The Indianapolis daily herald. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1865-1868, 1865-12-05

lifelong Democrat Tor troubling yeu with \ !
few reaestions "a the subjects above Infected. f
Hitherto. in our country, t8e great mass Il
The negro population has been held in .eryi- +
tudc. This great fact has not been fruifnl Of
results cilectny alone the nero IN slavery. for
Il has In similar manner, bui not IN The same
degree. contributed - determine tho status Of
the negro before the law, and ia The opinion q
the white man everywhere. One part q a
race can not be enslavcd without imposing
upon the balance Of the same race . burden Of
prejudice sufficient % drag i down almost %
the level % the enslayed. The superior race
almost unconsci0usly assigns q Jeth ciasses
the same positions and duties. Thee princi-
ples have been well illustrated In cur country
by the condition 81 the negro III slavery and In
freedom. Indeed, while the great body n the
cOl0red population was IN slavery IL seemed les
appropriate or obligatory f9r the white man IN
the free cfates % attempt to aucl0rafe the
condition q the free negroes The cn-laytd
condition Of the mass Of them I'm The south
va recognized alike By the laws of Tie states
where thew were held and ~ the United
States. With those laws, and Their enforce
ment In good faith. ths free state had DO
right 10 Interfere. slavery pure
N domestic institution. never approved
By reason Of any merit iB Itself
by the Northern Democracy. nr, beyond the
owners Of slaves by the southern Democracy,
but deplored alike by beth, and yet The right
f1l remedy was not IN the hands II the North,
and every attempt on their part 70 assert any
y "A
deemed a usurpati0n, and produced the le-siti-
mate fruit Of all such mischieyOu- Interference.
The zeal without wisdom. with always char
actcrized the agitation Of the slavery question
by the AbOlitiOnists Of The North. WIS seldom
entitled 10 the dignity Of being called the de-
lirum Of virtue. fanatieism II sometimes
called, because twas nearly Away, too appar-
ent that 10 was only the Outgushing Of unbrI-
died passion and sectional prejudice. In is
aggressive career, IL tolerated no delay and hes
IL. u H.. .-H..
in the South its logical counterpart, party
equally flnatieal and aggressive, prov oked
into existence by IL, and now thc country can
in part adjust the account, and place % the
joint credit Of the two the great tcdr, the bii-
ried dead, the crippled. the diseased, the viii
Owhood. the orphanagc, the devastation, The
unprecedented and fearful Generalization. the
debts. the taxes, and ne freedom az The
sldUes.
Revolutions bring with them new duties and
respOn sibilities. They demand new efforts Of
statesmenshlp, and the adaptation Of prnci-
piles and habits 70 the new order 81 things.
How can these obligations be most appropri-
ately dischargedy Certainly not by repining
Nor any better by attempting 10 reverse or I'M
do accomplished events. But only by the
prompt and cheerful acknowledgment OF the
change and recognition of the new duties, and
honest and earnest efforts 10 discharge them.
We can not hope. by any other means, 10 Sc
cure the speedy rc-establshment Of our gov
ernment upon the true democratic principles
Of constitutional liberty, and the maintenance
Of the essential rights of the people,
The negro j. now free. lie has entered upon
4 new career OF life. lie Is man. lie must
rely, not upon the white man, but upon his
own capacities Of mind and body for future
subsistence. lie needs greater capacities and
larger Development. lie can best serve him-
self and the white man and the world by hay
ing them He can only get them hy expert
ence, self-culture, self-rcianue, trial. 10 may
be repeated and painful, but Vt It is the I'M
table condition Of all human improvement Mt To
render these efforts more speedily AZ sulible, he
needs 10 be fully protected IN the enjoyment
Of all his civil rights. The same laws should
guard his rights of person aud property and
labor and family that answer - the call OF the
white man.
say, therefore, let him testify, and, If lac
testify falsely, let him be punished therefor.
If he cannot tell the truth, Or will not. his
| fllsehoods can be ordinarily rendered harmless.
His crcdibility is surely low enough To guaran
| tee the white man against danger from MS les
tm0ny. under all ordinary circumstances, and.
/ il he do not learn 10 tell the truth, il viii
| speedily grow less. l. II right that mere pre-
| judiee, without any real danger for basis,
| shall subject him TO a manifest inequality be-
fore the law? lie can not be protected against
/ the injustice Of the white man, nor society
against the criminal use of him by the latter,
except by letting him testify. IN Indiana, the
white man can not testify against the negro
where the latter i his adversary IN litigation.
Why not let both testify, ~ the " bite man now
can against the white MANI Has the latter
anything 10 fear before judges and Jurors Of
his own color and of his own choosing: /
think not.
| I'm order that the negro shall be the better
/ able 10 take care Of himself, and cease 20 bee
/ burden tho white man. and more fully
enjoy his cirH liberty, he also needs cducation.
/ This be can not acquire without means. With
out teachers. Then tax him for the support Of
! schools generally, and distribute % him. under
practicable plan, such proportion OF the school
/ fund ~ will secure 10 his children some OppOr-
| tunities 10 acquire knowledge. Ii i only 10y
the knowledge Of truth that he can De, If NJ all,
released from his intellectual bondage To ignO-
rance, stupidity and superstition. This much
IL j. our clear duty to do, because Il may benefit
the negro, and il can not injure n.
| This marks a clear. broad line between mere
| ciUu rights and political privileges. | would
stop on this line, and go no further. lie should
/ be denied place in the jury box, or at the
ballot box, or in office. Such privileges, in my
\ Judgment, could only injure u, not benefit
/ him, provoke even more bitter prciudiccs
| against him than now exist, and perhaps eX-
| cite war of races, which, 10 him, could not
| fail to prove war Of determination. In my
/ Judgment. he l. doomed. at any rate, by the
Interchangeable laws Ofnature, TO ultimate eXtinc-
/ ton, a a distinct race on this continent. But
/ whilst he has and l. allowed 10 maintain a
place among Us, let Us do him justice and aid
/ him 10 lit himself for the new and higher
| duties that have been cast upon him. lie will
/ thus be made better citizen, a more skillul
laborer aud a less expensive part Of the body
polite.
such appear 10 me to be the dictates alike of
| sound policy and simple justice. IL is our
| plain duty TO exclude from our minds that deep
/ prejudice which has arisen from caste and edu-
cation, and study how best 10 perform the new
duties imposed upon us by our changed rcla-
tons 10 the negro. Nor should W. be- deferred
/ from doing this 10y the fear or fact that the ne
| gro. or his StlDer-SerNicpable friends would
next demand unreasonable additions 10 his ac-
/ knowledged rights and privileges. such de-
mands would no doubt be made, but il does
not follow that they would have 10 be granted.
| They must be persistently and bravely resisted
Is the other political and social here>ics of the
| opposition are resisted. and upon the always
tenable ground that they are trr0ng But he
who denies the right greatly wea>ens the cf-
] fectveness Of his resistance 70 the lrroHy. II
Is good advice TO "be sure YOU are right and