The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1865-10-14
GEN. sLoCUM,s SPEECH.

YORK, recently delivered speech at Syra.
cuse, N. Y, which was frank and lucid ex-
preston OF his views upon the public ques-
tions of the day, evincing a thorough knowl-
edge of the subjects he adverted to, and
sound. practical sense in his Conclusions
We make the following extracts
THE TREATMENT OF THE SOUTHERN STATES.
The issue in the recent war was on the
right OF secession, the southern states con-
| tending for that right, and declaring coer-
cion upon the part of the general government
| to be a violation of their legal and constitu-
| tional rights. The general government on
the other hand assumed that no such right
existed, and treated the pretended secession
as q revolt of portion of the citizens OF those
states. The triumph OF the government de-
cided the question, and 1t will never again
be made an issue unless we now voluntarily
| reverse the decree. If we now say to the Sc
cediLg states, you have been out of the In
ion, and thereby lost your constitutional
rights as states, we certainly recognize the
| very principle for which the south has been
contending.
! But | am opposed to all these measures
| for interference in the domestic affairs of
| those states, not only because / believe we
have no constitutional right to interfere, but
| because believe it will be unwise, impolitic
and uni ust to do so-leading to far greater
evils than we would correct.
| These states now come forward and accept
| the total abolition of slavery ohe of the
results of the war. In their state constitu-
tions, which are now being remodeled, every
state will acknowledge this fact. and will in
sert an article prohibiting slavery henceforth
and forever. Having done this, they claim
all the rights guaranteed to them by the
constitution.
The right of deciding who among their
own citizens shall be entitled to the elective
franchise, and the right of controlling their
, own domestic affairs. Shall they be allowed
these privileges, or shall the general govern
ment, in violation of the constitution and in
violation of repeated declarations as to its
purpose in prosecuting the war, assume con-
troll of these matters9 This Is now almost the
only Issue between the great political parties
OF the day. The democratic party, with en-
tire unanimity, declares in favor of allowing
to every state the exercise of all powers not
delegated by 1t to the general government.
THE FREEDMEN's BUREAU AND ITS ABUSES.
You often read accounts in the news
papers as to the condition of affairs in GER.
tain localities. You are informed about the
prosperous condition of few schools estab
lished for the benefit of negro children of
the readiness with which they learn their
letters, and of the ardor with which they
sing patriotic airs. According TO some of
these account the negro children are far
perior to your own: they mutter the alpha
bet in their sleep aud spend most of their
waking hours In invoking blessings on the
head OF Gen. Saxton and other distinguished
public men. To many l presume this is
pleasant reading matter, and it may serve TO
convince some people that the great problem
is already solved that through the efforts of
SaxtOn and his co-laborers 4 000, 600 of ig-
norsnt and degraded beings are to be sud
denly elevated, and to become educated, re-
fined and patriotic members of society.
You seldom hear of the numerous cases
where the freedmen have laid claims TO the
lands of their former masters, aud have
quietly informed them that they held title
under the United States government, and
have persstently refused 10 do anything but
eat, loitre and sleep. They fail to tell you of
the cases where, just as the harvest was to
commence, every hand has suddenly disap
pesred from the place, leaving the labors of
year TO decay in the field. They fail to
tell you of great bands of coored people who
leave their former homes and congregate in
the cities and villages. or settle on a plants-
ton without permission from the owner.
seeking only food and utterly careless of the
future.
On the very day that ] left Nicksburg
poor woman came TO me with n plant
that at least so negroes, not one oil whom she
had ever before seen, had settled on her farm
and were eating the few stores she had laid
aside for winter use.
Our sympathies are due to the white as
well as to the black race, though we have no
constitutional right TO control either. The
difficulties rounding this question can on
ly be met and overcome by practical men
Ii is an easy matter to theoriZe On the sub ect;
TO point out the evils likely TO result from the
policy of the president, but it will be difficult
TO suggest auy other method not likely to re-
suit In still greater evils.
Gen. Howard, who stands at the head of
the freedmen's bureau, is a man of great pu-
rity of character, and will never sustain a
system which he does not think productive of
good, and yet after carefully observing the
operations of that bureau, / am convince ed
that more evil than good will result from per-
petuating it after the states have adopted con-
situations prohibiting slavery. Each state is
placed in charge of an assistant commission
er. It is made the duty of the department
commander to detail such officers and soldiers
as these assistant commissioners may require
in the discharge of their duties. All ques-
tiOns between whites and blacks are to be ad-
Indicated by an officer or agent of the bureau.
This, of course, requires that one officer or
agent shall be stationed in each county, or at
least that they shall be so distributed as to be
accessible to all the inhabitants.
Those gentlemen who are acting as judges
in matters of difference between the races
are usually lieutenants selected from the reg
iments on duty in the state. Each judge, |
lieutenant or agent, rs you may be pleased
to term him, has bis guard, and each guard
it's commissary establishment. The news Of