Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1866-10-03

ment be made for the loss emancipation of
any slave.
v. Congress shall have power to enforce
these guarantees by appropriate legislation
Such, fellow citizens. are the conditions of re-
construction proposed by Congress, and already
accepted by the loyal legislature of Tennessee.
cern therein a disposition to trampie on the
PROSTATE or push an advantage to the utter
most 4! Do they embody aught Of vengeance.
or any condition but that of slaveryP We So
lict your candid impartial judgment.
What is intended by the third section Il
simply tn give loyalty fair start in the recon-
structed States. Under Johnson policy, the
rebels monopolze power and place even In
communities where they are decidedly outnum-
bered Their generals are governors and
members elect of Congress their colonels and
majors fill The Legislatures and officiate as sher-
IFS Not only are the only steadfastly loyal
prescribed, but even stay at home rebels have
little chance at competition with those who
fought to subvert the Union. Wnen this rebel
monopoly of office shall have been broken up,
and loyalty to the Union shall have becoale
general and hearty, Congress may remove The
stability, and will doubtless make has te TO
| do so.
We do not perceive that the injustice or fit
ness of the fourth section-prsscribing that the
Union public debt shall be promptly met, but
that of the rebel Confedsracy never-ls serl-
ously contested.
There remains then but the second section,
which prescribes in substance that political
power in the Union shall henceforth be based
only on that portion of the people of each
State who are deemed by its Constitution 6t
repositories o. such power. In other words
| A State which chooses to hold part of its pop
ulation in ignorance and vassalage-powerless,
uneduca ed. unfranchised-shall not count that
portion TO balance the educated, intelligent,
enfranchised citizens of other States.
| We do not purpose to argue the Justice OF
| this provision. As well argue the shape of q
cube or the correctness of the Multiplication
| Table He who does not feel that this is SIM
| ply and mildly just, would not be persuaded
though from the dead to convince
nim That there are those among US who
| .ould not have it ratified, sadly demonstrates
.nat the good work of Emancipation is not yet
complete.
But" say some," this section is designed
| 10 coerce the South into according suffrage to
her blacks" Not so, We reply =: but ony to
| notify her ruling caste that We will no longer
| oribe them 10 keep their blacks in serfdom.
| An arlstocracy rarely surrenders it privileges,
| 40 matter how oppressive, from abstract de-
| votion to Justice and right. 1t must have
| gent palpaDe reasons for so doing. n say,
therefore, 20 South Carolina, "Ii you persist
emily restrict all power to your 100000 whites,
| We must insist that these longer balance, IN
Congress and the choice OF the PreslGel',
100 600 Northern .hite freemen, but only
1000. If you keep your blacks everm re
| 10 serfdom, 1t must not be because We tempted
| on to do so and rewarded you for so dong.
| Fellow citizens of every State, but especially
| of those soon to bold eiectlous elrr-a1
your earnest, constant heed to the great Qaes-
Gion now d, issue. Ii Wa- shall be allowed by
you to dictate the terms Of reconstruction, you
will have heedlessly sown the bitter seeds Of
future rebellions and bloody strife. Already,
YOU are threatened with recognition by he
Pres ident Of sham Congress made up of tbs
factions which recently c0alesced at Phliadei-
phia on a pl4tform of Johnsonism-a Cor gress
constituted by nuliifylng and overriding plain
law of the lsnd-s Consre wholly Inspired
from the White House, and appealing to tue
sword alone for support So glsrlng an attempt
1t usurpation would be even more criminal
than absurd. Happily the people, by eiecting
an overwhelming majority ii thoroughly loyal
Representatives, are rendering lts mutation i'm
possible.
We cannot close without . most deserved
tribute TO the general fidelity wnerewitn, in
view of the Presldent's detection, the great
body of the people, and even of the Federal
office holders, stand fast by their CONVICTIONS
|
of the Executive, though most unscrupulously
welded against those to whose vote he owes II,
has corrupted very few, either of those who
shared or of those who would gladly share in
its enjoyment. Not one of the twenty-five
States which voted to re-slect Abraham Lin
coin has given its adhesion to the Presidents
policy while New Jersey, the only free State
that voted against him, has added herself to
the number.
| haaf INN q
peril of injustice and thelesson has sunk deep
into millions of hearts. The American peO-
pie, chastened by suffering, are wiser and no
bier than they were. with quicker and more
open ear for every generous suggestion. The
fearful lessons of Memphis and New Orleans
have not been lost on them, as il proved by the
recent elections in Vermont and Maine. We
cherish no shadow Of doubt, that Pennsylva-
MIA, Ohio, Indiana and Iowa, first, then New
York, New Jersey, Illinois, Michigan, Wiscon-
sin, Kansas and Minnesota, will do likewise /,
and that true restoration, genuine, abiding
Peace, will thus be secured to our county,
Peace that will endure, because based on the
everlasting foundations of humanity, Justice,
aud Freedom. Iours,
MARCUS l.. WARD, New Jersey, Chm
JOHN ID. DEPREEs, Indiana, Sec'y.
HORACE GREELEY, New York.
S.A. PURvIANCE, Pennsylvania
WILLIAM CLAFLIN, Massachusetts,.
n. B. SNITHERs, Delaware.
H. w. HOFFMAN, Maryland
II. III. STARKwEATHER, Connecticut
Z. b. COwEN, Oaio.
JOHN B. CLARKE, New Hampshire.
SAMUEL +. HUssEY, Maine.
ABRAHAM b. GARDNER, Vermont.
J. 5. FOWLER, Tennessee,
BURTON c. Cook, Illinois.
MARSH GIDDINGs. Michigan.
ID. L. STUBBS Iowa.
A. w. CAMPBELL, West Virginia.
S. JUDD, Wisconsin.
ID. K GooDLoE, North Carolina.
S Ii. BOYD, Missouri.
w. J. CORNING. Virginia.