The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1866-03-14
THE RESTORATION POLICY.

II THE RESTORATION POLICY.
A KENTUCKY DELEGATION AND TIE Presidential
Is UNALTKRABLIY RESOLVED TO DEFEND
i THE CONSTITUTION.
On the. morning OF the 9th, JAMES A. DAWSON
Esq, Register Of the Land Office for the State o.
Kentucky, in company with Messrs. HARDING, RrT.
TER, Rousseau, GRDER, TsIMBLE, and SHANKLIN
members Of Congress, Quartermaster- General
GEORGE W. MONROE and other citizens Of that
State. called upon the President. The object Of
the visit WAS to present to Mr.. JOHNSON the pro-
ceedings OF q mass meeting held at the capital, in
Frankfort, endSSns his veto message.
4 Mr.. DAWSON, oiAing introduced, addressed
the President as follows:
ADDRESS OF NIB. JAMKs A. DAWSON.
/ Mr. PRECEDENT: I am delegated by mass meet
held at Frankfort, the capital Of the State, on the
2eth ultimo, to present the proceedings there had
to your EIeeleney.
The meeting WAS called "a give an expression Of
| the yiews Of the people UPON the policy Of your
Administration, and with special reference to the
views and prineiples.enunciated in your message
to the Senate, embodying your objections 70 what
is Familiarity known as the Freedmen's Bureau
bill. It was q meeting Of no political party, but
Of the people, without regard to past political
sentiments. Men Of all parties united in the
meeting cordially, heartily, enthusiastically. And
allow me to Assure You, Sir, that these proceed
ings are not the expression OF single locality In
the State but that they contain the sentiments Of
the whole people of the Commonwealth Similar
meetings have been and are being held, every
where throughout the State, and everywhere are
your patriotic positions spplauded, and the pur-
pose declared to stand By you in the conflict be-
tween yourseK-planted as yon are on the citadel
| of the Constitufion-and those who would still
keep that instrument rolled up as q sealed book,
and would substitute for it their own impulses,
prejudioes and pas sions In the Enactment and en-.
forcement Of laws.
with you, air, the people Of Kentucky hold that
the Union OF the States has not been destroyed;
that the attempted revolution had no other effect
than to suspend for the time the operation OF the
relations between the States and the Government,
and did not destroy or impair them in any degree.
That this attempt having been abandoned or sup
pressed, the functions, Oblg cations, and privileges
Of the States, whose inhabitants we're engaged in
the revolt, remained unimpaired, and no legs ga
cred than before. To be brief may cay that
YOUR views upon these questions, as stated In
your annual and special messages to Congress,
your public speeches and letters, meet the entire,
full, and almost unanimous approval OF the peo-
pie Of the State Of Kentucky ana .nsS yTa may may
Administration upon the position you 2aYe 'hus
irsSd x GSs nOs disguise the fact for should be in
sincere il did, that there has been, and still is,
some impatience and dissatisfaction felt by the
people at what they regard as unkind suspicious
and determinations against them upon the part
of the Government, which they have sustained
throughout the late terrible conflict at such sacr
fees ss only they and those similarly situated can
know,
State Complied with every requirement OF the au-
thorities Of the Government, whether 1t met tne ne
appreciation Of her people or not-furnlsheo 81!
tie men and all tho money demanded OF her; barred
her bosom to the shock OF battle; gave up ner
substance to the support Of the armies; IN snort,
performed her whole duty-entitles her to all the
Consideration shown to the other States, which
1id no more, and suffered not q tithe compared
to her. ...,
There may be mentioned, as particularly un-
pleasant and mortifylng to her people:
lat The fact that in the restoration OF the Pr1Vl-
eee OF the writ Of habeds corpus, that State alone
of those which adhered to the GoVernm7n., WAS
excepted. They could not understand tne REASONS
which superinduced that discrimination. Hro- .
Wsis aHaa ruff ia r. haa opsra
ton, through the medium Of which equal and ex-
act Justice could be secured by all. 1fher citizens
had been guilty of criminal or other offences
against the Government, speedy and adequate
penalties could be inflicted upon them through
the civil tribunals, an evidence OF which ls the
fact that the only conviction for treason, on &C.
count OF the events of the rebellion, which has
been had in the Union, was in the District Court
for Kentucky.
2d. The continuation Of military forces and au-
thority in the State, whereby the privileges OF
the people have been and are infrlnged; tne iree-
dom Of the elective franchise abridged; the ad-
mnstration of civil law interfered with un,
necessarily and unawfully, and the peace and
good order OF society disturbed.
Sd. The extension into the State, as they main
tain. without warrant OF law and without ne
Icessity, of the authority OF the Freedmens
Bureau. ,..,.,
The freedom of the negro, and all his rights OF
person and property, are not more secure ID any
State in the American Union than in Kentucky.
He is in no moro danger OF laWiess OF IN usage
there than in any other section OF the country. 1t
is certainly true that many OF the cltzens OF the
State did not endorse the manner OF his hberatlon
but they entertain no malice toward him Tor &C
cepting freedom when protfered: Nor ls any IN
tention entertained of endeavoring, by any means,
to reduce him again to servitude:. On the con-
trary all recognize, as an accomplished fact, his
freedom. Being free, he is regarded as entitled
to the protection Of law, and no one IN the State
proposes to withhold that protest1lSon'p 1S thoro
tends only to produce Generalization and dissat-
isfaction amongst the negroes, annoyance and in
conveniences to the white citizens, and is produc.
tive of no good results. Numerous inetances OF
acrsnt violation OF law, and the feelings, as we'll
as the rights of it's citizens, by its agents might
be given, but will not detain you with such re-
I venture this single further statement, that the
people OF Kentucky and the laws OF the State, II
feft to themselves, will secure the negro in all his
rights of person and property; that there are
more cases Of wrongs by negroes upon white per
sons in the State, which 60 unpunshed by the
civil authorities, than Of wrongs by white per-
sons against negroes.
Thus, Mr. President, have given you, in brief,
statement Of the feelings Of the people OF Ken
lucky. appeal to the distinguished gentlemen
present for corroboration OF what have said.
1 viii only add that these things, deemed by
them as grievances, have been borne with pa
tience and comparative silence, because Of the
confidence they repose in your sense OF justice,
laws of the land. They have been aware of the
overshadowing matters of Importance which have
been pressing upon your time, and hsve waited.
confident in the belief that when 'the funess OF
time" shall have fully come, you will "nnrol the