Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1866-01-19

el iolaUes nave ~ fepfeSentlYeS or c0l0fed
slaves. If the slaves are now free, then they
can add for the other two fl1hs, IS more,
making the slave representation 80, | sup
pose the free blacks in those States will give
at least five more, making representation Of
non voting people of color about 81. tn
whole number of representatives now from
the Slave States is 10; add the other two
fifths, and it will be SO.
If the amendment prevails, and those
States withhold the right Of suffrage from
persons of color, it win deduct about 81,
leaving them but 46 With the apportion-
ment unchanged, the SO Southern members,
with the Democrats that will in the best
times be elected from the North, viii always
give them majority in Congress and in the
/ Electoral College. They will at the very
| first election take possession Of the White
House and the halls of Congress- | need
| not depict the ruin that would follow. The
| assumption of the rebel debt or reputation
of the Federal debt would be sure to follow.
/ The oppression Of the freedmen, the re-
amendment of the State Constitutions, and
re-establishment of slavery would be the in
eyitable result That they would scorn and
| disregard their present Constitutions, forced
upon them in the midst of martial law,
would be both natural and just No one
that has any regard for the freedom of elec-
| tions can look upon those governments, for
| ced upon them In duress, with any favor If
they should grant the right of suffrage to
/ persons of color, think there would always
| be Union white men enough In the South
| aided by the blacks, to divide the represeh-
| tation and thus continue the Republican as
| tendency. If they should refuse thus to
alter their election law It would reduce the
representatives Of the late Slave States to
about 45, and render them powefless for
evil. 1t is plain that the amendment must
be consummated before the defunct States
are admitted to be capable of State action,
or it never can be, The proposed amend
ment to allow Congress to lay a duty on ex-
| ports is precisely in the same situation. Its
/ importance cannot well be overstated. 1t is
| every obvious that for many years the
| South will not pay much under ourinternal
revenue laws. The only article on which we
| can raise any considerable amount is cotton.
1t viii be grown largely at once. With ten
/ cents per pound export duty it would be
furnished cheaper to foreign markets than
| they could obtain 1t from any other part of
the world. The late war has shown that.
| Two millions of bales exported at 500 pounds
| to the bale, would yield Sl00 COO 000 This
! seems to be the chief revenue we shall ever
| derive from the South. Besides it would
| be protection to that amount TO our domes-
tic manufactures. Other proposed amend
ments, to make all laws uniform to prohibit
| the assumption of the rebel debt, are of VI
| tai importance and the only thing that can
n,event the combined forces of Copperheads
and Secessionists from legislating against
| the interests of the Union whenever they
may obtain an accidental majority But this
is not all we ought to do before these inyet-
crate rebels are invited to participate in our
| legislation. We have or are about to turn
loose 4, 100000 of slaves without a hut to
| shelter them or a cent in their pockets
The Internal laws of Slavery have prevented
| them from acquiring an education or from
understanding the commonest laws of con-
| tract or from managing the ordinary busi-
ness of life. The Congress is bound to pro-
vide for them until they can provide for
| themselves. If we do not furnish them
with homesteads and hedge them around
with protective laws, if we leave them to
the legislation of their late masters, we had
better have left them in bondage Their
condition would be worse than our prisoners
at Andersonville. IF we fail In this great
duty now, and when we have the power we
shall deserve and receive the execrations of
history and all future ages. Two things are
of vital importance So To establish a prin-
ciple that none of the Rebel States shall be
counted in any Of the amendments of the
| Constitution until they are duly admitted
into the family Of States by the law-making
power of their conquerors. For more than
six months the Amendment Of the Constitu-
tion abolishing Slavery has been ratified by
the Legislatures of three-fourths of the
States that acted on its passage by Congress
which had Legislatures, or which were
..f,
on that question. ] take no account of the
aggregotions of white washed rebels, who
without any legal authority, have assem-
bied in the capitols of the late Rebel States
and simulated legislative bodies. Nor do
regard with any respect the cunning by play
into which they deluded the Secretary of
State by frequent telegraphic announce
ments that South Carolina had adopted
the Amendment Alabama has adopted
the amendment, being the tWenty-seventh
State, &c. This was intended to delude
the people and accustom Congress to hear
the names of these extinct States as if they
were alive, when In truth they have no more
existence than the Teyo,ted cities of Latium,
two-thirds Of whose people were colonized
and their property contscated and their
right Of fcitizenship withdrawn by conquering
and avenging Rome.
LII is equally Important 10 the SLdDlHby OF
this republic that it should now be solemnly
decided what power can revive, recreate and
reinstate these provinces into the family of
States, and invest them with the rights of
American citizens. 1t is time that Con-
gress should assert its sovereignty and as
sumo something Of the dignity of Roman
Senate 1t is fortunate that the President
invites Congress to take this manly attitude
After stating with great frankness in his
able Message his theory, which, however, is |
found to be impracticable, and which / be-
lieve very few now consider tenable, he re-
fers the whole matter to the judgment of
Congress. If Congress should fail firmly
and wisely to discharge that high duty, it is
not the fault Of the President. This Con
gress owes it to its own character to set the
seal of reprobation upon a doctrine which
is becoming too fashionable, aud, unless re-
buked, will become the recognized principle
of our Government Governor Perry and
other Provisional Governors and orators
proclaim that this is the white mans Gov
ernment. The whole Copperhead party,
pandering to the lowest prejudices of the ig-
norant, repeat the cuckoo cry. This is the !
white mans government hat is i'm
piled by this? That one race of men is to
have the exclusive right forever to rule this
nation and to exercise all acts of sovereignty, |
while all other races and nations and colors
are to be their subjects and have no voice
in making the laws and choosing the rulers
- Il. ].