Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1865-07-14

III tuciT ,uuOus suU-'rIsshA pONcE uclcuu
their rights !. ci,isens at the ballot-bOx. with
the Ssht to be educated, TO acquire homesteads
sndrotestifyfn courts tie nation will be recreant
to its duty to itself apd to them, and Will incur
and deserve to Incur danger and reprus,h -so-
portioned to the magnitude 81 10 responsibility.
II ebosld not &c forgotten that. slavery being
.abc'ishSe, and Herewith the three iths rule of
the Constitution, nearly two millions will be
added to tue Representative population Of the
slave States in thee apportionment for mem
bers Of Congress and Of votes in Presidential
elections. and that this increase Of political pow
er to the rebel States must be at the expense Of
the free States. II the freedmen remain, as
they nov are, disfrsnchised, this increesd power
will be welded by dass Ok voters smaller in
proportion Than before. This furnishes an ad
dit.onal temptation to that class TO retain il in
their hands and we shall be compelled to meer,
as heretofore, the old spirit, not improved by
It's recent experience, and largely Increased in
Its pol teal power
As we speak from /. free State, it may be .ug-
gested the, We are not 80 good judges Of what
sh0-lG be done for the colored people of the South
as those who have been brought up among them
1t does not follow that those who have been
brought up under an abuse are the best Judges
whether it shall be continued, or ofuhst shall ne
substituted in its place.
The people OF the North have seen the colored
races acting IS freemen under free institutions,
which the people Of the South have not. They
who have only known the mae Of color as =
slave before his master, or sometimes AZ DIS
franchised free man under slave system en-
bracing his race, are not the only nor necessarily
the best qualified elias. TO give an opinion as TO
what he may do or what should be done for him
as free man, under free systems History
teaches US that national emancipations do not
emanate from the masters. And wherever eman-
cipation has seemed to disappoint expectations,
the difficulties traceable, in large measures,
10 persistent and multiform contradictions by
the late naster-class
Appeals may be made to taste or pride, on the
subject of the social equality of the people Of
color We must not permit our opinions to be
warped by such considerations. The present
question is strictly one Of political justice and
safety, and not Of social equality. When the
free nan u color, educated IN the common
schools, deposits a vote which he can write
himself. giv,s deposition which he can read
and sign, and pays tax on the homestead
he has bought, the law forces no comparisons
between his intellectual, moral physical or social
condition. and that Of the white citizen, Of what
ever race or nation, who lives, votes or ies,ifes
by his side.
But the nation has a deep interest IN the freed
men, BY Themselves considered. The Republic
must choose to-day between two results. The
millions cf people Of color in the South, no small
part # them carrying the best white blood in
their veins, must be either an educated. indus
trious, land holding, transferring, taS-paying,
voting, selfprotecting population; or an IN
taught, indolent. obJectess, disfranchised, help
les and debased popuation-the substratum Of
a proud, restless, unrepublican political and So
cal aristocracy. The President has undertaken,
in certain Of the rebel States, An experiment for
speedy restoration. Recognizing the general
policy and duty Of restoration as soon a practi-
cabe, the experiment commands our earnest
wistes for its success. By its success We mean
not he return Of the States 10 their position (that
they are only too ready TO dos but their return
rin Contributions IN which The putiic safety
and pu5lie faith shall bc secured. We cannot
conceal our apprehensions that the experiment
will fail The more recent signs sre that the
sprit which caused the war Is preparing 10 tight
over politically the ground II lost n battle This
ought not 10 surprise US. Let no haste to restore
state, no fear OF rebel dissatisfaction. lead the
Republic TO compromise its safety or ijs honor
During the progress toward restoration. the
nation holds the States in military occupation.
BY powers resulting necessarily from successful
war This hold upon them is TO be continued
until this or some other experiment does succeed
We need not be precipiate. The present author
ty, although resulting from war. may, a. We
have said, be largely exercised by civil methods
and civil functiOnaries, and be accompanied
with the enjoyment Of many civil rights and 10
cal municipal Institutions, executive and judi
cisl. If the present experiment fIils.w may try
the experiment Of building by the people II. m
e foundation, BY means Of municipal institu-
tons Of towns and counties, with the aid Of edu-
CT CD, commerce, and the people becoming ac-
commO1Ated 10 their new relations, and 20 ai-
vance gradually to complete restoration.
This is but one suggestion. Various methods
are open to US, Only let it be understood. that
there Is no point al irhieh the rSbsis ran dsfg,
politically, any more than they could in rrar,
The authority Of the RspcbIic. The end the
nation has in view is the same As that for which
the war was accepted and prosecuted-fhs res
iorafioa Of the States 70 their legitimate relG-
tioHs irifh the Republic The condition Of
things calls for no limitations Of time. or
methods. By whatever course Of reasoning it
may be reached, upon whatever doctrine Of pub
lie law it may rest, however long may be the
interval Of waiting, and whatever may be the
process resoried to, the friends and enemies Of
the Republic should alike understand, that il
has the powers and will use the means to insure
a final restoration Of the States, with Constiiu-
tons which are Republican, and with provisions
that shall secure the public safety and the pub
lie faith.
Boston. June p. 1868.
The report is signed by the officers Of the
meeting At Faneuil Hall and by the following
gentlemen who were appointed Committee to
he afNrcSs R5.karN II H..