Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1865-04-21


'nd tie accompanying proclamation. / presented
n plan of reconstruction. a, the phrase goes,
which promised. if adopted by any State, would
be acceptable to and sustained by the executive
government OF the uatIcn distinctly stated
that this was not the only plan which might pos
sibly be acceptable and slso distinctly protest
Ell that the executive claimed no right 10 say
when or whether members should be- admitted
10 seats in Congress from such States. This
plan was in advance submitted 10 the Cabinet.
aud approved 10y every member of it. one Of!
them suggested that | should then and IN ti,st
connection apply the emancipation proclamation
% the heretofore excepted parts Of irginia aud
Louisiaua that : should drop the suggestion
about apprenticeship for freed people, and that ]
should omit the protest against my own power IN
regard 10 the admission of members Of Congress.
But even he approved every part and parcel oi
the plan which has since been employed or
touched bv the action of Louisian. The new
constitution Of Louisiana, declaring enancipa-
ton for the whole State, practically applies JhG
PROCLAMATION 10 the part previously excepted. u
does not adopt apprenticeship tor freed people,
and j. silent. a. il could not well be otherwise. q.
about the admission Of members to Congress
50 that As IL applied 20 Louisiana every member
Of the Cabinet fully approved the plan. The
message went to Congress, and received many
commentators Of the plan, written and verbal,
and not q single objection 60 it from any profess
"a emancipationist came 10 my knowledge until
after the news reached Washington that the peo-
pie Of Louisiana had begun % move in acc0r-
dance with IT, From about July, 1862. / hsd
correspouded with different persons supposed t0
he interested in seeking reconstruction of a
State government for Louisiana. Then the mes
sage OF 1868, with the before mentioned, reach-
ei New Orleans, Gen. Banks wrote me that bel
vas confident that the people, with his military
cooperation. would reconstruct substantially onl
that plan. wrote to him and some Of them to'
try it. They tried it, and the result Is known.
Such has been my only agency IN getting up,
the Louisiana government. As 20 sustaining Il
my promise i out, as befcr stated. But as bail
promises are better broken than kept. l SHALL
treat this a. a bad promi-y, and break il when
ever shall he convinced that keeping Il is al
verse 10 the public interest, but | have not yeti
been 20 convinced. ! have been shown a letter.
on this subject. supposed 20 be an able one, nj
which the writer expresses regret that my mind.
mas not seemed To be definitely fixed upon thel
question whether the seeded States. SO called
are in the Union or out Of il. Il would perhaps
add astonishmeut to MS regret were he 10 Learnt
eudelyuring 20 answer that question have pur-
nlstiy farborne any public expression upon it.
A. appears 10 me, that question has not beeul
nor Yet IS practically material one, and that
any discussion Of it while 1t thus remains practi-
caly immaterial. could have no effect other thar
the mischievous one Of dividing our friends As
vet, whatever It msy become, that question i-
bad as the basis Of controversy and good for
nothing at ala merely pernicious abstraction.
We all agree that the seeded States. 90 called.
are out Of their proper practical relation with
the Union, and that the sole object Of the gov:
erument, civil and military, n regard to Ihosel
States, J. 10 again get then. into that proper;
practical relation. believe that II j. not only
possible, but IN fact easier, % DO this without
ieciiiug oreven considering whether those Sta'esl
have ever been out Of the Union than with it,
Findinc themselves safely az home u would be-.
utterly immaterial whether they had been abroad
Let Us all Join 10 doing the ac;s necessary o. re-.
store the proper practical relations between th'sr
States and the Union. and each forever after m
nocently indulge his own opinion whether 100 d9-
ing tine acts De brought the State, from without
into the Union. or only gave them proper l-s.--
-ance. they never having been out OF it.
The amount Of constituency, 81 90 speak, o1
which the Louisiana government rcst, would hei
more satisfactory Co. All f it contained nifty.
