The Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1863-1886, 1865-06-22

ton of it will form The basis and SCI
Icurity-of our national currency. The
National B;fnls notes are but another
form Of national debt.
The di2adrahtdges Of public debt
ARE: 3 '-'| I'lI'''-a
That II is a vast mortgage on the
whole property of the nation, and
must be paid, principal and interest
in taxes. The assessment and collec,
tion Of taxes has always been the most
difficult problem Of civil society, and
has caused moro revolutions Than all
other causes combined. The security
Of the national debt will cnablc wcdltbyI
citizens to preserve in families large
incomes aud property, and thus per-
lpetnate in families gross inequalities
Of wealth. This is always great
fcyil in any society, but is guarded
against, to some extent, by our laws,
in the distribution ofpropcrty.
Observation-Disclosures or SLAVES
A still more dfIlcult class of qges.
tions grows out Of the political reIa-
tons Of the rcbc! States and their
present unhappy condition, Our
brave soldicrs--an1 / ain glad to see
SO many of them hore--can tell you
how desperate a resistance they met,
what fearful ravagcs they left behind.
The young men cf tile South are ip
! their graves. Those who bad proper
Ity are now impoverished, and a new
class is in possession. The slaves, up
on whose labor their whole Industrial
fabric rested, are now free, and are
working for themselves. Charrcd
ruins mark the. whole country; cities
and towns are in ashes. Though the
armc rebellion is crushed, the spirit
still lives. a population ofold men
and children, and mothers and daugh,
ters mourning for dead husbands and
sweethcaats, and also four millions Of
freedmen, await the reconstructing
hand of the national Government. :
; And upon the principles upon which
this reconstruction shall be founded
; depend not only the lives and proper
! ty Of all these people, but also depend
: our. future national safety. Let no
: man who has his part to perform in
! settling these questions, satisfy his
) conscience by party cry, but let him
think for himself, under the light of
the conscience implanted in him BY
Almighty God, and let him be chari-
table to those whose Judgment leads
= them TO a different conclusion.
l cannot in the limit of a short
speech enter upon an elaborate orevcn
F; brief discussion OF these questions, but
will only state certain conclusions as
to. different classes Of the Southern
population.
J And, first, as to the former slaves OF
the South, we promised them their
freedom, by every mode by which one
people may speak to another We
! promised itby the proclamation Of Mr.
Lincoln. Congress twice ratified this
proclamation, and the people in two
: annual elections have ratified it. There
slaves have won their freedom by
their devotion to our cause. They
: have from the beginning, been true
= friends. They have borne oar flag il
battle They have carried cur arms
= They have been slaughtered for oul
cause. They have aided our sick anc
wounded. They have fed our soldier.
when in prison, and have guided theil
escape, They have performed the ehum
. be Offices OF the camp and the hospi
T. tai. They mover fought against us
Il They have relied upon our promise
= and inexperienced theirpart. With
n out them, and without their prcscnc
$ as # weakness to the enemy, VIC nigh
t not have succeeded. BY their simple
|, faith in us following our fleets anc
y our armies, they have earned theil
c freedom. The enemy know and con
n fess that an inevitable incident Of then
i overthrow is the freedom OF the slave
t | therefore conclude that We must SO
S cure them their freedom beyond al
: doubt or peradyentue, and maintain
|, it against every danger in any form o
reconstruction that may be adopted.
WHO SHALL VOTE IN THE soUTn2
Will you, in addition, authorize then
: to vote! Will you invest them witt
all the rights and incidents Of citizen
| ship? Lave you the power to do il
under the Constitution of the United
/ States2 1t is perfectly clear that, uu
less the powers Of the rebel States are
/ changed or affected by their rebellion
o Congress cannot fix the qualification
f of voter within State. The Con.
i stituton provides but for three cleo
! tions; of President, ofSenators, and Of
q Representatives. The President il
chosen by electors appointed in such
u manner as tho Legislature Of tho STATE
I may elect. Senators are chosen by
n the Legislatures of the respective
n States, and members are chosen by The
:. people OF the several States, and thC
4. electors of each State shalt have the
f qualifications requisite for electors OF
! the most numerous branch ofthe State
$ Legislature. lfanything is clear it i:
that the trainers of tho Constitution
4 meant that each State should prescribe
/ who shoul vote. The only limitation
$ upon this power is the duty of tht
# National Government to MAINTAIN II
each State a republican form OF Gov
4 ernment .. f"..l.@-a sss,fe
/ But again the question recus, is moi
{ all this changed in a State whore the
, voters avovoluntariIyreno theil
: allegiance to the General Government
!. Can such State ronounce all itsidu