Delaware State journal and statesman., 1865-08-04

right Of suffrage, into the custody Of hia enc
mics, made doubly ferOoious by the events of
this war, and into the custody Of your enemies
also, your position upon the page Of history,
and in the judgment of posterity, will be only
less Infamous than theirs. know Of no ex-
ouse that we can offer to ourselves, know of
no excuse that we can offer to this generation
in other countries, know of no excuse that we
can offer TO mankind in the coming ages, it,
after having accepted the services aud the
blood of these men ia defence Of the flag, Of
liberty and Of the UaiOn, We turn and cOuspire
with these their ancient OppressOrs and trample
our faithful allies in the dust. Let it not be
that this infamy, reserved for the people Of this
country. of oil the woes of which We have
drunk through these four years, OF all the in-
stances of degradation which have been treasur-
ed up in the long annals of mankind, know Of
none which will compare with the woe and deg
radiation Of a free people, who, having secured
their own liberties by the blood of their fellow
men, with base ingrahtude offered their allies to
the common enemy, to the enemy of the coun
Try, OF liberty and of mankind.
have thus gentlemen, attempted to demon
strate tho existence of sufficient and oonsttt-
tional power in the government TO enable Con
gress to hold the people Of the rebelous dis
tricls under the jurisdiction of the national au-
thorlty, while they are excluded from any voice
In the public councils, until they frame astate
governments which are truly republican in form,
and until evidence is furnished that the public
sentiment of each proposed State is so far loyal
as to Justify the expectation that its general
policy will accord with the general policy of the
country and this without claiming to interfere,
and without interfering with the institutions of
a State.
have also sought to demonstrate that the ex-
eroise of this power is necessary for the security
of the loyal people, the preservation of the pub
lie credit, as it s connected with and dependent
upon a constant exhibition Of good faith, by the
people and the public authorities. Moreover
you cannot fail to be Influenced by the plain
statement that, under the Constitution, you
must secure the elective franchise TO the negro,
or surrender your own equal right in the gov
ernment Of the country and finally, you are
not insensible to the Obligations resting upon
you, to secure TO all men the means of protect
ing those rights Of person and property, which
are the evidences of freedom aud its constant
support This policy furnishes at once security
to the country, equality to the whites of nl
sections, Justice to the negro, universal pun
ishment OF the rebels, the only efficient means of
stimulating the industry and developing the re-
sources Of the South, and at last adequate and
permanent protection against civil and 81 Ccal
feuds and wars in all porlious of the country
where the two races are nearly equal in numbers
or strength.
nave assumed also that the instances OF par |
don of rebels by the President will be increased |
and that in peace we shall abandon the policy |
which was inaugurated in time of war, aud |
adapted to q time OF war, of confscating the |
property Of rebels who are not distinguished by |
any special criminality from their associates in |
treason. Whether you indict and try persons,
or cOnfscate their property, the number of the
guilty is no great, that many necessarily escape |
During the war. we seized the property of ul- |
vidual enemies, as a means of diminishing the |
power Of those in arms againstus The reason |
no longer remains, and it will probably he |
thought wise to modify our legislation 30 aa to |
relieve the mass of Southern people from all ap- |
prehenson. 80, too, we can have no security |
fol the loyalty Of State until clear majority |
of its population are known to be worthy of |
trust Whenever State is restored to the
Union, the loyal sentiment should he sufficiently /
powerful to permit those who have been disloyal /
to exercise the elective franchise; otherwise
you nourish alienation, and encourage the cle-
ments Of treason and war. Our policy towards |
the mass of our enemies must be liberal Re- I
store TO them, with as little delay as possible,
all the personal, civil And political rights which
they enjoyed previous to the rebellion. With
such an exhibition Of maguanimity towards
those who have been our enemies, not even they
can justly complain when We demand the elec-
tive franchise for those who have been our
friends. Thus does this policy appear to be
wise and conservative as national policy; thus
II is necessary to ourselves thus it is Just to
our friends thus is ii magnanimous to our on
emies.