The Shasta courier., 1866-03-03
The Presidents Policy.

the discussion OF politics in our columns; not
because we did not feel deep interest in pass
ing events, but because we had home duty,
viz: the development of the mining, manu-
featuring and agricultural resources OF the
county. We still purpose pursuing that
course, only occasionally stepping aside to
make our record for or against the great
measures of policy for the safety, unity and
prosperity of our beloved nation, as they may
present themselves.
Up to the present time the whole policy for
reconstructing the political machinery of our
Government, so deranged by the late fearful
rebellion, has been an experiment; and be
lieving that the President, his Cabinet, Con-
sress, and the great military heads OF our
Government were all disinterestedly earnest
and honest in determining what was best.
and when determined that it would be fol-
lowed, we had not deemed it of Importance
that we should trouble our brain in meddling
with that which was in better hands, nearer
to the scene of action.
Now, however, the policy of the President
and Cabinet on the one side, and that of
Congress on the other, has become Defined
and we feel it incumbent on us to let our
readers know where we are, and why.
We presume there is no loyal man at this
time who will not concede that slavery was
the direct cause of the rebellion, and that
slavery ceased when the rebellion was over
come. Admitting this, then it is plain that
slavery in any guise is a dangerous element
in republican government, and that under
existing circumstances the machinery of the
Government should be so arranged as to run
clear of it. Now the question arises, what
is the best policy to effect this? Congress is
of the opinion-a large majority of both
Houses expressing it-that the freedmen
should be so protected as to render State
governments powerless to pass laws that
would not act on all its citizens alike, as also
to protect them from the prejudices that
naturally exist against them where they
have been slaves. In short, Congress pro-
poses to enact a law that will guarantee them
all the rights of white citizens, and to insure
that, created a Bureau, the officers of which
should, under authority of the Government,
watch over them.
The President, by vetoing this measure,
declares his policy to be the reverse of this
While he declares all free, he also declares
State is imperishable; cannot by any
act of its citizens be killed or carried out of
the Union or Government; is sorereign, and
always competent to legislate for itself is
entitled, at any and all times. to seats in
Congress for its representatives, and may,
and can, and under the Constitution must be
permitted to make all its own laws.
Now this policy we consider suicidal
Better far that the Emancipation Proclama-
ton had never been issued except as a mill
tary measure, and repudiated when the re-
belion was suppressed Better far that
systemized slavery exist, where the master
is responsible for the care of the slave, than
that the poor devils be subjected to the ten
der mercies of Southern State law makers,
whose first act would be to introduce sys.
tenn of peonage, much worse for society and
for the negro than can be expressed or even
imagined.
Already it is proven that the most arduous
labors OF the Freedmen's 8 Bureau has been
the protection of the negro against such State
legislation. Abandon the freedmen accord
ing to the Presidents policy, and their free
dom would not be worth the purchase. their
homes would be hells, their future abject servi-
tude and ignorance, tending to keep alive
that feeling of antagonism which eliminated
in the late rebellion, as we'll as breeding and
adding to the class of aristocrats, politicians,
bummers and poor white trash already SO
numerous in those regions.
The policy of Congress would, in our opin-
ion, have fully inaugurated the system of
common schools for black and white. and
thus have redeemed millions of our citizens
from the darkness in which they have been
cropping for years, thus stimulating manhood
and virtue, regenerating society by making
all intelligent, enabling all to have opinions
of their own, obtained from the same common
fountain of intelligence; while that of the
President and Mr.. Seward would only in
tensify the darkness in which that people
have been living.