North Branch democrat. [volume] (Tunkhannock, Pa.) 1854-1867, 1866-04-18
VOL. S NO 36.

, nforce the due execution of this act. This
| language seems to imply an importaat mill
itary force, that is TO be always at hand,
and whose only busines is to be the enforce
ment of this act over the vast region where
it is intended to operate.
EVIL EFFECTS
do not propose to consider the policy
of this bill. To me the details of the bill
are fraught with evil. The white race and
the black race of the South have hitherto
lived together undsr the relation of master
and slave--capital owning labor. Now,
suddenly, that relation is changed and an
to cwnership,capital and labor are divorced,
They stand now each master of itself, in
this new relation one being necessary to
the other.
NEW ADJUSTMENTS.
There will be a new adjustment, which
both arc deeply interested in making har-
monious. Each has equal power in set
Ting the forms, and if left to the laws that
regulate capital and labor, it is confidently
believed that they Will satisfactorily work
out the problem. Capital, it is true, has
more intelligence, but labor is never SO ig-
norant as not to know its own value, and
not to see that capital must paw that value.
This bill illustrates this adjustment; it
intervenes between capital and labor, and
attempts to settle ques ions of political
economy through the agency of numerous
officials, whose interest it will be to fer
ment discord between the two races, SO far
as the breach widens their employment
will continue, and when it is closed, their
occupation will terminate in al our history
In all our experience, as people living
under Federal aud State law. No such
system as tha, contemplated by the details
Of this bill has ever before been proposed
or adopted to establish for the security of
the coored race safeguards which 60 inf
nitely beyond any that the General Gov
ernment has ever provided for the white
race In fact, the distinction of race and
color is by the bill made to operate in fa-
vor of the colored and against the white
race.
MUNICIPAL LEGISLATION.
They interfere with the municipal legis.
lation of the States, with the relations ex-
isting exclusively between a State and
its citizens, or between inhabitants of the
same State, an absorption and assumption
Of power by the General Government
which, if acquiesced in, must sap or destroy
our federative system of limited powers,
and break down the barriers which pre-
serve the rights of the States. 1t is anoth-
er step or rather stride towards centraliza-
ton, and the concentration of all legislative
powers in the National Government. The
tendency of the bill must be to resuscitate
the spirit of rebellion and to arrest the
progress of those influences which are more
closely drawing around the States the
bonds of union and peace.
SLAVERY ABOLISHED.
Ny lamonted predecessor, in his procla-=
nation of the lst of January, 1863, order
ed and declared that all persons held as
slaves within certain States and parts of
States, therein designated, were and thence
forward should be free and further, that
the Executive Government of the United
States, including the military and naval
authorities thereof, would recognize and
maintain the freedom of such PERSONS
This guaranty has been rendered especial
ly obligatory and sacred by the amend
ment of the Constitution abolishing slavery
throughout the United States. therefore,
fully recognize the obligation to protect
and defend that class Of our people when
ever and wherever it shall become neces-
sary, and to the full extent compatible,
with the Constitution of the United
States.
RIGHTS OF FREEDMEN. ..-
Entertaining these sentiments, it only
remains for me to say that Twill cheerfully
cooperate with congress in any measure
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