The Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1863-1886, 1865-09-14

can these amnestied rebels claim to
vote for the other two-ffths Of their
former slaves9 And yet, Iknew that
by the Constitution, which appoYtions
representation among the States ac-
cording TO population, they will have
this increase of political power, unless
either the rebels are dislraDehised for
crime, or slaves are allowed TO vote.
l know, also, the great difficulties Of
changing a proyiSion Of the Constitu-
tion-which can only be done by the
assent OF three iourths Of the States
and we may be sure that every Demo.
cratic and former slave. holding State
will refuse it's assent to an amendment
wbiah confines the political power of
the reconstructed States solely to their
white population, or extends it to the
freedman. Emancipation confers up
on the negro the same weight in esti-
mating representation as our white
population. How 10 overcome this
difficulty is the great problem Of Odr
times.
The palpable injustice of allowing
three hundred thousand white rebels
in South Carolina to exercise as much
political power as six hundred thou
sand white loyal people in Ohio is at
anomaly to which we can not patiett-
iy submit II is far worse that the
rotten borough system cf England,
which las perpetuated inequality of
representation for generations. 1.-THE
( freedmen are counted, as they must be,
as. irscmen, and their old masters are
allowed 10 vote for them, the result of
the war ia simply to increase the poll
tical power Of these rebels, and that,
too, when they plainly show by the
recent elections in Tennessee and at
Richmond, and by the general spirit
manifested in the South, that they will
use this power to renew in another
form their attempt TO subYert the Co.
vernmcut.
RECONSTRUCTION PRESIDENT JOHNSON.
Now | will not at this stage of the
contest express my opinion as 10 the
mode Of meeting this difficulty. Con-
gress alone possesses the power to i'm
pose conditions upon the admission Of
members from thcreconstr1sted States
AMI restoring them again to their right
OF representation in the electoral col
lcge. Certain it Is that under the cir
cumstances by which we arc surround
( ei, we should leave those who have
voluntarily placed Themselves in state
OF insurrection, still in that state
Let them dwell in probation until not
only the physical force, but the spirit
Of rebellion is crushed. Rather than
see this strife renewed and new hOlo-
cGusts CT slaughtered heroes perish, I
would impose such conditions upon
the admission Of these rebel states as
to representation in Congress. and ia
the electoral college, as would limit
their powers to do mischief and secure
us in the future from all danger from
them. ..'-r .......
! If we are compelled to treat then;
harshly. this Internal rebellion and un-
broken pride drives US to it. If they
wish peace and quiet. with restoration
Of their political rights, they must ac-
cert the position IN which the war they
invoked has left them m-that of defeat,
ed rebels Their future Is IN their own
bands. They may mitigate or aggra-
vate it at pleasure. A liberal policy is
usually best. but there are times in the
history Of nations as in the govern
mcnt Of families, when amesty TO rebels
is cruelty to loyal people. l have an
abiding confidence that President
Johnson will act wisely in regard to
them. He knows the people Of the
South better than any of US. He has
no cause to love the dominant and in
soicnt OligaTcby who were the life Of
the rebellion. They goaded and in
suited him. He has difficult duty to
perform. Solely possessed of the par
doning power, he is besieged and run
to death by the rebels who spat upon
him four years ago. The plan of ro-
organizing the rebel states upon which
he is now acting is but preliminary
and experimental. 1t will enable Con-
gress to test the spirit of these people,
and to act with clearer lights upon the
difficult questions they must solve at
the next session. d.
| IN the mean time, wo should heart
lily and earnestly support the admin
stration Of President Johnson. While
we may, and ought. to form and ex-
press our opinions like freemen, even
when they differ from his, wo should
remember that he acts under the grave
responsibility Of an official oath, with
ample means of information not pos
sesscd by US, and surrounded by an
able CabiF ct who possess his. conf
deuoe and ours. We should remem-
ber that fault was often found with
President Lincoln, and yet the light
of events proved that he was general
ly right, and kept pace with the re.
quiremepts Of the people. These ques-
tons can not be settled without due
respect TO the prejudlccs not only Of
our own people, but OF those in the
South. Let u.s. tten, reason with mo-
dcration, aud Judge our public agents
with manly and liberal f0rbearance.
SEPARATION OF THE RACES.
+. don't think it advisable to diecuss
the question Of the separation Of the
races, because this can only be effected
by time. 1t is impossible now to set
apart a considerable portion -four ter
ritory for the negro population, be.
cause you can not invest them with o
title to the soil, and without this they
can not form an independent commu-
bitv There is no systnm hv which we