East Saginaw courier. (East Saginaw, Mich.) 1859-18??, 1866-10-11
/" Southern Prosperity"

Southern Prosperity"
We publish this week an article
from the Detroit Post on this subject.
1t is the first sensible article that has
appeared in that paper for long
time-and Notwithstanding the party
spirit in which it is written, and the
manifest party bias of its author, it is
a substantial acknowledgment of the
truth of what we have all along claim
cd, that slavery having been abolish
ed, the peculiar state of society, the
political opinions and social prejudices
engondered by that institution will
pass away with it; and the institu-
tons of all the States will become
more and more homogeneous, until, in
so far as the difference Of climate and
soil, producing particular local inter
ests, will permit, the relations of the
several States to each other and to the
General Government, will become en-
tirely harmonious. Tho destiny Of the
South is in the keeping of the people
of tho South, to just tho same extent
that our future is in our own hands.
For tho enactment Of good and whole
some laws, for the maintenance Of q
free press and Of free speech, for the
education and enlightenment Of the
---~--1~ a,,A fa-, tho ,,rntnntinn Of ner-
son and property, we must look prin-
cipally if not altogether to her people.
If they fail to do their duty in this re-
gard, and elect to do all in their pow
er to make the freedman a serf and
to encourage q mob spirit which will
shackle the press and throttle free
speech, the future of that portion of
our country will DO deplorable indeed.
OF what avail against such spirit of
barbarism, will be constitutions or
constitutional amendments? Each
community, from the nature of our
government, must protect its own
members, foster education and en-
courage a spirit of social progress and
reform, or all these great objects will
meyer be accomplished. The General
Government, located thousands of
miles away, can never successfully
protect individuals, or educate and
elevate them.
Consequently we believe the spirit
in which the present contest is carried
on by the Republican party, to be de-
structivo of the best interests Of the
country. They persistently charge the
whole mass Of the Southern people
with being disloyal to the General
Government, invoterate enemies Of the
freedmen, and of every principle of
liberty that we hold dear; that, as
soon as they are admitted into Con-
gress, they will commence a war upon
the Government, repudiate the public
dobt, if possible, and assume tho reb-
oil debt and thus bring financial ruin
upon the country; that, through their
State governments they will ignore all
civil rights of the freedmen, and
create q state of vassalage worse than
slrvery. They proclaim that the pre-
sent contest differs from the one Just
closed, only in the weapons used, the
ballot instead of the bayonet, that
they are fighting treason, and that
their opponents are traitors, and that
those in the South arc besides muir
derers, thugs and vagabonds and al
ways will be. When a mob in any
Southern State insults freedman or
freedwoman, they herald it forth as
indicative of the spirit pervading the
whole South, but when the State Of
South Carolina passes an act which
gives the colored man thorc every
right which he enjoys in the State of
Michigan, they are dumb aud do not
even publish it. Thus they arc cd
ucating tho people to hate the South
and through that spirit of hato they
hope to carry the coming elections
gain party triumph they are en-
doavoring to override the Constitution
and engender state Of feeling whose
baleful effects will survive this gen.
Grafton, and they do il in the name Of
Liberty, Law and Religion.