The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1866-05-19
An Honest Report.

" 1Eufn2u, I'll -NcW
York Republican, ard for several years the
WAT correspondent Of leading New York
abolition paper, who has spent over a year
travelling in all parts Of the Southern States
since the surrender Of Gen. Lee. has made .
report to the President Oh his observations.
Certain passages show him to be not only an
abD' ZIONIST, but one of the most ultra stripe.
Mr.. Tcuman, however, ii other portions of
lis report, makes statements which. though
p-lpably just and true, must be di.sas;efrl to
the radical majority in Congress. For iu-
stance:
Mr. Truman speaks of th. temper of the
southern people towards the government
lie saws s. the rank and file of the dsbanded
s)uthern a-my-those who remained in it to
the end-are he backbone and sinew of the
south. Long before the Surrender, corps,
divisions, brigades and regiments had been
purgel Of the worthless class-the skukers
those of whom the south, as well a. any
othe- country, vould be best rid Of"
We append his view of the class in the
south most worthy oftrust and TO whom may
be mos safely confdsd tie task Of restoring
genuine Union sentiment:
10 the disbanded regiments of the rebel
army, both officers and men, | look with
great confidence as the best and altogether
lios: hopeiu. element of the south-the real
basis OF reconstzuc,ion and the material OF
worthy citTzeuship. On a thousand battles
fields they have tested the iryineible ;ower
of that GyTernment they Yainly sought TO
overthrow, and alcnc . Thousand picket lines,
AID under the friendly flag of truce. they
hare learned that the soldiers of the Union
bore them no hatred and shared with them
the common attributes O. humanity. Around
the returned soldier of the south gathers ,he
same circle OF adn;ring friends that we see
around the millions of hearth 1;enes in our
own section. and FROM him they hre slowly
learning the lesson of charity and brother
hood. / know of very few more potent infu
ences at work ia promoting real and lasting
reconciliation and reconstruction than the
influence OF the returned southern soldier"
Now hs-e is something remarkable. IN
less Mr. Truman is entirely mistaken. Il -.
men whom the committee on reconstruction
wish 10 fisfranchise are those who should be
encouraged to enter political life and take
upon them the work cfrestoration. Northern
men who have not been blinded BY prejudice
have not doubted any Of the tine tina. the
confedeTates who most determinedly sus
tanned the cause Of the rebellion wnald be
the ones to give a frank aud tru. adhesion &c
the union when that cause was lost Th.,
were men who were governed by PRINCIPLES
They were willing to make sacrifices for prin
cip'e. However mistaken they we're in ,hei,
views, the same ideas of honor which led tn. n
10 keep the field TO the las. will lead them &c
keep their faith with the government t.
which ihsy have submitted. II appears fror.
Nj humans report that their obedienc. i
not constrained, Blu: a willing one. The,
made a desperate effort TO establish a sepe
rate government. but having failed in tina
effort, they do now cherish any feeling o
hostility against the union. If they canno
have sePerate government, they prefer Z
IN the union. Bat these are exactly the me,
whom the radicals propose to disfranchis
and whom they mean by keeping traitor
out of congress-" ard instead Of them the
would turn the political power of the sou,
over TO tie negroes and the miserabl
towards and 'skulkers." whom Mr.. Truma,
SO bitterly denounces q, the worst population
any country was ever cursed with.