The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1866-02-25


That is the problem which Congress is try
ing to solve and an attempted solution EN-
braced'in the Freedmens Bill. II is said
that the Senate committee is again at work
upon new bill which is to be made, II pos
sible. free from the objections that the Pres
ident urged against the other bill. We hope
Congress will give those objections great con-
sderation. The freedmen question is q very
knotty one. 1t would appear to be simple.
Here are portion Of the inhabitants of the
country who have been in slavery. Slavery
has been abolished. Let then the freedom
and manhood Of the emancipated be acknowl.
edged. Let them be free as other citizens.
We have said that those who wish to treat
the freedman as though he were an idiot, aud
totally unable 10 take care Of himself and at
the same time are clamorous for universal
negro suffrage, seem to us, to staltify them
selves. We repeat il. The people who COM
pretended so well the nature and result of the
late war, who bore themselves 20 wisely and
hravely through it, surrounded by the tolls of
treason as they were. Who did SO nobly as
dtid those freedmen, are not idiots or imbe-
Giles. Give them the rights of freemen and
they viii take care OF themselves. In
his claims for them on this score Presi-
dent JOHNSON says: Il Neither is sufh-
cient consideration given to the ability of the
freedmen to protect and take care of them
selves. 1t is no more than justice to them
to believe that as they have received their
freedom with moderation and forbearance, so
they will distinguish themselves BY their in
dustry and thrift and soon show to the world
that in the condition of freedom they are self.
sustaining and capable of selecting their own
employment anftheir own places of abode,
and of insisting for themselves on proper
remuneration and of establishing and main
tanning their own asylums and schools"
Said military gentleman in our hearing a
short time ago, that while he was Provost
Marshal of post in Arkansas-Little Roc,
We think, while the whites came TO him for
rations and support, there were few if any
negroes that did SO. 1t is notorious that
throughout the South, the eolored people have
made shift for themselves during the scarce
and hard condition of things since the close
oi the waT, better than have the whites. They
ran maintain themselves now surely quite as
we'll as they have heretofore maintained
themselves and their masters. We have
ing than have the negroes been since the act
OF emancipation. And il isn't because there
have been schoolmasters to force education
upon them, but they have taken to study of
tLcir own accord and under discouragine cir-
camstances.
The President objected to the bill vetoed
because il gave the President large appoint
ing power, and gave the freedmen into the
keeping OF his agents. We most earnestly
share that objection. The President will ap-
point men of his own political views. If it
is a copperhead President, then his agents
will be men Of pro-slavery prochviues.
We all know what the country suffered
from the administration OF the McCLEILArs,
BrEIls and PoRTERs. For Gods sake, let
us save the freedmen from such calamities.
What protection would Northern sympa.
thizer or Southern STAKEHOLDER, acting as
such agort, give to the colored man? What
is there Of justice in making men, who are
free. AMI have worn the country's uniform,
and stood Sin the imminent deadly breach"
and who have walked side bv side With the
bravest men of the North. into the thickest
of the surging battle tide, and whose fellows
have been slaughtered while nobly defending
the flag Of the Unon-what justice is there
in making these men go into the presence of
petty agents, Copperhesds or rebel, it may
be, to have their contracts enforced and their
rights pro: ected? Nol These men have won
the rights of freemen, and should have them.
When they Lave them, let them 90 to the
Copits for protection. Let them get it, too,
no; through local Courts, governed by the
arbitrary and oppressive laws that rebel legis
lators may see Gt 70 impose upon the freed
men, but through Federal Courts, where the
poorest colored man shall stand the peer of
any man in the land. as the recipient of the
protection ofjust and impartial national legis-
lation
In discussing the subject the Chicago Re
publican says "The bill, itshould be remem
bered, confers no political rights upon the
negro. 1t simply provides that whenever and
wherever negroes are BY local laws denied the
civil rights properly belonging to oil freemen,
there shall be n tribunal with authority to
secure and enforce those right. 1t merely
throws around the unfortunate race the pro
lection which they need from tho oppressive
State legislation, which owes its originto the
baffled revenge Of rebels, and 70 the inbred
preiudices which long years of slavery have
produced But we leave to the considera-
ton Of Congress the query, if it he not posi-
ble to devise better policy than to remand
the freedmen to such q tribunal However
we'll intended the plan, we believe, that under
a copperhead administration it would be made
an engine for the oppression of the negroes
and even under Republican rule there would
be many inefficient aud worthless appoint
ments, that would wrong both whites and
blacks. The concession of his manhood and
the protection of proper courts are better
safeguards for the rights and interests Of the
coiored man 'nan any system of agency I'D
pinistration.
ArpASoosE County IrExs.-The Ce,,,e.
vile Loyal Citizen says that little danvh,er
of Daniel Peron, in that county, while ol.v.
ing, fell upon a cornstslk, which ran tLrouob