The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1865-10-19
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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 10, 1885.
4 -. - y - = :.
From thaPbilsdslphia North AInsgiesn.lI
d. o. 81 The Drift of Events. est
Just III the very nick Of time, when the
Telegraph SCENTS lWho a tae South have
tstoae SO much " Ohstruetihe, progress Of re-
4 eos trueti0h, by iufaning the northern peo-
pie by neans Of fslse reports) had began 10
/ eteate q deal OF uneasiness oyer, The state OF
thiugs In Mississippi, in consequence Of
some alleged tritnRPhof an anti negrO-testi-
mOny party stths late election in that ate,
Governor Sharkey comes ont with pfocla-
nlatisu ~ hioh settles thatRhoIe trouble By
this pf6clafnation the example set by Gov.
Persons and Gen. Swsyne, il Alabanas, is
Unlisted and Improved utou. 1t viii be
borne IN mind that in lie Alabams case Gen.
Swayne offered % Governor Parsons TO
transleT to the civil courts and magistrates
Of that State jurisdiction over all eases in
which freedmen were concerned, if thUse
7 autiori6es would accept and enforce the
laws Of Congress and the regplations Of the
4 War Department and tie freedmen's Blu
lreau- This WA RgTeed To- and So riegrc
biestimohy is received in court and before
magistrates, and negroes eau sue OF be sued
IN Mississippi the officer hold ng the posi-
zion. CORES 0Rding to General Swsnye's As
sistant Commissioner. Of The Bneedmen's
Bureau for the State, Col. r. Thomas, pro-
posed formallg by public order, dated
fSeptembar 90 70 transfer to the civil au-
thorities Of the state the right 90 try all
eases. c6nct rning the rights Of freedmen, on
Icgndition Of Eccording TO negros equal rights
with other people in such courts. Governo-
Sharkey, in proclamation issued Septem-
Der 18th, accepts this prefer, but places the
rights 81 Freedmen upulla diferent basis
| from that establishf4 in Alabama. C0lDnel
| Thomas, indeed, had wOrded his tender
/ differently fyom general Sway add had
Eststed8s tie eoadition tlIal kths' fudieial
officers and magistrates OF the provisional
i government Of the State viii take for their
mode Of procedure the laws now in force in
this state, except 80 FAR as those laws make
| a distinction on account Of cOlar, aud allow
| negros the same rights aud privileges as are
accorded 70 white men before their courts
Gov. sharkey, perceiying that this altera-
ton Of State laws by military authority was
not in accordance with the Alabama rrece-
dent, and likely to be disputed, has, BY his
| Proclamation, made the change HpDn
broader basis. He therefore states his be-
I liefts be "that the late constitutional amend
ment, Which abolished slavery, abolishes
ali laws which eohstituted part IF the sys-
1 tenn of slavery, and, in DECLARING hat the
egro slall be protected b his peIs0n and
| property, establishes principles which of
themselves -entitle the negro to sue aud be
sued, and IS a necessary incident to such.
right, that be is made competent IS a wit
ness according 10 the laws OF evidence Of the
State,H rfgE gaf yfg
| THIS doctrine is admirably taken, and
places The change upon a safer basis than
Colonel Thomas order would have done.
The remainder Of Gov. sharkey's proclama
tion IS merely giving public notice Of his
acceptance Ct the ofer, and directing civil
i officers TO carry it into effect until the Leg
islature shall act upon the subject This
case is important, for a variety Of reasons.
| This is the secoad State where the commits
i sioner appoiutad. by the Eleedmen's Bureau
has ID itatsd the cliange, and We presume,
therefore, that the policy is directed by
Gen Howard and Secretary Stanton, by adj
vice ef President Johnson. The prominent
object is TO avoid the trouble and expense Of
main aiming a separate set Of military tri
bunals Tor the adjGdIoiatiOn u freedmen's
cases; but the chief object is to avoid auy
4 bodies on : topic Where it is desirable to
have the reform effected with their consent
| and under their own auspices. ID.
This great change is now fully shown 20
be one Of the leading features Of President
| Johnson's reconstruction policy, the object
Of which seems to Be TO secure legislation
by the rebel States themselves abolishing
slavery, annulling the secession ordiHnb ees,
4 fsspdnting ne rebel war debts, tha-fatiti-
f8li On 6pal Constitution sBnd the securing
l'ofeivil rights 10 thenesroes.@ As tbs policy
Of the President is to induee the rebel
States themselves to take charge Of these
changes voluntarily, and thus render nation
al supervisor. or interference unnecessary,
\ wepresume that ,althoug h not vet begun, the
| Administration viii endeaYor 10 nd itself
of the care and expense Of educating the
negroeH by inducing the State Legisla-
lures 70 make suitable provisions for free
| schools for all Glasses, white and black.
