, 1866-05-08

record Of the case WIS forwarded to Cover.
nor Worth. On tho 9th ult,, the Governor
received the following despatch from The
PRESIDENT, which settles the matter tcmpora-
rily:
III t.ov..o wnAsa!So7os, D. C., April eth, 1868.
,h.i ~ directed BY The President 10 Inform ynn
iaal os ~ proclamation Of april 1861 It WA no,
shienatd 10 interfere With Military Commissions nj
raa. a1mr. os previously orcanzed, Or trials tam
ga Instructions tho nccueed 10 be lurueu over
10 the evil authority.
VI thu tr'sl 10 which you refer, hut bclorc e.
Lon; .o report al proceedings 10 lie VA Depslt.
xnent Tor examination and rcvtAon.
There has been IN order TIL. day prepared, aud
VII soon bo lzsued. which will reltevc and settle
AZ 'de enbstra.smsnt crosinc OFT q m,sconstrue
copy. EDWARD CoorEn,
Acting Pnvnle Secretary.
The Report Of the Reconstruction Come
nlittce.
CHICAGO, mas 9, 1866.
Editors ChIcsgo Tt,hnnc.
Tho Reconstruction scheme of the Congress
sionnl Committee Of Fit cen docs not seem to
give satisfaction 10 any body With every al.
!. lowance for the intrinsic difficulties of the
great questions Involved, and for the anxiety
Of tue Committee to produce proposition
thirds majority in tue House and the Senate,
ain yet Inclined 10 believe that the period of
probation Of four years proposed for the lutte
srt'els, previous to their re-enfranchlsement,
was very inju1iciously chosen, since it must
occur to every one that this period coinci-
dcs with that Of the Installation Of new
President, and enables the parlisaus of An-
drew johnson and plausibly enough, to, gum
say tue patriotic motives Of the Committee;
md denounce 1t as mere scheme for contzoll-
ing tie next Presidential election.
Would it not have been better to asslml-
1ntc tho period of probation 10 that OF the
duration Of treason, anl to extend it over
tic same time which elapsed between the
adoption Of the several ordinances of seces-
sion in 1861, and their repeal in 1866, or In
'*hatcver period said repeats were made by
the respective Southern State Legislatures
tlnt had originally passed them.
The period Of probation In the Commit
tees report does not respond 10 any particu-
lar coincidence ol retributlye Justice. It Il n
mere fancy period, and as sucl, hardly worthy
Of tho consideration OF j political body.
But this objection might be very properly
discarded II the general principles OF the Of.
teen authors Of that report arc entitled to
regard. I, for one, however, am totally op-
posed 10 them. I believe that many Of my
cot'ntrymen will agree with me in dcmurring
to these principles, both on account of the
Acknowledgement Of the late Southern rebels,
which they nctnally propose, and on account
Of the cnfranchisemcnt OF the Southern loyal
masses, which they fail to proclaim.
believe that il Congress has the power to
disiranclise those who warrcd aguinst the Ma
1ional Government II las also the power Of
cniranchisiug those who faithfully rallied
tound lis banner.
bclieye that the restoration ot the South
cr1 States conld be made altogether harmless
for the Union If their future loyal behavior
were guaranteed by the right of suffrage be-
Ing extended to the masses Of the working
classes IN The South (chicly colorcd pcople)
simultaneously with that restoration Of the
late rebels. II seems to nc thai such meas
urc Is not only required for the purpose of
crowninS the abolition Of slavery
with tho annihilatton Of Its last vcs-
tfgc, in sweeping away all former dis
abilities, but also ns q matter OF policy,
in thus giving . chance 10 millions OF loyal
citizens TO defeat at tue polls the possibly
still trcacherous Intentions Of the rccons,ruc-
ted rebcls. Above all would rejoice over
such measure as one Of enlightened and hu-
name craftsmanship, in making Southern re-
generation 80 hand in hand will, rcconstruc-
uon, by causing the dignity Of labor goue-
ally to he respected, and industry TO pros
per as 1t never prospered. before. 1t would
effectively do away with ali the old disabili-
ties which, in reducing the elave or the freed
man toa mere political parlab, degrade his
manhood, stultlfT the legitimate rewards of
honorable industry, and continue to be as
foul libel upon the political justice of the
republic Us slavery once was upon its sense
Of Christianity.
Having resided d considerable time In the
former slave States, and studied their pccu-
liarpoltiral and social phenomena, am NOR
nlly convinced tlat though the rebel armies
arc crushed and slavery Is abolished, the
Southern States will in every essential re.
epect continue to be ruled by an oligarchy,
and prove TO that extent inimical TO the insti-
tutions Of tho other parts Of the Union, so
long as they are permitted to ieny to their
working claes,s those lualicnablc rights Of
suffrage, which are tue heirloom OF the work.
| ing classes of the North and their chief pro-
lection against the encroachments Of capital,
ofmonopoly, and Of olisarchics of oil kinds.
II is said TINT the people are not yet ripe for
conccding the suffrage to the negro, just rs 1t
vas formerly said that they were not prepared
fur the abolition of slavery. Ii this be so, all
can say Is that 1t is the worsc for the people,
Tor as SURF nS there was war for the crushing
ot the slave power there would In that case
he another war for that Of It's surviving pre-
/ tensions as asserted In tue distianchisemcnt
| Of the freedmen.
l do thiuk that II there ever was time
for the final disposal Of the slavery question,
this is the time. This country cauuot 70 on
to he distracted by this question for ever aud
ever, and get 1t riN be nnd deserves to be dis
tractcd BY it, so long as It shall deny politicat
justice TO those hnrl.workiug people who
wcro tho victims Of Its cruelty from the very
dawn Of American life.
In the same proportion that at least some Of
lis are In many respects intellectually supc-
rior 10 tue late bondsmcn, should VIC bo nux-
fous to invest them with these rights, Which
they have not yet the moral courage to exact
aud only those who deny them these rights,
ART TO bc blamed ifthcsc men should eventual
ly protest against the injustice, ard rs ctlec-
lively as would any other class Of men, who
contribute by their labor 10 the national
wealth and who wonld yet hc treated US lep.
ers politically.
There is no other way of settling the slavery
question finally, mud giving at The same tint
TO the working classes preponderatIng in
flucncc which, to the dctrimeut of the South
they never yet possessed, than by the adop
ticn Of an amendment TO the Constitution
supplementary to that Of the abolition a
slavery, and doing away with the po'itica
disabilities Of the former slaves and pro
I r1-t,, e. Ill A.