The southerner., 1866-05-26

the jury was unwilling to seem vindic-
tive, or to do any act not demanded by
the sternest and clearest duty. Since
that time, the Attorney General has
published his opinion, that Washington
lis not the proper place of trial, but that
the trial should be in Virginia, where
the actual offences has been committed.
We, therefore, submit the matter for
your consideration.
But an irreparable law of nature,
whenever we fasten one end of the chain
upon fellow being, the other and
heavier end is linked around ourselves,
corroding our bodies until the iron en-
ters our very souls. We insist, there
fore, that the masses of our people were
so profoundly Ignorant of the condition
of public affairs, and so misled and de-
ceived by the intensely selfish and wick.
ed aristocracy, as not to be morally re-
sponsible for their participation in the
late rebellion, and that it would be ad-
ding cruelty to injustice to hold them
so. To convince the most s,eptical on
this subject, let US look at the condition
and history of the first Congressional
District in this State. That District
contains more than four times the Ter
ritory of the rich, prosperous, enlight.
ened, happy, liberty ard equality loving
State of Rhode Island, once the seat of
learning and boasted Virginia hospital
ity, the birthplace of four Presidents
of the United States, embracing the
site of the first English settlement in
America. The city of jamestown,
which now more fallen than Tyre or
Sidon, Or Sodom and Gomorrah, has
not enough of ruins even left for bats
to fit or owls to hoot in. In the nine.
teen centuries of tLat district, there is
not now, as it's Representative in Con-
gress thirty years ago, boasted single
newspaper published, and so long has
the schoolmaster been abroad, that pro-
baby more than three fourths of its ma.
tive grown men and women can neither
read nor write Rhode Island, with
a half million acres, has nearly double
the population, ten times the wealth,
enterprise and education. and contrib
utes to the National Treasury more
than twenty times the amount of thai
district, with its more than two millions
of fertile acres lying on both sides o.
the Chesapeake Bay, and on the grea
rivers James, York, Rappahannock anc
Potomac, having the greatest CONNER
cial, oyster and fishing capabilities O
almost any District in the United States
What a forcible illustration of the truth
that justice, equality, industry and vir
tue, Or as the Bible says, "Gocliness i
profitable for the life that now IS, a
we'll as that which is to come. Tha
righteousness exalteth a nation, but sill
is reproach to any people"
We would not object to the sentimen
of the old and eccentric member o
Congress from the first district, if h,
only referred to those reasonable news
: papers which have advocated rebellion
for they have indeed been curse to u
all, bringing fire and sword, desolatio'
and death not only upon Richmond, bu
f upon every extremity of the State.
If we earnestly consider the origin
= and enquire into the causes Of our ca
: lamities; if We ask why have our rivers
: like ancient Nile, run blood? why hav
we like the Egyptians been overwhelm
t ed in Red Sea. while We were tryin
: to prevent ourselves from escaping to
f land of freedom? Why have our frs
born been cut down by tens of thous
ands until the voice Of mourning an
y lamentation fills the land as it once di
o the land of Pharaoh? Why have W
! suffered so many plaques as once visite
e the proud and stubborn oppressors {
the old Isrealites? We shall find th
G answer to be, because, in the languag
G of reason and philanthropy, we hav
: made war upon the rights of huma
D nature. Or in the language of the ol
s Hebrews, because we have oppresse
q the poor, and because the God of tt
;. poor is determined to write with b
q own hand his adherence of slavery an
# oppression all over our land, in chara
S ters so legible that neither We, nor o,
d children's children, can ever mistal
# his mind and will, in coming gener
!. tions.
h To our shame and disgrace, it mu
l. be admitted, that as far as we are a
o viscd, every one of the numerous co
u ficts of races which have occurred
y this State during the past year, has bet
lc the wanton aud unprovoked work
y wicked white men upon poor, quiet, u
offending, and in most cases, unarm'
d and unresisting colored people. WI
j mo ,,,rdor rob inform