Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1865-1869, 1865-10-07
spErcH or 4 NEW YoRR CANDIDATE.

General Slocum, who is the nominee of
the Democratic party, OF New York, for the
Office of Secretary of State, made speech
last Monday, at Syracuse, which embraced
much sound doctrine, and gave expression
to manly and magnanimous sentiments. We
extract few passages :
HIS SYMPATHY WITH THE SOUTH.
Thousan is OF families at the South, who
have never heretofore known want-neVer
lacked any of the luxuries of life-are now
reduced to poverty. Thousands OF women
and children reared in ease and aiiluence,
have not only lost their property, but ther
natural protectors have been taken away
from them in this terrible conflict. Blame
the leaders as we may, no generous man can
find in his heart anything but feeling OF pity
and com passion toward these unfortunate
victims, reduced to state worse than death
itself.
THE DUTY OF THE GOvERNMENT-THE RIGHTS
OF THE STATES.
The only impeachment has now been re-
moved which has heretofore prevented us
from having true Union-one OF interest
aud feeling, as well as of law. believe the
Union is now permanently established, and
that as q people we are soon to enter upon
a brilliant career. Whether this career is
to commence at once, or be deferred twenty
or thirty years, depends very much upon
the course pursued by the General Govern
ment toward the Southern States. If the
General Government is to assume powers
which 1t has never before claimed to possess
and Is to attempt to decide who shall be
entitled to the elective franchise in certain
States-if it is to continue to interfere in
the domestic affairs of the Southern States,
keeping military officers in the midst of
their people, to act as judges in all cases of
dispute between different classes of citizens
then the dawn of peace and prosperity is
vet far in tho distance.
The issue in the recent war was on the
right of secession, the Southern States con-
tending for that right, and declaring coercion
upon the part of the General Government to
be violation oftheir legal and constitution
al rights. The General Government on the
other hand assumed that no such right ex-
listed, and treated the pretended secession as
q revolt of a portion of the citizens of those
States. The triumph of the Government has
decided the question, and it will never again
be made an issue unless we now voluntarily
reverse the decree. If we now say to the
seeding States, you have been out of the
Union, 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 inter reference 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, impoli-
tic and unjust to do sO-leading to far great
er evils than we would correct.
The States now come forward and accept
the total abolition Of slavery as one Of the
results of the war. In their State Consti-
tutions, which are being remodeled, every
State will acknowledge this fact, and will in
sert an article prohibiting slavery hence
forth 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 con-
trolling their own domestic affairs. Shall they
be allowed these privileges, or shall the Cen
eral Government, in violation of the ConSti-
tuition and in violation OF repeated declara-
tons as to its purposes in prosecuting the
war, assume control of these mattersp This
is now almost the only issue between the
great political parties of the day. The
Democratic party, with entire unanimity, de-
clares in favor of allowing to every State the
exercise of all powers not delegated by it to
the General Government.
THE GENERAL GOVERNMENT MUST NOT INTER-
FERE WITH THE MANAGEMENT OF THE
FREEDMEN.
Now that the freedom of the slave is uni
versally acknowledged, the party is willing
that the States where the freedmen reside
shall pass such laws as they may deem pro-
per for their education and support. A
large portion of the opposition party favors
having the General Government assume
control of these matters, burdening our
people with the support of a million pau
pers, and complicating us in the settlement
of questions with which we have no consti-
tutional right to NEEDLE. The arguments
used to convince Northern people that it is
the duty of the General Government to as
sumo this great responsibility, while the
States are willing and DESTROYS OF relieving
the Government from it are based, first,
upon the assumption that as soon as the
Government withdrawS its protection, great
crueties will be inflicted upon the blacks,
and secondly, that the States will at once
pass laws reducing the race again to con-
dition but little better than state of slave
ry.
have never believed that all the humane
and kindly impulses implanted by nature in
the heart IF man. were confined to particu-
lar section of country. | firmly believe
that the sight Of human suffering calls forth
as much sympathy i'll one section OF our coun-
try as in another, and do not fear that
course of systematic cruelty will ever be
practiced in any section Of this country to-
ward any of Gods creatures. hat 1t Will
be found necessary to pass laws for the 60
yernment of the blacks, | do not doubt
Laws must be passed TO provide for the main
t.nance of the old and infrm and for the sup
port and education of the young. nat $50
lated cases of injustice in the treatment OF
the blacks will occur, do not doubt; that
some uuwise laws may be passed, is not im-
nrobable but | am confident less injustice
will be done the blacks as well as whites, if
the matter is left in the hands of those most
deeply interested. The labor OF the black
man IS an absolute necessity in every South
ern State. Now that he is free, self-interest
will prompt the men of the South to endea-
yor to make him cheerful and willing la
borer.
THE FREEDMEN's BUREAU OUGHT TO BE
ABOLISHED.
Having acknowledged his freedom, hu.
manity, patriotism and self interest will COM
bine TO induce the Statemen of the South to
adopt such laws with reference to the negro
as will be best calculated to promote his in
terest and the interests of society. But sup
nose that distressing the Southern peope,
we take into our own hands the appalling
task of regulating the relations between en-
ployer and employee-the task of providing
for the INDECENT, educating the young and
~. lolo
disposed to do so. Aside from the heavy
burdens it will impose upon us-aside from
the contentious and bitterness to which it will
give rise in Congress and among our people,
shall We not be likely to commit as many er-
perpetrate as many acts of Injustice
as would be perpetrated under the State au-
thorities Look at the working of the insti