Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1866-01-11
: Cur Dusy To the Freedmen.

- 10y ~ tA1t tCCuhCh'
zThst tie reople Of the Iate rebel States will ul
trnately sse the coiffeidence of Justice and pros
Perits wfhaye no dpubty But General Howard
and &pcral Grantand General Shurz are all Of
opinion That Tor some time yet the National Gov
eminent must directly see that the freedmen are
protected in every personal right. And this, we
presume, will be the suggestion Of the CQnsttse
bhatccdf structpn. 4 81 q ~ r u,
To leave the freedmen at once in the absolute
'controtofthe iatcr-6ei poputsfier ne the rsvutf
would De crime WHICH would ioreYsr isstly dis
grace the United States. Whatever the good in
tentions of large ciasscssof that population m.y
be-, we all know too we'll what the immediate re-
suits of such policy would be. We see 1t already
in North Carolina. In that State a negro was
lately convicted OF some trifiing offense, and was
sentenced TO slavery for term Of wears. The
wording of the Constitutional Amendments permits
the enOrmity. FOOshiy following the old phrsse-
ology OF laws in anentrely different condition Of
affairs the Amendment forbids slavery except as 4
punishment for crime. Nothingis easier than to
Greet vagrancy into crime; then, by refusing to
employ the neSroessto compel their rvagrancy;
then to sell them into slavery for alonger shorter
term. t"F - sta rFrA
This is but an illustration Of the foul play to
which the freedmen will be exposed inthe absence
of the national protection. And there is no ex-
cuse whatever for leaving them to such fate
Indeed, when we remember the unswerving pa
thence Of their fidelity TO us during the doubtful
years Of the war-how TRANQUILITY they repealed
their masters fllsehoods mean. inGan1e them
against us-hoN steadily these people, derided as
apes aud treated like cattle, waited for our coming
and believed in our friendship-how they guided
all our escaping soldiers, wiIo counted upon their
fidelity as surely as they themselves counted in os-
Gaping upon the North Star-how they resisted
bribe= threats, torture. and death rather than be-
tray Us, asking no reward, but trusting in us as
surely as We trusted in thcnl-when We remember
this Unprecedented history, and reflect that many
among now half reluctant not to deliver
them ilto the pitles, hands from which they res
cued us. and are calculating how little can do
for them and how mach for those who despise ard
hate them we may well fear lest the lustre OF our
victory be irretrievably est.
The cause of the United States, said the rxpir-
ing Continental Congress, is the cause Of human
nature. 1t is now more than ever. By the fun
dsmcnal law OF the land every man is now the
free equal of every other man, the late slave of
Governor Orr Of South Carolina as much as the
Governor himself; and We trust that the Commit.
tee upon Reconstruction, looking az facts rather
than at theories, viii recommend tho continuance
ofthe Freedmcn's Bureau until the people of the
United States Thoroughly satisfied that the per
sonal freedom which they have hare conferred up
on the ~ ijority of the people of South Carolina,
for instance. is to be respected by the minority
HarPer's IFcrkiv ~