The Portland daily press., 1866-11-24
Accommodation.

The political article in the last number of the
Atlantic Monthly is from the pen of Freder-
lex Douglass. We quote below the paragraphs
which convey most clearly his opinions re-
spefting the treatment to which his race is
now entitled: .... .-.. -...i
without attempting to settle here the meta
physical and somewhat theological question
(abput which so much has already been said
and written), whether once in the u MON means
Always IN the nion-agreeably to the formu-
la, pnce IN grace always in grace-it is obvious
TO common sense that the rebellous States
stand to-day, In point of law, precisely where
they stood when, exhausted, beaten, eonauer-
ed, they fell Powerless at the feet of Federal
authority. Their State governments were
overthrown, and the lives and property of the
leaders of the rebellion were forfeited In re-
constructing the institutions of these shattered
and overthrown States, Congress should begin
with clean slate, and make clean work of il.
Let there be no hesitation. Itwould be cow
ardly Difference to defeated and treacherous
PRESIDENT, If any account were made of the il
legitimate, one-sided sham governments htrri-
edli into existence for malign purpose in the
I. absence of Congress. These pretended gov
5erhments, which We're never submitted to the
pepp Q, and from participation in which 400O-
OOp of the loyal people were excluded by Pres
fidential ordor, should now be treated accord
ing to their true character, as shams and i'm
positions, and supplanted by true and legiti-
mate governments, in the formation Of which,
loyal men, black and white, shall participate.
ltis not, however, Within the scope of this
paper to point out the precise steps to be taken,
and the means to be employed. Tie people
ale less concerned about these tfan fhe grand
epd to be attained. They demand such a re-
construction as shall put an end to the present
aharchical state of things in the late rebellious
States-where frightful murders and whole
sale massaeres are perpetrated in the very
; DrpeQnpa Of Eadara1I
business they require shall cease. They want
a. reconstruction such as will protect loyal
men, black and white, i'm their persons and
property; such one as will cause Northern in
dnstry, Northern capital, and Northern ciyili-
cation to flow into the South, and make a man
from New England as much at home in Caro-
lima as elsewhere insthe republic. No Chinesei
wall can now be tolerated. The South must
be opened to the light of law and liberty, AMI
this session of Congress is relied upon to aet
compiish this important work. -ad 7fl4
The plain, common-sense way of doing this
work, as ,lntimated at the beginning, is simply
to establish in the South one law one govern
nent, one administration of fjustiee, one condi-
: ton to the exercise of the elective franchise,
for men of all races and colors alike This
great measure is sought as earnestly by loyal
white men as by loyal blacks, and is needed
alike by both. Let sound political prescience
but take the place Of an unreasoning preju-
dice, and this will be done.
fortunaJely, tne Constltut1on OF the United
states knows no distinction between citizens
on account of color. Neither does it know any
difference between a citizen of State and a
cltizen of the United States. Citizenship evi.
IDENTIFY includes all the rights of citizens,
whether State or national Ii the Constitution
knows none, it is clearly no part of the duty of
a Republican Congress now to institute one
The mistake of the last session was the attempt
to do this very thing, by renunciation of its
power to secure political rights to any class Of
citizens, with the obvious purpose to allow the
rebellious States to disfranchise, il they should
see fit their colored citizens. This unfortu-
nate blunder must now be retrieved, and the
planted by that contemplated in the Constitti-
ton ofthe URited States, which declares that
the citizens of each State shall enjey all the
rights and immunities of citizens of the several
States-so that legal voter in any State shall
be a legal voter in all the States. i''H