Journal of freedom. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1865-186?, 1865-09-30

clans done Eve mean the pardoned ones)
to show a sincere desire to do the simplest
act of justice to the freedmen? What
have the States who are quietly arranging
to come int the Union again done to as
sist the freedmen or commend themselves
to the affection and sympathy of the
North? Let us call Tennessee. She is
loyal enough, and has suffered so dread
fully that she certainly Will be the first
to recognize manhood. Tennessee will
not allow a black mans oath against a
white man; black men cannot make
contracts unless white men witness them /;
and If black men are arrested for vagran-
cy they may "be sold to the highest bid
der for jail-fees." Call North Carolina |!
We see the whipping-Post and the pill
lory. Call LouiSiana-and we find the
negro guarded and checked and restrain
ed as though he were a mad dog and not
a man who lives by his labor. Call Ala
people to pay the Rebel debt! Why not 2
Ii Alabama al dictate the terms of her
return to the Union, she Can do what she
pleaseS with her money. This Rebel
debt is n Of the important issues that
EEremain of this contest" To us, this
debt is an abomination to the Southern
leaders, a question OF honor. They mean
to make. us pay it if possible. IF they
come back to Congress defiant and power
full. we shall have this Rebel debt ques-
ton sprung upon us. Some of our friends
may deride such a danger, But tt us it
IS a dangerAa Legitimate consequence of
the policy that would allow the Rebel
States return to the Union carrying in
their hands the instruments of their
newly-ended war. Their votes will be
wanted-badly wanted-on election day.
We have public men who would gladly
insist upon paying the Rebel debt, if
they could get the Rebel vote. The vote
will be sold for a much greater price.
Three questions that ''remain of this
contest are the payment of the Rebel
debt, the degradation OF the negro into
the thing called freedman" and the
preservation of the unjust political power
of the Southern States. They propose to
fight us on those issues. Nor will they
fight us alone. Here in New York they
will have two, probably three, daily
newspapers, with Seymours, Reeds, Val
Iandighams, over all the North without
number, to fall into line and lead their
'ssaulting column. The victory is.ours,
if we take it. We should say to these
gentlemen, in the spirit of merciful ius-,|
tice, "Came back to the Union, free and
but to a Union in which you
ire equals and not masters. Our ONLY
is manhood and labor and whoever
these is our brother and fellow
equal before the laws, equal in
the laws. AS for the Rebel
iebt, let it be buried with all that is dead
IT Rebellion. We can easily call up the
ZONES of our dead children and bid them
walk, as think of paying for the powder
nd cannon that slew them. We offer
'ou universal amnesty, but we demand
Universal justice, the dignity of labor,
nanhood-suffrage." Ii we do this, then
what remains of the contest will be
without a single angry telling
we give the 3,947 colored freeman and
96,O49 colored freedmen of Louisiana
privileges given To the JO,0z5 WHITE
len who control that State, we shall feel
0 concern about what remains of this
Maine will no longer COM
lain that II, 1855 of her sons are dis
anchised, and 2,228 Georgians will not
ave just !hree-fourths the power possess
l by YER $50 900 citizens of Connecti-
1t. # anything remains Of this contest,
as WI oUn fault. We do not recon-
end severity to the South. We do not
ant a single right that belongs to them
be taken away. We only ask that I
ley do not take away and appropriate to
leir own uses the rights that belong to
hers. We desire to deal with the
outh in. a spirit of candor and justice, !
with perfect kindness. We want s
is reconstruction to be ON a sure basis, e
it'll no flaw IN the cornerstone !; no z
i,journed questions between masters and s
eedmen to be decided when the masters
I've the balance of power in our electoral 4
llege. We desire a Union, broad, just, c
l~-embracing a Union Of freedom and r
ogress, whose past will be a warning j
d an example, and ito future full Of a
and peace. b
,neraI Butler on Negro SuHFrage-Why the n
Black Nan should Vote. :,
In 1 speech delivered at the Massachu- q