The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1866-03-16
"wHAT REMAINS OF THIS CONTEST" I"

peals 10 tne OOutneru peoPic w s'""e '''
shoulder and fight "what remains OF this contest
The phrase Is suggestive and deserves attention
Those who argue that the war hassuffciently chas'
tened the wicked spirit Of slavery, and that We
have only to throw open the doors and let the lead
ers hurry back to their old seats In the Sena'e'
and their former position in army and navy. ea'-
ing the negro behind In the nondescript condition
Of freedmen-should read attentively the decl"ra'
tions OF those who claim to speak for the former
rebels. The contest Is far from being ended. The
people Of the South have long had great adVan.
tage In the Union, the monopoly OF political pow
er occasioned by the sad deiect the Constitution
which made labor test Of manhood in the North
and commodity in the South. This discr'm'na
ton. giving the power OF States rs populous rs
Maine into the hands Of few plantation masters
n the Csrolinas. has always given the South pre-.
ponderance In the national councils, and united
its leaders in their schemes Of sggrand'Iement'
or course. these people do not wish to surrender
q monopoly which was so useful In the days OF
their power, and which promises to be more use
full In the days Of their extremity. Nor do We see
any indication of Its scessation. We are gradually
pardoniug back the rebels to privileges which no
Northern community enjoys. delegation from
Louisiana will come to the door of Congrtss, and
claim admission from that reconstructed state
That delegation will consist Of Ave representatives
They claim to represent 379,699 white people,
i5,l5s free colored men, and 33i 1875 freedmen.
According to the former policy, these FIVE repre-
sentatives really represent the suirages of o6,32o
white men who are of age and have right TO
vote. In other words. 96 800 will have FIVE voices
on the yeas and nays, and those voices the prob
able echoes of men like Wells (Goyernor) and CUT
Ter (Senator). The 90 ,O49 freedmen OF the age to
vote, have nothing to say. The State Of Maine
will also have delegation of FIVE In Congress.
Those five. however, will represent l6s,os7 white
men of the age to vote They will have only hve
voices on the yeas and nays to balance the five OF
Louisiana. The difference In favor OF Louisiana
is. therefore, 7l,75s white voting men. II the
policy is just-ii Louisiana has her rights and
nothing more - then l,755 voting citizens OF
Maine stand disfranchiscd in Congress, To make
the illustration clearer. let US take Connecticut
aud South Carolina. Each has four members.
Yet in Connecticut i3o, ,2si white voting men are
required to elect the delegation. while in South
Carolina Gs, ,l5i can do It. II South Carolina is
right, then SO 1877 sons Of Connecticut are disfran-
chiscd in Congress. Georgia has seven voices In
Congress. and yet these seven are chosen by l39'-
500 white Georgiaus, or just 2,22S more than
Connecticut. II Connecticut is treated properly,
then 2,22s white men in Georgia have the power
of three representatives.
Unless we otherwise determine now, this power
will be retained by the Southern States-perhsps
increased. They will assert that freedmen, no
longer being slaves, must be counted rs man ana
man In the apportionment, and not rs "thrce
6fths of all other persons" So really these men
will have their political power strengthened to the
amount Of two fifths Of oil the freedmen In the
country. BY giving the States the right to regu-
late the question OF suffrage and reserving to Con-
cress the question Of apportionment, VIC take the
Southerners back with renewed privileges. VIII
these Southern men use this power to hasten the
work OF reconstruction Not, We think, unless
they have all their demands granted. They SUR
render slavery becauscIthey cannot help 1t, anu
after fighting four years to keep It. And yet
Northern men who feed with the Republican par
~ shed tears Of we'll remuneratcd joy, and say,
"Behold how gladly our Southern brethren aban-
don slavery" They surrender slavery just rs Lee
surrendered to Grant--because he was whipped.
outnumbercd. starved, surrounded, and desired TO
save useless effusion Of blood.
What have the Southern politicians done 1--WE
mean the parioncd ones) to show n sincere desire
to do the simplest act Of Justice to the freedmen
What have the States who are quietly arranging
to come into the Union. again, done to assist the
freedmen or commend themselves to the affection
and sympathy Of the Northl Let US call Tcnnes-
see She is loyal enough, and has suffered so
drcadfully that she certainly will be the first to
recognize manhood. Tennessee will not allow
black mans oath against white man; black men
cannot make contracts unless white men witness
them; and IL black men are arrested for vagrancy
they may "bc sold to the highest bidder for jail
fees" Call North Carolina We see the whip
ming. post and the pllory. Call Louisiana-and
we end the negro checked and guarded and re
strained as though he were mad dog. and not q
man who lives by his labor. Call Alabama! We
find movement to tax the people to pay the Re
bel debt! Why nctl fAlabama can dictate the
terms her return to the Union, she can do what
she pleases with her money. This rebel debt is
one of the important issues that "rcmains OF this
contest" Tous, this debt is IN abomination; to
the Southern leaders question Of honor. They
mean to make us pay II possible II they come
back to Congress defiant and powerful, we shall
have this rebel debt question sprung upon US
Some OF our friends may deride such danger. hut
TO us il is n danger-a legitimate consequence OF
the policy that would allow the rebel States to re-
turn to the Union carrying In their hands the in
strumcuts of their newly. ended war. Their votes
will be wanted badly wantcd-o on election day.
We have publcmen who would gladly insist upon
paying the rebel debt, IL they could get the rebel
vote. That vote will be sold for q much greater
price.
Three questions that "rcnnin Of this CONTEST
arc the payment OF the rebel debt the degradation
of the negro into the thing called "frcednan,'
and the preservation of the unjust political power
Of the Southern States. They propose to fight us
ON these issues. Nor will they fight us alone.
Here in New York they will have two. probably
three daily newspapers, with Scymours, Recds,
vallandngh hams, over all tho North without the
number, to fall into line and lead their assaulting
column. The victory is ours. IL We take II. We
should say to these gentlemen. in the sprito per.
ciful justice, "Come back to the Union, free and
forgiven, but to n Union In which you are equals
and not masters. Our only tests manhood and
labor; and whoever brings these is our brother
aud felow.eitilen. equal before the laws equal in
making tho laws. AS for the rebel debt, let 1t be
buried with all that is dead Of rebellion. Wo can
IS easily call up the bones Of our dead children
and bid them to walk. as think Of paying for the
powder and cannon that slew them. We oiier you
universal amnesty, but VIC demand universal JUS
ticc. the dignity oflabor, manhood suffrage IL