! We observs that benevolent men and We,
men in the loyal States are energeueally or
gaming voluntary aid associations to edu-
| cate the freedmen, but the task Lsems 70 as
] altogether 300 great for any voluntary eff
fort. While therefore, we would not dis
| courage thu enterprise,IYe d6hot contend
I tb,aSif u ahs lb0ahdeH datS sftlfe Iegisla-
turesSethe rebel States TO make ample pso-
vision for sree education of their people Of
| ell colors, and Thai tie national gov5rorlent
may iudiciously use It's ,uhuence 70 that
END 81 the same nbnnef thhSit is zow do
| ing to accomplish the securing Of legal
rights to negroes. p.
\ q 0fcourser we understand that President
i johnson does not wish % srnbarrass his res
/ feradmf Beics by unaerialSine 10 hIle h at
i once The question of equality before the
law was not bGoaehed until it was certain
that slavery would be abolished By State
I action; and now that most Of the States
| have passed THAI Eubic0nd the next step is
| taken, as IN a Iabaua add Mississippi The
Freedmen's Bdteau 3 Charged with the care
Of the interests Of she emaneipated SLAVES.
/ il cannot carry cut its measures without
f4ilitary ND, whilefthe Government desites
/ to rid itself Of the necessity of maintaining
an army of occupation. If, therefore, the
States themselves wiz voluntarily assume,
and in good faith perform, the duties with
which he FIeedmen's bureau 10 charged,
that institution viii be rendered unnecessa-
~, and Will be abolished. Now let uss see
lNhatthese duiies are. ffttf-f
one great batch OF them has Just been got
rid OF in Mississippi and Alabama, and viii
soon be, we presume, everyghere else.
This batch, too, it must be observed, wes
much the most important Of Che lot, being
intended to enable the negro TO secure the
paymeat Of bis wages, the recovery Of mon
ey due him, snd the punishment Of persons
infringing his rights. If the rebel States
can Be SAFELY entrusted with this iurisdic-
ton, we do not hesitate 70 say that there are
no duties remaining to the Bureau which
those same States could not as well perform
Thssystem has inoludesi education, chart
ty rations, shelter, negro colonies, and con
fassted and abahdensa LANDS. Bsginning
with the Ia O., the President has n I'd crush
ed out the land business Of the Bureau
Confscati9n suits have been abandoned.es-
tates restored b their former owners, and
things brought within practical limits. The
establishment Of negro colonies on these |
lands is ended Of course. The severe stric-
lures Of The press ufon the indiserimin ate I
waste Of the charity ratioRs have succseded 1
in bringing down The sysien g narrow Inn |
It would seem from this review that the |
duties now performed BY the Bureau, which /
still remain without any provision on the |
part of the rebel States, are the maintenance |
of paupers abd the free eGuca ion Of the /
poor. lfthose States wish % rid themselves
of inlifRry Supervision, they. must look /
these duthss|in he ice 8 ID malle pFbViiion |
fIr tkeiR - has bttn' cditeBded By The /
planters that as the national government /
had derived them Of their property by /
eplant p&tioB, i ouzbt q inasaesih tae ne
gro paupers who are unable 70 help them
selves: and our usrtheTn radicals have ae-
cepted this doctrine, AID propose % saddle I
Us with this euormous burden. We most /
decidedly object ls belongs not - us but 4
10 fhe s5uth and the governments 0fthose-
statee.afo1if b. reqasred g seeGgnize the I
~. The Freedl1tn's Bureau vii Be main
tainsa until they 40 this, and then, d 4
course, Il vii diseppesr- 80 /
li The Southern states 5pr6sss gfeat 4
snxietv 10 get rii 81 the army Of occupntion,
military courts, military law, and the in
terferenee Of the War Department IN their
civil sffsirs. They assert their entire ioy-
altv. their support % the Administration
sni is policy, and their acceptance Of the
rs-alts II the var 20 far IS events have
r,ra~ressel. these claims sppear % us y Be
worthy 81 sttepuon and some degree Of
r-a.lit- Taking these States az there
uro-,is- Let US ofer them the performances q
tbese duties with which the War Depart
rnent is now charged b regard 10 freedmen. /
" I'D the assuraHee that Il they VIII make
suitable legal provision for the performances
of tbase duties - he eiFll authorities al