Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1866-12-14


persons only when they shall have Civ
en- proper evidence of having renoUn-
ced treason, and reasonable pledges
against its repetition, and shall have
been properly restored by Congress.
TRE True TEMPER OF TIE SOUTH
The President says in his message
that the animosities engendered BY
the war are rapidly yielding to the
benefeent influences Of our free iusti-
tutions and to the kindly effects ofun-
restricted social and commercial in
tereourse. This is doubtless true in
the Nor,h but certainly not In the
South if we may believe the statements
of Gems. Sheridan, Davis, Sickles,
Thomas aud Wood. In his recent re-
port to Gen. Grant, Sheridan says
Gov. ThrockmOrton, the present
Governor, wants all the troops moved
from the settled portions of the State,
asserting that the civil law was all
right that justice would be done to
freedmen, Union men, and our soldiers
Ia the courts. But JUSTICE IS NOT
DONE. To gjCe V0u an instance If this.
tt0o soldiers l5ere shot at BreHham,
Ie-C0s, about ft5O months 0go they
we're unarmed, aud offered no provo
cation. The Grand Jury could find po
bill against their ig0Wld-Je assQssias,
Bat found a bin against Brerst Maj.
Smith 17fh infantry, for burglary, be-
ceFuse he broke into tie hOleSe of some
citizen IN has attempt 10 arrest these
R5eH.
.Hy ot0p opinion Is that the rial of
q lCh5fe man for the murder Of q freed
nun iR TEXAS l1OgtBd be q farce, and in
making this statement I make it be-
cause truth compels the, and for no
other reason.
1T Is strange that over white man
killed by Indians on an extensive
frontier the greatest excitement will
take place, but OUer the killing Of many
freedmen ~ the settlements nothing Is
done. I cannot help but see this, and
[ cannot help but tell it to my supari-
Ors. no natter heW unpleasant it may
be 70 the authorities of Texas.
General Sickles declared himself a
johnson man before the election and
would therefore be more likely to ex-
tenuate than exaggerate the facts
His report concerning affairs in his
Department contains the following
statements:
In July last 1856 a party OF guer-
illas. disguised as blacks, rode into
the country town Of Newberry, dis
mounted, tied their horses, and pro
ceeded to the house of one Amos Wes-
ley, a colored barber, who resided near
the courthouse they killed him IL
the presence of his wife and family.
mounted their horses, and rode Off
No arrests were made at the time. and
the ringleaders are still at large, al
though several Of them are known to
the civil authorities. Wesley had
wronged no one, and seems to have
been an inOffensive person, although,
perhaps somewhat indiscreet in speech.
He had, however, been warned to leave
Newberry, and 1t appears he intended
to move somewhere as soon as he
could find a suitable place for his call
ing.
two or three weeks ago a party of
men similarly disguised as blacks, went
to the residence of Mr.. Bielow. a
teacher of aschOOl for colored children
in the town Of Aiken. In BarnwelI dis
trict displaying weapons and threat
ening his life, they compelled him to
leave the place, never to return. under
pain of DEATH Mr. Biglow was re-
qUested to return by the post command
er, and was assured Of protection, but
declined too do so, fearing he could not,
without more hazard than he was will
ing to incur, resume his avocation at
Aiken. This place has long been a
favorite summer resort for invalids
and for people of wealth and refine
IN the South.
The magistrates are often dilatory
In issuing warrants for the apprehen
sion of offenders if public opinion in
cline towards the accused. Nor are
the sheriffs and constables likely in
such cases to be dIligent in aking ar
rests. Inquests by coron0rs, when
freedmen have been killed, have sell
dom pointed TO the guilty party. In
an instance reported by the post com
mander at Hilton Head, that occurred
in Beaufort district, the perpetrators
of the homicide were on the coroner S
jury, and Joined in the verdict that the
victims came to their death by means
to the jury unknown Such also was
the verdict IN Wesley's case, at New
berry, although the murderers were
recognized on the spot and were well
known to the neighbOThood.
Gen. Woods report shows that in
Mississippi the whites enforce a statute
prohibiting a negro from testifying in
the courts except where negroes only
are parties, even though this barbar-
Gus Statute a5orks great injury and IN
copUenieRce to the Chite Inhabitants.
He says the statute prohibiting
negroes from bearing arms without a
special license is unjust, oppressive and
unconstitutional. He makes the same
statement in regard to the law prohib-
negroes from purchasing leasing
real estate, except, in corporate towns
or cities. 1t drives them into the
towns where they suffer from idleness,
vice and disease, whereas, if they were
allowed to acquire homes in the coun-
try they would remain there and be-
come useful labOrers Again he says !:
THE statute requiring all negroes
to make a contract on or before the
10th day of January Of each year, or
to obtain a license to do job work, is
unjust, oppressive and uncoustitution-
al. The Constitution of the United
States, as well as the Constitution Of
this State, prohibits forever slavery or
involuntary servitude. If the negroes
are required by a statutory enactment
to obtain license to do job work,
make contract to labor for year, or
to be exposed to arrest, fine and i'm
prisOnment, 1t would seem the consti-
tutional gift is not much more than
name"
Concerning the situation in Ken
lucky Gen. jeff G. Davis says: