The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1865-11-18

WIN uC lounu SdIer 10 auOW Tie ucSIO tuc iS-
gitimate mode of agitating in republic,-vot
ing for candidates who will favor his d,signs,-
rather than to allow him to enter into combina-
tions to suspend labor and arrest the production
Of the great staples of the South, and so para
lyze the business of the whole commercial
world. Believing that motives of justice and
prudence will compel the Southern States to
give the ballot to the negroes, let us prepare
| them, then, by education, for the wise exer-
else of this privilege.
Education is a salatutry gift to the most de
graded. 1t will teach the colored people their
duties as well as their rights. 1t will raise
them to a selfrespect, out of which will grow
truthfulness, the sense of the obligation of
contracts, the consciousness Of their share of
the responsibilities of society. We propose no
undue interference in the political affairs of
Independent States. We send no orators to
harangue classes of people about their rights.
We put spelling books into the hands of the
children of those who last year were slaves:
we teach their rude pens 10 compass the power
there is in the written English language, and
re-enforce the natural eloquence that charac-
terizes their race, with the liberal ideas of the
| New Testament, and leave them in their own
way and time, with pen and tongue, to advo-
| cate their rights. Meantime our agency has
been only blessing for the class, who propose
| to monopoiize the entire political power of the
State. We make their laborers moie obedient
servants, more skilful mechanics, more eff
cient producers of wealth. Wetake away from
them SO much pauperism and crime. We re-
lieve them, impoverished as they are by the
disasters of an unsuccessful war, from charges
| which are just tax upon their property and
themselves.
THE NORTH MUST DO THE WORK.
The South, with its wealth squandered, its
people discouraged and demoralized, cannot
undertake this work. 1t must be done by the
North, the North that is so rich because it has
given so much. The people, that under tax
alton demanding tenth of their income, and
a deprecated currency, that exacted two
tenths more, had millions of surplus pocket
money with which to endow the Sanitary and
Christian Commissions, and ether splendid
charities of the war, find their means unex-
|
olent enterprises has ceased. Thousands of
liberal hearts that have just learned the strange
blessedness and bounty there is in giving, and
the wonderful efficiency there is in great Or
ganized charity, are waiting for some other
beneficent work of national proportions, to
which to devote their zeal and munifcence.
In the redemption of four millions of fellow
| from fJaa Il -
wrought, we have an enterprise worthy the
heroic benevolence of our countrymen, who
seem to have certain exaggerated way of do
ing things that are declared Impossible When
our rebellion broke out, involving more than
half our territory, and, including its sympa-
thizers, more than half our people, and during
the exultation Of its first years of success, ar
rogated the possession of the national capital
and the prestige os the national name and
constitution, our friendly allies in Europe said
we could aeoer subdae it, and advised us to
divide empire with it, and let it go; but We did
sat6due 1t, in spite of these representations.
So now doubtless those governments. which
exclude all but privileged class from partici-
patton in political power, will maintain that it
is impossible to make electors out of peasan-
try OF illiterate slaves. They will be aston
ished if, by methods purely american, we send
down during the next two years 1900 north
ern schoot-nistresses to teach a million and a
half of negro children to read the Constitution.
Let us be true to the daring genius of our ma
tion. To say we will do this is to give the
world assurance of its achievement.
The popular pride stimulated by the sight Of
more than million citizen volunteers drilled
into an effective army, of all the sea suddenly
swarmiag with iron-clads of novel mechanism
and terrible offensive and defensive power has
already looked menacingly across the ocean,
not caring if our just grievances against foreign
powers shall grow into the justification of war
Let us hope not. Let us devote one-tenM Of
what resultless foreign war, to which the
people might easily be stimulated, would cost
to this great enterprise of charity and con-
structi0n. We have once invaded the heart OF
the South to break its military power, to sack
its cities, ravage its fields, burn its bridges and
railways. Let us invade it again with hands
full of the gifts of better civilization, and
hearts full of the Christian sentiment that
renders good for evil, and make our beneficent
conquest permanent, by ga1isoning every
county with school houses
soE PLAN OF OPERATIONS.
Soon after the first slaves were set free BY
the war, the benevolence Of the country be-
gan to organize societies for.their relief from
destitution, and for their education. On the
11th Of October all these societies, to make
their action more efficient, united and consti-
tuted central, executive body called THE
AMERICAN FREEDMENs AID COMMISSION.
Able representatives OF that body, in prose
cutting purpose to establish auxiliary organ
izations throughout the country, met a num-
Der of citizens of Portland ON the 25th and
27th of October last, and explained fully the
plan of operations proposed.
In response to these appeals. a society was