Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1866-03-09

| the loyalty Of the people Of the South them
selves, and make it the spring of loyal con
duct by proper legislation rather than to
impose upon them laws and conditions by
direct external force.
| Thus in the case of the Freedmen Bu-
reau, he was not against the idea of the Bu-
reau in toto, for he had used it, and was
still using it. 1t might continue for period
of more thana year yet He had contem-
/ plated that either by proclamation of his
own, or by some action of Congress, as a
condition Of peace, the technical end Of the
Rebellion would be declared at some period,
perhaps not very remote, and as he under
atood the present law, the Bureau might
continue year from that time Meanwhile,
he could say to the South, 1t depends up
on yourselves to say whether the Bureau
shall be discontinued at an earlier day, for /
viii put an end to it just as soon as you by
proper action. for the protection of the freed
men make it necessary.
Thus, said he, the hope of getting rid of
the institution stimulated them to do what
is right whilst they are not discouraged by
| the idea that there is no hope Of an end to
what they regard as a sort of military Gov
ernment. If, on the other hand, the Bu-
reau were to be made permanent thing by
| legislation, which, on its face appears to be
part of the fixed Law of the land, all the
objections he had urged in his message ap-
piled in full force to it, and instead of en-
couraging the South to loyalty you tend to
drive them to desperation, and make their
hatred of the Government inyeterate.
The same principle of stimulating loyalty
was shown in the manner in which he he'd
martial law over them. Whenever they
should show so peaceful and law-abiding
condition of their community that martial
law was not needed, it should be removed.
Their own conduct would thus determine
the matter, and the debt and interest of all
the best people be increased to put down
the disturbances and outbreaks, to protect
Union men and obey the laws, because by
so doing they would hasten the withdrawal
arm in their affairs.
In precisely the same way and under the
influence of the same idea, he had acted in
regard to civil affairs generally in that sec
ton, regarding it as necessary and proper to
impose upon the rebellious States conditions
which would guarantee the safety of the
country; and regarding the then existing
affairs of the local governments as having
disqualified themselves, by their treason,
for continuance, in power, he deposed them
and established Provisional Governments
Then he asked himself what conditions
ought to be demanded of them, and how
their disposition to accept them in good
faith might be stimulated The conditions,
viz: The amendment of State Constitu-
tions, excluding slavery; the acceptance Of
the same amendment to the United States
Constitution; the reputation of the rebel
debt, and the admission of the freedmen to
various rights, &c, everybody is familiar
with
To stimulate them to accept these condi-
tions, being such as, in his best judgment,
and in the absence of any Congressional
plan, he thought the nearest right of any
he could frame, he engaged that on their
acceptance, with evidence of good faith, he
would permit them to reorganize their State
governments, elects Legislatures, and so far
as the Executive acts could do SO, would
restore them to their position in the Union
Of States They had so far accepted his
conditions that he did not regard the ex-
pertinent as failure, but success. He had
accordingly reorganized the Post Office De-
partment everywhere among them, had re-
opened trade andremoved restrictions there
on through the Treasury Department, and
in like manner, in all the Executive Depart
ments, recognized them as States in the
Union, only keeping enough Of military
hold to protect the freedmen, as he had
before stated and to induce them to do sone-
thing more thorough in that direction.
Now but one thing remained in which
those States did not exercise the full rights
of States, and that is representation in Con
gress In this he had advised thatthe same
principal of stimulating loyalty he applied as
in the other respects which he had named.
He would admit only such representatives
as were in fact loyal men, giving satisfactory
evidence of this. Whenever a State or Dis
trict sent loyal man, properly elected and
qualified, he would think it right to admit
him the same as from any other State, and
he would admit none but such loyal men, so
that other States or districts might be thus
induced to elect and send similar men,
When they had all done this, their repre-
sentation would be full, and the work would
be done. Such was his plan.
He did not ask to be the judge reflections
and qualifications of members of Congress,
or Of their loyalty. Congress was its own
Judge, and he had no dream Of interfering
with its constitutional rights; but he feet
like urging upon them, and upon the coun-
try that this mode of finishing the work so
nearly completed in other respects, was the
only feasible one which had been presented
and that it was impossible to ignore the
fact that the States were exercising their
rights and enjoying their privileges within
the Union; were, in short, restored in all
other respects, and that it is too late to
,,,ast;on fha fundaYnanfal rieht ofs renre-