Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1866-02-24

hencetortu Oe teu, cIotneu, educated emo |
sheltered by the United States. The idea
on which the slaves we're assisted to free
dom, was, that 90 becoming free, they
would become q self sustaining population.
Any legislation that shall imply tha, they
are not expected 10 attain self.sustaining
condition, must have q tendency ihjnrious
alike TO their character and their pos'er'ty.
| The portonmont OF an agent Tor every |
county aud parish will create an immense pat |
| ronpge and the expense OF the numerous officers
aud their clerks to be appointed by the Presi' |
deut, will be great in the beginning. With
tendency steadily TO increase. The appropria'
| tiops asked by The Freedmen's Bureau as now
established for the year 1866, amount to Sill
| 745,OOO. II may be easily estimated that the
least to be incurred under The pending bill will
re auire almost double that amount ~ ore tbsn
the entire sum expended 10 any one year under
the adm ipistration Of the second Adams. IL the
! presence Of agents in every parish and county
| Is to be considered as q war measure, opposi.
lion or even resistance might be provoked, so
that to give effect 10 their jurisdiction troops
would have to be stationed within reach OF
every one of them and thus large standing
force be rendered necessary. Large appropria.
tions would Therefore be required TO sustain
and enforce military Jurisdiction 10 every parish
anu couhtS, HoW snS Ao'"""e w su0 ~"
| Graude.
The condition Of our fiscal affairs is eDcour.
aging, but 10 order TO snstun the present
| measure Of public confidence, 1t Is necessary
| that we practice not merely customary ecoDO.
my but as far as possible, severe retreDchmeDt.
In addition to the objections already stated,
the 5th section Of the bill proposes to take
away land from its former owners without any
legal proceedings being first had, contrary to
that provision of the Constitution which de-
clares that no person shall be deprived OF life.
liberty or property, without due process OF
law. 1t does not appear that lands to which
this Sc ction refers may not be owned by mluors
or persons OF unsound mind, or by those who
have been faithful to all their obligations os
citizens Of the United States. IL any portion
OF the land is held by such persons, !, is not
competent for any authority TO deprive them o
IL. If OIL the ther hand, it be tuuud that the
property is liable to con6scatiOn, even then it
cannot be appropriated to public purposes un.
iii. by due process Of law, il shall have been
forfeited to the Government
There ore still further objections TO the bill (,
on grounds seriously affecting the class OF per.
, sous to whom it is designed to bring relief. 1t
, will tend TO keep the mind OF the freedmen in q
state of uncertain expectation and restlessness,
, while to those among WHOM be lives it will be
| a
Undoubtedly the freedmen should be pro oected
but they should be protected by the civil nu.
! tbori,ies, especially by the exercise Of all the
r (,,nst itut ionai powers Of the Courts Of the
, Init ed States, aud of the States. His condi.
. ,i,n il not so exposed as may at first be imag.
;, ined. lie is in portion Of the country where
his labor cannot well be spared. Competition
for his services from planters, from those who
= are constructing or repairing railroads. or from
capitalists in his vicinity or from other States,
u will enable him to command almost his own
! terms lie also possesses perfect right 10
i. change his place Of abode; II, therefore be
|, does not fiud in one community or State mode
, of life suited to his desires, or proper remune.
! ration for his labor, he can move to another
= where labor is more esteemed and better re.
e var.ied. Iu truth, however, each State, induced
e nv its own wants and interests. will do what ID
VI necessary aud proper to retain within Its Dor.
Il ,lers all The labor that is needed for the devel
e onmeD, of its resources The laws that regulate
!, supply and demand will maintain their force
a AMI the wages Of The IabOrer will be regulated
thereby. Tbere is no danger but the greal
detuaud for labor will operate 10 favor Or ths
u Iaborer neither is sufficient consideration
J, given to the ability Of the freedmen to protect
] aud take care Of themselves IL Is no more
u than Justice to them TO believe that ms the,
d and forbearacce, 50 they will distinguish them
selves by their industry, and they feel and soOi
show tue world that in a condition of freedom
. they are self SUSTAINING and capable OF selecting
~ their own employ and th,ir own place U
II abode, of Insisting for themselves 90 prope
)r remuneration and OF establishing aud maintain
o lug their own asylums and schools. Is
D; earnestly hoped. that instead OF wasting away
a they will, by their Owu efforts. establish 10
of themselves y coDditOn of responsibility a0'
a. prosperity. II Is certain that they can attain
to tnat cOniiliOu only through ther owl
| merits aud exertIons.
oi la this connection the qnery presents itsel
rs whether the system proposed by the bill viii
% not. when put into complete operation. practi
,e caiIy transfer the eDtire care, support ant
"A conf, oil Of four millions Of euanc ated slave
n to agents, overseers or task,nasiers, who, ap
A poinied az Washington, are ~ be located y
. every county aud parish throughout the Uu'te
y States containing freedmen aad refugees Sue
u o system would inevitably tend To cOncentra
es ton of power 10 the Executive, which woui
IN enable bia, il 80 disposed, 10 control tue ae
tioD Of u numerous class and use Them Tor th
PC altaiDu,eut OF his Own political ends
an cannot but add another very grave obj &c
ton To this bill. The Cou titutiou 4iDperative
declares, iu connection with taxation, ths
~ each State shall have at least one representa-
lie two ~ fxes the rule for the DUN Der 4
q which iu lure time each State shall b
y. composed Of two Seu..ors from each Stat
I'd aud adis. with peculiar force. toat no Stat
in without its consent, shall be deprived Of
.m equal suffrage iu the Senate. The original ~
rv was necessarily passed in the absence OF Il
=, States chieHy TO be affected. because the
people were then cOntumaclou'y engaged
Q ihe rebellion. Now The Ease is cha nged. Al
ro' some ut least of the States are attending Cou
he gress, by loyal representatives.. sol iciling Il
Of allo vance of toe Constitutional right OF re
of reseutatiou. At the time however. OF Il
.ry consideration and the passage OF tue II. the
"a was no Senator or Representative in Co"gre
n. from the eleven States which are TO DO main
~ affected by its provisions. The very fact ID
"o reports were aud are made against the gO'
on disposition of the country is an addition
reason why they need aud should have repl
; a seutativcs of their own in Congress to expls
10 their condition. reply to accusations. and ass
nd by their local knowledge in the perfection
49, measures Immediately affecting themselves.
uuo While the liberty Of deliberatiou would theu
ne Free and Congress would have :uil .power to {
Tor eide according to its judgment. there could
nla