable and
existing facts to which have referred,
shall prove for the permanent peace
and security Of the whole country,
shall be consistent with the genius and
theory of our republican institutions,
and shall give TO all classes and to
both races full opportunity for adj
vancing toward the highest civiliza!
ton, enlightenment, and political free
dom.
The result of the war gives us the
right, and imposes upon us the duty,
to demand of those who have been in
rebellion, indemnity for the past and
security for the future, and no one will
have the right to complain if the re-
sumptioh Of their status in the Union
is made tn depend rpor the earHest-
ness and sincerity with which they
avail Themselves Of the opportunity
given by the reconstruction policy of
the President, for them to accept these
results Of the war, which have spo-
ken of in good faith.
- VIZ wan =
As l have above remarked, the mil:
itary subsection OF the Southern coun+
try gives us, under the rights of war
the power to carry out such policy as
true wisdom may dictate. We are
bound, not so much in duty TO those
who have been in rebellion, as in duty
to ourselves, and consistency with
those principles of republcarffreedom
which we hold up for the example of
the world. TO make our policy one
wliiuh shall Ultimately give, even to
those who have been in rebellion, the
fullest rights Of citizenship aud par
ticipation in The government, pro-
'vided their conduct shall warrant il,
and shall prove that the safety of the
whole country will nnt be compro-
missed by so doing. While we admit
the right Of all citizens to participar
tion in tho government, no one can
deny the right to disfranohise those
who have proved themselves incor-
rigible traitors. and unrepentant reb;
els. Repubicanism does not demand
that we should put into any mans
hand a sword to destroy the public life:
1T is by bringing forth fruits meet for
repentance that those Who bate been
in hostility to the nation must show
that they are worthy 10 be received
again into that family which. they
have so persistently and determined'
ly endeavored to destroy.
THAT WHICH IS TO BE DONE.
1t is neither possible nor nocessaff
now to determine what shall be the
precise steps, in the future, by which