Evansville daily journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1863-1866, 1866-04-11
The Proclamation ana the Freedmen

1
The New York Evening Post, con
sentative paper, which has supported
the President in his reconstruction poll.
cy, dissents from his veto of the civil
frights bill, and makes the issuance o.
his proclamation of peace the occasion
forutging upon Congress the necessity
Of providing BY legislation for protect
ing the rights Of the freedmen OF the
South, who will no longer be shielded
from oppression by the military power
Of the Government The Post says:
q" This proclamation has been expect
ed for q considerable time past, and is in
perfect agreement, with the views of Mr..
johnson, as often expressed in his off
cial messages and otherwise 1t would
be difficult to controvert any, of the DO
sitions he lays down--sueh as the incon.
gruity of system of military occupa-
ton with our institutions--the policy OF
using persuasive methods to strengthen
the renewed allegiance of the late rebel
States, and bring them back,to q friend.
ly understanding with those which re,
NAMED loyal, and Interpretations of a
like character. Yet we can not
help feeling no little anxiety for
the peace of the Southern States,
if the military, which now in many
places holds disorder in check, shall be
withdrawn, as of course it must be. We
hear of the blacks in Wilmington, N. c.,
arming themselves to rescue men Of their
color who were sentenced to be whipped
without being allowed to produce the
testimony of colored men in their de-
fence. We hear of a man named Har-
per, the chief of gang of idesperadoes
in Sumter county, Tennessee, warning
the loyal inhabitants to leave the county
on peril of their. lives, while the Gov
ernor of that State himself implores the
President not to withdraw the troops Of
the United States. % These are not by
any means the only indications Of an
unsettled state of things in that region.
All over the South, society is like an
ocean after tempest, heaving and toss.
ing tumultuously, and casting up to tbs
surfac the mire of It's bed Old preiu.
dices, though 10 some they may have
been mitigated, cannot be suddenly laid
aside; animosities, assiduously foment-
cd through years. eaunut at once be ex-
changed for amicabls sentiments; a pop
nlation ,excitable, and ferocious in the
moment OF excitement, cannot at once
become mild and forbearing. -
" It is fortunate, therefore, that the
proclamation has been issued now, while
the civil rights bill is yet before the Leg
islatnre. The responsibility from which
the military power of the nation has res
leased itself must now be borne by the
civil power. The Federal Legislature ia
now called upon to do its part in proysd>
ing o remedy for those violations of the
rights Of citizenship. which will inevi-
tably, in the present state of the South
ern country, be perpetuated, end for
which the local courts would be certain
to afford no redress. The members of
the Federal Congress-, BY whose votes
the bill will be either enacted or defeat.
cd, can not now say to their constituents
that there is 8 military force in the late
seat Of the revolt, charged with the duty
of preserving the peace and seeing that
the rights of the colored race, and those
of the men who remained faithful to the
Union, are respected. The people will
now look to Congress for the maintenance
Of the principle that they who owe al
iegianee to the Federal Government,
who contribute of their earnings to its
support, and who must hold themselves
ready TO defend il against The assaults
Of its foes, are entitled to the security of
their rights under the shelter of its pow
err No member Of Congress who sup
ported the blu at frst can now change
his vote without the certainty of an un-
pleasant meeting with his constituents
on returning TO his home. ~ as04A