The Idaho world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1864-1918, 1866-02-24
Correspondence from the south.
MEMPHIS, Tenn, Jan. 22d, 1866.

time the sable African ors"American citizen
of African descent" has occupied the ate en-
ton of taose, grave and digni6ed bodies the
Congress and Senate of the United States.
The negro is set at liberty as a onsequenee
of the war and the Acts and proclamations
of Abraham Lincoln's administration and this
fact is acknowledged and ae4uiesced in by
all ofthe people of the heretofore slavehold-
ing States. 1t now becomes question, what
shall be done with him; what status shall he
occupy and what laws shall be passed con-
corning lis new condition.
The policy of President johnson, and in
this respect that III the Democratic party and
conseryatiyes IS TO leave the question of ne~
gro SD 6fage to- the States, where the Consti-
tuition oflhe United States leaves it. But
the radicals led by Sumner, Stevens, Wilson.
and others, desire and urge with all their in
domitable energy and ability that the negro
SHALL vote, and exercise every political priv
| ilege of the white man; and THEY propose
for this purpose to take the power from the
States most deeply interested, aud place it 10.
the hands of Congress, and their Wleldlt, to
an oppressive extant, and this contrary to
the Constitution itself, as 1t Is well known
that the States reserved this power when the
Constitution was framed.
These latter day reformers also refuse to
admit the Southern members Ito their seats in
lGongressy although civil authority has been
restored Except as to EFeedmans' Bureans)
Governors have been elected and the vote of
several of the States has been received upon
the amendment 10 the Constitution abolish
ing slavery Besides tits the people of
OF the Southern States are now being taxed
equally with the northern States, but the
radicals refuse to admit the Southern mem7
bersto seats; this ofcourSe - taxation with
out representation contrary TO plain and
unmistakeable provision of the Constitution
of the United Safes.
Why it is that these States have resumed
their civil functions, and acknowledged to be
to-equal in their relation TO the general goVs
eminent with the northern States, and still
denied the right to be represented i'll Con-
gress cannot see; and the Southern people /
have concluded thatsa system of oppression
IS about to be adopted which will not only
be wrong, but will have the inevitable effect
of alternating the affections, widening the
breach and destroying that good. feeling
which should exist between the people of4tne,l
North and South living under one govern
ment.
The extreme radicals. purpose to enlarge
the South. These Freedmens Bureaus are
very obnoxious to the people here, and are
doing much mischief, and creating. great
deal of unnecessary trouble. They are in
vested with the cover to try and determine
allquestions otright or wrong arising between
the white man and the Eegro, aud lheir. de-
cisous, judgments or DEGREES are enforced by
the military 1t is often the case that the
ha p Of !
IRENE views, and great prejudice, AID are Of
ten very subservient to radIcalsm. 1t there
fore eau be very readily seen that their dec-
sions would likely favor The negro in. many
cases as il can be as readily seen that their
existence here wLe!ds trouble, and causes the
Southern people to feel that the acts of the
general government are oppressive towards
them. This is bad state of affairs as the
day may not be far distant when it will be
absolutely necessary that we should be a.
united people, both in affection and interest.
The Southern people object and very right
Iy too, that negro soldiers should be kept in
their midst. They become indolent ia many
cases. and by their presence and example
excite the freedmen around them to commit
crimes, and ourages ofvarious kinds. Their
presence here also h&sthe effect of hinderng
the freedmen from, entering into contracts
for labor. and in many cases causing them to-
break their contracts after having entered iG-
TO them. Besides this it is not very pleasant
to people to have an insolent soldery in {
their midst composed of persons so recently {
held in bondage by them and it is very nat s
ura that this is offensive to the whites; and
II would seem that because this is so, there {
fore the radicals seek to keep them here. {
Would it not be much better if the wounds OF |
the country were healed up, and good will !
and harmony restored and should not every
means be used 70 bring about this result. t
The conservative and Democratic element r
desire this. The people of4the South from
The bottom of their hearts desire it, and it is
is for the interest of this great nation at f
present and in the future that this should
so.
Admit that the Southern people have |
have erred ; if so they have suffered for their
folly. Is it manly, christian like, magnani- +
nous or just to inflict such punishments up
on conquered, ruined people. These radi- :
cals should reflect that they had some agen- $
cy in goadng on the Southern people to the
commission of the error, if one and they r
should remember that this Government must
live, if it live at all, by the harmonious CO.
operation of all the States. It's strength
and power consists in the attachment of the
people to it. And It's mistake to suppose |
that friends can be made by force, and in i'm. ,
posing hard terms upon the vanqqished. {
have have the pleasure in my travels in !
the Sonth ofconversing with number Of IN G