The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1866-02-02
A Few Thoughts on the @Nesro. !.
For the Jeifersonian. F fti5i

WASHINGTON, Jan. %, '66.
MEssRs. EDrToRs:--I notice in your
issue of Jan. 9th, an article on "re-
construction" from the pen Of my
esteemed friend, j. b. Dunn Esq,
and as a counterpart, with your per.
mission, ! will submit few thoughts
on the "Negro."
1t is said, that our Governments
was founded on the principles, that
man tgas created with certain inali-
enable rights, of life, liberty and the
pursuit Of happiness; that all just
government derives its powers from
the consent of the governed.-that
taxation and representation must go
togethcr-that government were (or
ought to be) made for man and not
man for government, ETC., yet, in the
face of all these high-sounding decla-
rations, we, as nation, bought and
sold and trafllcked in the souls and
bodies Of men and women, until we
had reduced four millions to con-
dition Of servitude, the very enormi-
ties Of which would disgrace the
darkest pages o. heather barbarity.
But, the "irrepressible conflict" be.
tween truth and error, right and
wrong, that was inaugurated, when
man sinned and which, will never
cease until universal freedom is tri-
umphant, at length, as a natural Sc
quence, brought on the late war.
Amongst our enemies, we found
these people-loyal, brave and true
rendering us all the assistance in
their power-giving aid and comfort
to our poor furnishing heroes; vino
were attempting to escape from a
captivity, whose horrors, only fiends
could devise - building forts and
bearing burdens, and finally, by Of
tering up their lives, amid the fam
save government that had lashed,
and scourgcd, and ground them into
the very dust, Tor more than two
hundred years. And now, after the
bitter experiences Of the last four
years - after having successfully
crushed the rebellion, and in the full
blaze, of the accumulated knowledge
and wisdom of the nineteenth centu-
ry, we calmly turn'to these "magnan-
imous," "chivalrous" traitors, their
red hands dripping with the blood Of
half Il million of our brothers, and
with fawnine sycophancy, cody ask
"what shall be done with these loyal
men OF the south?''
Is there another such instance of
sublime absurlity, and unmixed in
justice recorded in the annals of
history! / believe it were far better
this unfortunate race had remained
in slavery, than now to be turned
over to the tender mercies OF disap-
pointed traitors, without the power
to exercise the nstural right of self
protection IN the right of suffrage,
and why the President, or Congress,
cannot impose tins condition, as well
us others, on the lately rebellIous
states, l confess, is not apparent to
me.
One Of the main objections, urged
against impartial suffrage, is, that it
will result in "social equality. -
There can be no such thing as true
"social equality" except on the basis
of intelligence, and do not believe
that the negro, rs race, can ever
attain an equality with the Caucasiar
intellectually. Neither left to him
self nor IN mixed society, and social
competition, can'he hold his even.end
of the chain OF being, or the line Of
progress. 1t is n remarkable phys.
iological fact, that the mulatto
! l(hybrid) is more than half white, and
the quadroon more than three. fourths
white, the stronger element predom-
mating, and there can be no doubt,
that the negro as distinct race, will
disappear from amongst our posteri-
ty-not oppressed and prosecuted by
us, but gradually removed, by the
immutable laws of nature.
Social equality is a matter that re-
gulatcs itself, independently of all
human laws, ard were Congress to
pass law to day, declaring all men
and women socially equal, the lines
would be rs distinctly drawn as be-
fore, and the eairee into good society
as difficult as ever.
Let us then, allow the negroto ex..
ercisc those rights that are has, by
indissoluble letters patent from the
God of his being, Let us build
anew our government on the princi,
pies of eternal right and impartial
justice. Then will it be perpetual;
then will we have set an example to
the world, worthy Of the age in which
we live.
Congress has made move in the
right direction, by vote in the
House of llG TO 55, in favor OF grant.
ing to the colored men of this Dis
trict, the unconditional right OF citi-
zenship. 1t is bitter pill for these
Washington rebels and assassin
leaders, but they can swallow it at
their leisure.
we'll know what Editors think OF
long, dry, communications SO asking
pardon Tor this intrusion, / take my
leave.