The Portland daily press., 1866-08-11
The Danger of Injustice.

men of timid and doubtful councils, may say
or think to the contrary, It is certain that in
this world nothing is so dangerous as injus-
tice, nothing is SO sure to result in calamity
as cowardly yielding to wrong However
difficult the conjuncture, there is always safe
ty in doing justly; right principle is a guide
it will always do to follow. Unfortunately
men cannot be brought really to believe this;
If they did it would save us an almost inf
mite amount of pain and trouble. They treat
reatpTinciples as they might some powerful
drug which must be doled out in careful doses.
rather than as strong and wholesome food by
partaking freely of which men become strong
er and better. Theoretically, they. are ready
to admit that truth and right are stronger
than anything else; but when it comes to
putting these in action they dare not trust.
the working OF their theory. Practically,
they treat the truth as If they doubted its APP
plication to this wicked world, distrusted its
fitness and ability to contend with the powers
Of evil everywhere SO rife. So, by way Of pro
tecting, they hedge it round with compromis-
es and concessions, to the wrong, which only
seem to fetter and endanger it, and to aid the
cause of its adversaries. 1t would seem as If
they expected TO bride Satan into remission
eff his ceaseless warfare by yielding to him
some portion OF the kingdom of God. ! 1Ia
Instances enough of this most fatal of all
folies have been shown in our national histo-
~. The long catalogue of compromises and
concessions to the wrong is too familiar to
need recapiLulation. But perhaps there is no
more striking instance of the danger and folly
of this species of eowardice than may be
found in the history of reconstruction in Lou
isiana. When in 1864, the white loyalists Of
that State undertook to rebuild til cir shatter-
ed civil fabric. they had it in their power to
place themselves in position of strength
and security against which the fiercest waves
Of rebel violence would have beat in vain.--
. OF themselves they constituted but a small
minority ofthe voting population Of the State.
Unless all those actively engaged in the re-
belion were to be permanently disfranchised
they could not hope to retain the control
which they then held. Bus they had all
ready to their hand class of men able and
willing to cooperate with them in every eff
fort for the loyal cause, by accepting whose aid
they would have been able TO retain the pre-
ponderance which was so essential not only to
their success but to their very existence. An
estimate which we consider reliable puts
down the ex-rebel voters of Louisiana at a.
ical, voters at 5000; the colored men who, if |
impartial suffrage prevailed would be entitled
to vote, at 10000. A single glance at these |
figures shows that if these men had then call |
ed to their aid the colored population who
were loyal almost to a man, they would have
been taking counsel not of justice only but of
wisdom and prudence. They were urged to
do this. Mr.. Lincoln wrote on the 18th of
March, 1864, to Gov. Hahn, suggesting it as
the wise policy. Here is his letter: .,,-
EXECUTIVE MANSION,
WASHINGTON, March 13. 1854.
Hon. MICHAEL HAHN: U.a, bHg1siL h
Ny dear sin: congratulate you OH having fixed
your name I'm history the first Free State Governor
Of Louisiana. Now you are about 10 have convcii-
tion which, among other things will probably define
the elective Franchise. barely saggcst, jcr yoa'
private consideration, @aether some W thc colo,ctl
people mdgsot be let IN az, for i,stoncc. 6c rery IN
iS, @ s eecgT rS %o,In o na1e .g y ga
IN SOME TRYING TIME TO COME, TO KEEP THE JEW
Ell OF LIBERTY IN TIE FAMILY OF FREEDOM. But
you alone. Truly YOURS
s5r9 sHla91f 81 a. hrScoLN.
But the convention stood too much in awe
of that bitter Southern prejudice which |
maunders ola white mans government to |
dare TO do what their own safety really de-
manded. They did not see their danger. |
though it is inconceivable how thew could
have been so blinded by prejudice as not to |
see what must be the result of excluding these
their natural and indispensable allies from |
share in the suffrage. They have seen their
blunder since, put they find now to their BIT
ter cost that IL is too late for them to repair i
it. In anguish and in blood they are paying
the penalty Of their cowardice and injustice
then. a4.l .r-.,s..-es d.. .-r.-r -.se-.r Il,
Will the lesson which their fatal bluutler
affords have any effect? Perhaps NOT: the
world is slow to learn of these things, but we
will not yet refrain from calling it to heed
them. Every drop OF blood shed in New Or
leans rises up and breaches to us with the ell
oquence of an apostle that the only safety for
thisor any other land is in EQUAL AND EXACT
JUSTICE. The cause of loyalty and good gov
eminent in the South has gone backward
with fearful rapidity of late, but there is still
the consolation of knowing that out of the
very madness of evil-doers comes form of
good. Every fresh outrage on the part of the
advocates of unequal rights is educating the
public mind to clearer view of the true basis
r. "a 7
right dare to speak for it boldly. He who fall
tiers SELECTS the danger he breads. Safety and
success are in firm counsels.