The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1866-01-26
From the Congregationaiist.
The NeW Era.
NO MORE SLAVERY.


be no more slavery Oh the soil Of our re-
coerced and established nationality. Al
ready that assurance Is incorporated into
the Constitution of the United States. as
well us into the constitution or laws of al
most all the several States. Nor is this
all. by President Lincoln's ''sreat Proc
lamation." U trust Professor Parker will
now permit to call it great issued As
an act of necessity in war, and commend
cd TO the blessing of God and the appro-
baton of mankind as an act of justice and
humanity. the public faith of the United
States was pledged TO maintain and guard
the liberty of the millions whose bonds
were thenceforth to fall off wherever the
power of the rebellion should be over
thrown. and the national authority re-
established. In the significant phrase of
President Johnson, ''they are the words OF
the nation" Will the nation, think YOU,
fail TO redeem its plighted faith, Is the
nation, in its grand victory over oppres-
sion, likely TO be betrayed by trading poll
ticians into the shame and crime of COM
promising away the liberty of the four
millions whom God has set free In his
avengihg Providence! Will il basely
keep the word of promise to the ear
And break if TO the hope"
bv giving over the freedmen. helpless, into
the power OF their old oppressor>, and per-
mltiing the oppression TO be renewed in
some other form OF bondage. and under
some other name! Can we entertain any
doubt ON that point. and not despair of
the republic Can any man despair OF
the republic. after what we have seen with
in the last five years
TIE FREEDMAN 4 FREE MAN IN FACT.
No: we rejoice in the reasonable GER
iainty that the era of universal freedom
under the flag of our common country. Is
already begun. and that this universal
freedom is 10 be not 4 phrase only, but a
fact The freedmen are 10 lie not ''free
negroes ncrJ ", in Tie meaning which
Southern laws and u>uages have hereto
fore -iscn TO that phrase, but free men
llcncetorth they are citizens OF the United
States Il 10 not say electors) and are
entitled 10 the imnuniieS OF citizens. No
law 10 restrain them of anv liberty which
i> conceded TO other citizenS-no law 10
make that ofienSc in them which Is not an
oiilIISe in other ciiiZenS-no law 10 punish
them bv any penalty moi inflicted on ether
citiz rs for the same ofien,e-no law sub
.iec,ing them 10 any superintendent or
control TO which other citizens are not sub
iectcd in the same circum>tanceS-nol law
TO di>qualily them from appearing in the
courts a. parties or AZ witnesses. or 10
make any mans competency "a 4 witness
depend Oh his parania@e or the color OF
his skin-no law which shall refuse 10
recognize the freedman rs every lnch 4
man-will he permitted hereafter within
the jurisdiction oi' the United STATES.
WHAT WILL BECOME OF TIE FREEDMEN
Just Therein the fact OF freedom. and
in the meaning of that iaci--we are TO
look for the solution of all questions grow
ING out OF the existence and the abolition
OF slavery. Let the natural laws of In
du>try-,hc laws which God has ordained
in the constitution of human-naiure-have
free scope, as they have net had and never
can hlyc under the system of slavery: lcl
there he not half freedom. but entire free
dom let the legitimate and divincly-ap-
pointed incentives TO labor act upon the
cmancipated population; let land. capital,
and labor. concur freely in the production
of wealth. the rent of the land. the inter
est of the capital. and the wages of the
labor being determined, not by arbitrary
power, but hv natural laws let the labor
er be sure OF his daily or weekly hire. and
have opportunities for the secure and prof
liable investment of whatever he can
save: anu then the question, what i iu
become of the freedmen. will find its an
Swer If. being fairly and completely free
TO show the human nature that Is in them.
thew will not work. and work CONTINUOUS
", that they may save and grow rich they
will disappear under the action of divine
laws. as surely us the wild Indian diSap-
pears in the presence of civilization Let
the public faith he kept with the freedmen.
by the vigilance and power of the nation
in lis recovered unity: and all difficuliie:
in regard TO them will be gradually bui
eifeclually disposed OF. have very little
doubt what the result will be- The lazi-
hess in the lately rebel states is not 81
much the lazinesS of the negroes as If is
the lazincsS of the indigenous and lndlgeni
whites; and the race which Is Gkelle>t tc
be swept away by the incoming tides Of
migration from other States and from
Europe, is not the race of nesro-laborers
long Injured TO Toll, and now at last begin.
ming TO be moved by the impulse and thc
, glow of human motives, but the race o.
those whom the institution of slavery ha.
been training, through successive genera,
tons. to incurable habits OF idleneSs ant
unthrift,
The alumni Of Dartmouth college, re-
siding in New York city, gave compli
menlarv dinner Wednesday, TO President
Asa ID, Smith, d. D., at the Fifth Ave
nue. hotel.
Prof. Hopkins of Williams college, ha:
recovered the body Of his only son, who