Thousand or thirty thousand. or even twenty
thousand. instead oftwelve thousand, ms u does
10 - also unsatisfactory to some that the cleo
tive franchise Is not ciyen 10 the co''rcj man. u
would myself prefer that II were u0V conferred
lu the very intelligent. and ou those who served
our cause as soldiers. still. tine question mott
" whether the Louisiana government, a. b. stln.l-.
il quite all that j. desirable The question b..
Wall it he wiser 20 take % a. 20 b. ami helm 90
improve %, OF O. rejoice AMI Ispsr-e' tlul
Louisiana be brought into proper practical rel
lati0n with the Union sooner by sustaining Urhyl
di,cariiug her new state government souel
twelve thousand votes ia the heretofore ,iaveI
state OF L0uisiaua have sworn allegiance to tlel
[ ni0n, assumed 20 be the rlghtful political p0w-
er Of the State. held elections. organised state
government, adopted free State constitution,
giving the benefit 0f public schools equally al
black and white, and empowering the Legish-
ture % confer the electoral franchise upon tne|
colorel man. This Legislature hiss already vot-
el 90 ratiiy the constitutional amendment re-
Gently passed by Congress ab9Hshlng slavery
throughout the nation. These twelve thousand
persons are thus fully committed o. the Union
and to Perpetuate freedom in the Saie-eom-
mittei TO the very things, and nearly all things
recognition and it, assistance 70 make good this
conmittal Now, if We reject and spurn them,
we do our utmost to disorglnze and disperse
them. We. in fact, say 10 the white man ou
worthless or worse We will neither help
are you nor be helped by You.
To the blacks we say This cup OF
liberty which these, your old masters, he'd 90
YOUR lips. we Will dash from You and leave You
to the chances Of gathering the spilled and scat
tered contents in some vague and underlined
rhen. where and how. IF this course, diseoursg-
ing and paralyzing both white and black. has
any tendency to bring Louisiana into proper
practical relations with the Union,
have so far been unable TO perceive It. II Oh
the contrary, we recognize aud sustain the new
government Of Louisiana, the converse OF all
this IS made true We encourage the hearts and
nerve the arms Of twelve thousand 10 adhere 20
their work and argue for II, and proseyte for it,
and fight for II, and feel Il, and grow II. and
ripen It 10 a complete SUCCESS. The c0lored mar.
too in seeing AL united for HIM, Is inspired With
vigilance, and energy, and daring 10 the same
end Grant that be desires the elective fran
chse. Will he not attain II sooner BY seeing the
already advanced steps towards II than by run
ming backward over them Concede that the
new government Of louisiana Is only 20 what %
should be as the egg Is to the fowl, We shall
sooner have the fowl by Matching the egg than
by smashing IL. (Lsughter.l
Again. il We reject Louisiana We also reject one
vote in favor Of the proposed amendment 10 the
national Constitution. To meet this proposition
it has been argued that no more than three
furths Of those States which have not attempt
ed secession are necessary 60 validly ratiiy the
do not commit myself agains,
this further than TO say thst such ratification
would be questionable. and sure To be persist
ertlv Questioned, while ratification hy three
'fourths Of all the States would be unquestionod
aud unouesiionab.e. ] repeat the question; Can
Louisiana be brought into proper practical reii-
ton with the Union sooner by sustaining or DIS
.cardiu, the new State Government What ha-
been said Of Louisiana viii apply TO other States
And vet so crest peculiUities pertain 20 eacl
State. and such important snd sudden change
occur in the same State, and wiihsl 50 new and
uuprecedeutel IS the whole case, that no exclu-
.ive and irfexible plsn can safely he prescribe
as 70 details and collaterals. such exclusive al
.intisxible plsn would surely become new entau-
clement. Important principles may aud mu-
be iudexible In the present situaiion. as III.
phrase goes. it may he my duty to make som,
new announcement to the people Of the South.
am considering, and shall not fail to act Ehsi
satisfied that action viii be proper