Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1865-10-24
President Johnson to the Negro Troops.

that this is exclusively a white mans government.
That democratic pr OPPOSITION he distinctly repu.
dates n this speech. He is address ne black
men, and be says to them, and rough them t.
their race, " this is your country as well as any
body else's country. This is the country in
which you should expect to do something by
your example in civil life as you have done in the
field. This country is founded on the principIe'
Of equality, and at the same time t . standari by
which perso IS are to be estimated ia according
to their merit and their worth" We do not see
how the President could ave stated more dis
tinctly and clearly bis opinion that he negroes
have q right to stay in this country end enjoy
civil rights and the allusion-'n connection
with the declaration that they had as good right
to this country as anybody--to the fact that " this
country is founded on the principles Of equality"
furnishes the strongest kind Of evidence that
President johnson recognizes the doctrine Of
equal rights as applicable to negroes as well as
to white men. He also tells these black men
that" merit and worth" are the standard by which
the people of this country are to be Judged.
The President adds TO these declarations others
which are still stronger attirmations Of the general
principle Of equal rights. He advises bis colored
auditors, as follows " You must give evidence
that you are competent for the rights that gov
eminent has guaranteed to you henceforth each
and all Of you must be measured according to
your merits, and if one man is more meritorious
than the other, they cannot be equals, and he ia
the most exalted that ia the most meritorious,
without regard 10 the color. And the idea that a
law passed 10 the morning that will make a white
man q black man before night, and a black man
a white man before day, i 3 absurd. That is not
the standard"
Again President johnson says -" l%uculcate
among your children and anon your associate s
Notwithstanding you are just back from the army
Of the Union, that virtue, that merit, that intel.
ligence are the standards to be observed, and
those which you are determined to maintain dur.
ing your future lives. This is the way to make
white men black and black men white. lie that
is most meritoriols and %virtuous and ntellectua.
and well informed must stand highest, without
regard to color. 1t is the very basis upon which
heaven rests itself So each individual takes hi.
degree 10 the sublimer and more exalted regions
in proportion TO his merits and his virtues"
We do not find in these extracts, or in the
speech from which they are taken, any evidence
that President Johnson believes that any person
in this country can rightfully, SO far as our insti.
%Iutions, the princi les Of our government, OF the
law upon which heaven rests" are concerned,
be denied any rights or privileges by reason o
bis color alone. Merit, virtue, intellect, knowl-
edge are admitted to be requisites OF a good man
and a good citizen and Preside1t Johnson clear
y says that the presence Of these makes the black
mn white, while the absence OF them makes the
white man black, In other words, the President
denies emphatically that color is more than skin
deep, or that it should enter 10 any way into the
future OF the negroes 10 this country. This is a
sound platform, and one upon which the Repub.
leans OF the country can consistently stand. Il
is much in advance Of the Madison Union Com
y%ention, and, in its general assertion that mems
rights in this country cannot be limited by the
color test, it is fully up TO the resolutions Of the
Janesville Convention.
This speech OF the President is also significant
in its statement that il is the duty OF this country,
and Of both races, honestly and conscientiously,
and 10 good faith, to address themselves to the
work Of solving the problem Of making this
country The habitation and possession of those
who are now the PEG ls Of this country. lie de.
clares himself opposed to the fancy, which Par
son Brovnlow Gems to fa,or 10 Tennessee, Of
driving the blacks out of the country. He says
" There is a great problem before US. | may 20
we'll allude TO It here in this connection ; and that
IS, whether this race can be in orpora ed and
mixed with the people of the United States, to
be made a harmonious and p'rmlnent ingredient
in the population. This is a Iroblem not vet
settled, but we are in a right way to do So
And he adds a little further on " trust tina,
IT,, system can be made to work Aarmoniously
an that the gr at problem will be settled with.
out going any further" Still again he expresse,
the hope that the time " may never come " When
il will be necessary u separate the NO races,
lie expects, to use his own illustration, "that the
digestive powers Of the American government vii.
be sufficient to resolve this element in a new shape.
aud digest il and make it work healthully upon
the system which has incorporated it " which,
we may remark, Is nearly as radical doctrine a,
that which Wendell Phillips has been SO severely
belabored for preaching, viz that the incorpora-
ton Of the negro element into the population oil
this country would give us a better national life.
But we will take no more space now in com.
meniing upon this speech. We commend il to
the careful psrusal Of those Democrats who pre.
tend &c support President Johnson, aud have
stimulated the greatest confidence in his devotion
to democratic principles. We also commend it
TO tn studious contemplation Of those Union
NTH who have been too timid to stand by the
righteous Republican doctrine Of equal rights,
irrespective Of color, as it may serve to show
them light in a new direction, It may prove
rather strong meat Tor them at first, but,-asain
to refer to the Presidents forcible ilIustration,-
their digestive powers, we hope, will prove equal
to the work Of Incorporating it into their systems.
And il IL will help them any in this digestive
process, We will inform them, that We zee little in