The Tiffin weekly tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1859-1868, 1865-09-07

in any degree satisfactory to tho
Union party in these States They |
arc those who are most willing to !
receive, without opposition, the |
educational effect of the war upon
themselves, to listen with some dc. |
degree of candor to tho suggestions
OF our Northern people, and to !
weigh, as we'll rs their prciudiccs |
and circumstances will permit. all |
the reasons which we of the North
may urge, in reference to our theo.
rics of the true, ultimate condition
of society in tho South.
This approach toward us is by
no means ne complete or as rapid as
we could desire; it may even total.
ly fail of accomplishing any thing
of real value; but what | wish to he
understood as asserting is, that in |
the class to which | have referred
is contained whatever there is in
Southcrn white society which can
he made really available in tbs 10y
al reorganization Of the Govern
mcnt.
THE rREsIpENT's EXPERIMENT.
In his experimental policy, there
fore, the President was forced to
find an instrument for tho work of
reconstruction among these men,
or not at all. II was simply a.
question whether the Southern
whites should have any head in
affairs there, or whether n direct
and Immediate government by the
Federal authorities, either military
or civil, should 20 exercised. As
u Union party in this State, we
have expressed our appreciation of
the course pursued by President
Johnson; and in so doing, believe
we have done wisely, for whether
the experiment should succeed or
fail, we were under tho necessity Of
testing the question whether there
were any elements in that section
OF the country, among tho white
population, which could be trusted.
DEVELOPMENTS IN VIRGINIA.
The rcccut course OF affairs in
! Virginia has done much to break
down the faith ofthc Northern men
that anywhere in the South will
there be found II body of men suili.
cicntly in earnest in their renewal
ofallcgiance and sufficiently strong
in numbers, to conduct successful
lily anda hcalthily system ofreorgan.
ization. 1t should, however, in
fairness be remembered, that the
condition of Virginia has been such
as to cmbitter the local quarrcls of
tho people to n much greater eXtont
than in any other State, and we
still have reasons to hope better
things from the Carolinas and the
Gulf States. Should only two or
three Of those States pcfect their
organization and accept the Con,
stitutional Amendment, abolishing
slavery, the Administration plan
would not be a failure, for the com
pleto and lawful extinction of the
accurscd system would well repay
the delays and vcXations attendant
upon the experiment. But if all
hopes fail, the question is only re.
mandcd 10 the consideration and
action of Congress and the Execu
tive, and the military occupation
of the country gives them full pow.
er to provide for all the necessities
, OF the case.
THE CoLoREp PEOPLE or THE SOUTH
The colorcd population Of the
| South, which has been freed by
] the success of our armies, is also
} an element whose interests we are
bound to consider with righteous
care, whose rights we are bound tn
protect with scrupulous JUSTICE
!, Although ignorant and degraded
, by very long suhicctiun in slavery
. they instinctively knew that the
r only hope Of freedom for them, oi
= ofadvanccmcnt in happiness ant
/ prosperity, was to be found in til,
success Of the Federal Government.
f They had learned that the war had
been begun for the purpose of riv,
citing their chains. They new that
tho establishment of the Southern
: Canfederacy was the establishment
: of their bondage. and they never
: hcsitated or faltcred in their at
tachment to our cause. or in thcil
, faith in its ultimate triumph. i
: was with them a religious belief
= Their ignorance prevented then
: from knowing precisely how i
y would result in blessings to them
!, but they were confident in theil
. faith that in some way Gods prov
idence was bringing good to theu
/ out Of the struggle between theii
y masters and the Government
= Hence they have been loyal. To
. have been nisloyal would have been
4 to prefer chains and slavery to free
= dom.
n OUR Duty TO THE FREEDMEN.
= Our obligation to them grows
c not merely out of the fact that W,
It have liberated them, but out of the
i other fact that we have used theil
G services as soldiers in the field, an(
+ they have there borne arms undel
If the same flag which our white sol
; diers have fought for, aud by thei
e fidelity and bravery have estab
y lished their claim to our gratitude
J. We, therefore, must recognize ou