The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1865-07-16
sUNpAY. JULY ID. Sc.
The Tmancl6aIed Whites.

President johnson has, on several oc-
casions, reminded persons visiting him
and speaking Of the abolition of negro |
slavery in the South, of the fact that
thousands of whites have also been
emancipated. Many writers for the
press make this text for comment,
and descant at length upon the former
condition Of the poorer classes of th' J
white population of the South. They
have, somehow, become impressed
with the idea thst to be poor man,
and a citizen of slave State, was an
indication Of mental and moral serVil-
ity; and they assume that it is to this
class alone that President johnson
alludes. Now,s.we make bold to say
that they are mistaken. President
johnson knows, as every other leading
man of the South knows, that there
Is quite as much independence
I'D manliness amongst the poorer
classes as amongst those of q higher
station. By poorer classes we do not
mean those who have become degraded
b. poverty and misfortune until they
are but little less sbiect than slaves
& description Of persons to be found
in all sections Of the country-but those
who have not been pinched by want,
and make an honest living by the
sweat Of their brow" President John
son could not have referred to this class,
Of which he is q representative. He
did not, indeed, have reference TO any
class of poor persons Hemeant mem
bers Of all clssses of society whose free
dem Of thought and speech have been
restricted by the laws and usages Of
society, growing out of state Of slave
~. The public sentiment Of the world
placed slavery under the ban, as greai
moral wrong crime against God ane
man The natural unperverted judg
ment of every man of sound mind
even in the slave States, admitted thi
Justice Of this conclusion. But tn
seifshness Of the slayeholder-his dc
sire for gain-his love of luxurious cas-
and indolence-elosed his heart sgains
the Impulses Of justice, and caused hir
70 reason against the truth. His Wealt
made him iphuentisl--his power wa
courted-he used il TO hedge SLAYER
about with laws which forbade an
question of it's justice or sound polio,
Social ostracism, mob violence, and Va
rious other appliances fortified thes
laws. Men, open and bold, in their il
vesGgation and discussions Of ever
other subject avoided this, ex
cept to shame their manhood by oil
sequiously pandering TO the interests
the STAKEHOLDER. All classes Of sociei
were represented: the rich, the poo
those in moderate circumstances-tl
educated and the uneducated-ti
pulpit, the bur, the political leader, Il
s1-called statesman, the merchant, Il
farmer, the mechanic. Previous TO Il
war, the iniquiiy Of slavery was scale
book TO them Now, it is no long,
sealed. They can look into it, iuyesl
gate it, and hold up 10 public execr
ton It's foul and execrable pages. III
letters have been stricken from the
minds They can hold their hea'
erect, and conscious Of disenthralmer
think aud speak and act IS freeme
TWothirds Of the intellect, the educ
ton, and culture Of the Southern Stat
have thus been manumitted. It was
sense Of this urshackling of intelle
aud will. which caused Gov. Johnso
OF Georgia, in bis Atlanta speech
thank God he could say that slave
was dead without the fear of yigilan
committees and mobs We trust tn
ahe press will take cognizsnce Of the
frcts, and tbatwe may hear no mo
slang about the maDumissiOn Of Il
''poorer olaAses' of the South.