The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1866-09-15

I
OF Soldiers aud Sailors at Cleveland, returne
the following answer:
| PEEKsKILL- August 30. 1856.
Ctas g. Rd1pine Breret Brigrd>r Geaeral H. w. yocun
| NIj0r General Gordon dr1tn5er, CoDimiIce:
GENTLEMEN: 1 am obligeu 10 20 for th
invitation which you have made me. to act a
Chaplain to the Convention OF Soldiers an,
Sailors, about TO convene at Cleveland
cannot attend it, but / heartily wish it anc
all other Conventions, of whatever party
success, whose object is the restoration of al
the States lately IN rebellion to their Fedora
relations. Our Government theory has NJ
place for State except in the Union. v i:
Justly taken for granted that the duties of q
State in Federal relations tend to its politi'
cal health and to that of the whole Nation
Even Territories are hastily brought in often
before the prescribed conditions are fulfilled
as if it were dangerous to leave community
outside of the great body polite. Had the
loyal Senators and Representatives of Tens
uessee been admitted at once on the assem-
bling of Congress, and in moderate success
| sion Arkansas, Georgia, Alabama, North
Carolina. and Virginia, the public mind OF
the South would haze been far more health y
| than 1t is and those States which fingered on
probation 70 the last would have been under
| a more salutary influence to good conduct
| than if dozen armies had been marched
over them.
Every month that we delay this healthfnl
| step co:ur,;cates the ease. The excited pop.
ulation, enough unsettled before, grow more
irritable The army becomes indispensable
to local government. and supersedes it. The
| Government at Washington is called on to
interfere in one and another difficulty; and
| this will be done inaptly, and sometimes
with great INJUSTICE, for our Government.
wisely adapted to its own proper functions,
is utterly devoid of those habits, and une>
qaip1ed with the instruments which fit a
centralized Government to exercise authority
in remote States over local affairs. Every
attempt to perform such duties has resulted
i'll mistakes which have excited the nation,
but whatever imprudenCc there may ne in the
method, the real criticism. should H.. against
such duties of the General Government.
The Federal Government is unfit - aNer-
else minor police and .ocal government, and
will inevitably bIunder when it attempts to
keep half score of States under federal
authority. but without national ties and re-
spousibilIty. To obIige the central prern>
ment to govern half the territory b. the
Union b. civil Federal officers, nd by
armies. is Contrary to oar ideas aud princi-
pies, but pre-eminertlv dangerous to the
spirit of our Government. However humane
the end sought and he motives. it is in fact
a course of distraction preparing our Cows
ernment to be despolic, and tamiliariaing
the people to 4 stretch OF authority which
can never bc otherwise than daugetous to
liberty.
am aware that good men are held from
advocating the prompt and successive ad,
hitting Of the exiled States, ani are fearful
of its effects upon parties and freedmen.
1t is said that, If admitted to Congress, the
Southern Senators and Representative will
coalesce with Northern Democrats and rule
the country. Is this nation, then, to remain
dismembered to serve the ends Yf parties
Have we learned no WIS ly.U ar Tie history
of the last ten years, IN WIN lst this
course Of Sacriiiriu he nation to the ex gen>
cies of parties plunged The country into war
Even admitting that toe power would pass
into the hands Of party Of Southern men and
the hiih srto dishonored Democracy of the
North that power could not be usen just a.
they pleased. The war has changed not alone
institutions, but ideas. The whole country
far beyond what il has been at any time. \
new party would. Ike a river, be comP,lled
to seek lis channel in tie already eNIsllu.
sha pes and forms of The continent
We have entered on anew idea Cf liberty, the
style Of thought Is freer and more noble the
Young men of uTr times are more regeaerated.
The great ARM has been school, and hun
dreds of thousands OF men are gone hDInc 10
preach ;ruer and uphier view of human
rights. All the industrial interests Of society
are moving with increascd wisdom towards
intelligence and liberty. Everywhere, in
church, literature. natural science, in phil
osophy as in social circles, the nation feels
that the winter is over aad a new spring
hangs i'll the horizon and WORKS through ali
the elements
In this happy change and advanced cons
dition of things no party of the retrograde
order can IN .iniain itself. Everything mar
ches. and parties mast march.
| hear with wonder, ana shame, and scorn,
that the South, once more adjusted with the
Federal G ,yerumeut, will rule this nation.
The North is rich, never SO rich. The South
is poor, never before SO poor. The popula>
ton of the North is nearly double that of the
South. The industry of the North, iu divers
sity, in forwardness in produc;iyeness. in all
the machinery and education required for
manufactures, is fifty years in advance of the
South. Churches in the North crown every
hill. swell every neighbnrhOod, while the
So6th has but lights at long distances, twink>
ling Ike stars in the darkness. Such con-
tract! However mean and craven, such - the
fear that the South will rule the land.
That it will have an infiuenee-tlIat it will
contribute in time, most important influences
and restrants-we are glad to believe. But
it it arises at once to the control of the Cows
ernment. it will be because the North, GeInor-
allied by prosperity and besotted by grows
eIling, refuses to discharge its share of political
duty. In such a case, the South will not
only control the Govern nen:, but it ought to
do it.
1t Is feared, With more reason, that the re>
storation of the South would in ure the freed
men. Let us dismiss from our minds the
idea that the freedmen can be sePerated from
the. white population, and nursed by them>
selves. The sooner the better for us.
Yhe action of the South toward amlcable
relations with the North, toward reviving It's
Industry fhe reinspiratiOn OF It's enterprise
and thrift. will all rebound to tne ireedmens
benefit. Nothing Is 50 dangerous 10 the freed
men as an unsettled state OF sociotv in the
South. On him comes all the spite, anger,
caprice and revenge. He will be made the
scapegoat Of heartles men, unless we turn
the Government into Il vast military ma ahne.
There cannot lie armies enough to protect the
freedmen while Southern society remains
insurrectionary. If.Southern society is clmed,
settled and occupied. and sOothed with
hopes and pro perous industries, no armies
will be needed. Riots viii suhside, lawiess
hangers-on Will be driven OF or better gov
erned, i.al way will be gradually opened up
TO tne freedmen. through education and In>
dus,rv to full citizenship, with all lis priv
ileges aud duties.
No one can escape that forty yea rs in the
wilderness who travels from the Egypt of
irunrauca to the nrn,ai.ed Land of intelli>