The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1865-08-22
Letting Alone.

Except for the seriousness OF the sit
nation, there would be something ex-
ouisitely humorous in this grave asser-
ton. 1t is exactly what we have heard
for the last twenty years. when IL
was perfectly evident that the spirit
and policy of slavery were endanger-
ing the welfare of the country, q firm
and vigorous protest was raised by
sapacious citizens who did not mean to
connive, under any pretensc whatever,
at the national ruin. Then came the
answering shout from the party OF
slavery: "Let us alone. 1t is our af-
fair. We know the negroes and un-
derstand how to manage them. Let
us alone" And many honest minds
were deceived by the appeal,
Then came secession. The men
who had cried so Justify, 'Iet us alone"
while they were plotting, cried still
more solemnly, "Lct us alone," when
they were ready to consummatc the
crime. Their armed effort has been
abortive but bloody. 1t is necessary
for them TO reeur again to arts and IN
tricues, and so we hear the same old
cry, s1.et us alone. Let us alone"
And who echo this cry? Those who,
in 1860, said that the Government had
no right to maintain itself by arms
Those who, in 1861, said that the war
was really occasioned by the loyal
States, and that the Government ought
to compromise with treason and concili-
ate rebellion. Those who, in 1862, said
that our erring sisters should be allow
ed to depart in peace. Those who, in
1863. stimulated counter-revolution.
These who, in 1864, went to Chicago
and declared the war n failure. Those
who, at the end of 1864, were political
ly annihilated by the American people
at the polls.
What is the object Of the cry? The
overthrow of the Administration and
: the policy which directed the war, and
the return to power of that alliance OF
Southern leaders and Northern follow
ers which brought on the war. That
alliance, we are told, secured peace to
tho country. Yes, it secured peace at
the price of national honor, and by de-
laying q struggle which delay embitter'
cd a thousand fold. 1t secured peace
, rs man secures solvency by paying
fifty per oent, a day for the money he
borrows. 1t secured poace rs he does
]. who puts his nose into the fingers of
}, bully and ohsequiously succumbs to
!, his kicks. And when the peace was
broken, who broke it? When war be
gan, who began it? Who justified
those who began it? Who hoped and
? worked for their SUCCESS? Those who
now tell us that while they had the
= power they kept The peace. Those
who, we know, when they lost Tho
' power broke the peace. They gave
the country peace rs a highwaymar
gives his victim life, on condition o
obedience. "Just give us power again
fellow-citizcns," they cry, "and you vii
see how we will keep the peace."-
=. Their fellow-citizens have already soen
le Enough is as good as n feast
The late rcbels say that they know
= the negroes q great deal hetter thar
anybody else. How have they prove,
il? BY enslaving them with unparallel
.. ed barbarity. BY outraging every hu
b; man right and feeling. BY so treatin:
them that, when the war came, ever
one ofthe people they "knew so well
instinctiveiy " turned against them, an
hailed the enemies of their masters ~
for that reason, their own best friends
- A society which is so ignorant of hu
man nature, of history, Of divine justice
Y and of the laws of political econom.
.s as to suppose it can treat half OF II
: members rs hrutes, without danger
:, the general welfare, when its FOOLS
" assumption has ended in its own hloo
OK. and ruin, might at least affect modest
of opinion, if it does not feel it. The
was never class in the world whic
W knew so little of another as the slav
holding class at the South knows OF t!
n. slaves. Its ignorance has cost us
- civil war; hut it has also fortunate
apprlsed us that such Ignorance is
W, mortal peril,
And what arc the late slaveholdir
class now doing to show us how pc
~ feotly they understand the negroes?-
~ The Southern States are paralyzed..
They can be roinvigoratod only by
:; IN Dor. The negroes are the laboril
= population. They are native to {
p soil and the climate, and they are frc
Err Common sense indicates the only po
IA. cy. The inevitable facts of the ca
ich. should be cordially accepted. Libel
wages should be paid; honest contrat
nv made; Just measures adopted to proYi
w. education aud equal rights for the mC
ich. substantial part of the population.
a word, the public prosperity shot
be secured and public peril avoided
the simplest and most obvious equi
But, instead ofthis, farmers are offeri
} five dollars month to freemen wi
as slaves, could hire themselves n
make fifteen dollars month. VIII
people are gravely enacting that col
ed people shall not testify; shall !
.oy. control their own children; shall J
bear arms; shall not vote; and are S
rounding them with disabilities
which there would seem to be no le
". redress. And all the while, the class
- the South which has made educat
slaves crime, protests against
fearful ignorance Of the colored peol
. or and those who have disgraced la
and degraded the laborer, and h
themselves never lifted finger to We
now complain that the negro is Dire
fully lazy fellow, and will work
Ii upon complusion.
In truth, the class which wished
he .'let alone" in its assault upon
IY.:o,, o,I Gnyavup,ant uch n m