Baltimore daily commercial. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1865-1867, 1866-03-07
THE PRESIDENT THE FRIEND OF rs5E
FREEDTEN.

anger has been expended on the President.
by those who profess TO- in favor of having
the freedmen protected, since with the ex.
ception of the fact that the bill presented him
to sign did not meet in all particulars his APP
proval, there has been no evidence yet ad-
duced, to show that he purposed neglecting
the interests Of the freedmen themselves, at
all. Disappointed because their iayorite mea-
sure was not accepted at once in all its length
and breadth, the radical leaders yaulted al
once to the conclusion that the President had
betrayed all the character he ever had earned
as defender Of the Union, assuming that he
had at once jumped into the embraces of his
hitherto bitter opponents, been false to his
pledges and principles, and BETRAYED his best
friends
These were Wholesale conclusions, indeed
and from the most slender and false premises
too. And yet, blinded by anger and disap-
polntment i'll the first instance, thcv never
stopped to consider whether they we're moi
doing both the President and the freedmen
injustice; the President, in grossly misapprc.
bending and incorporating him, and the
poor freedmen, by attempting to place tie
President i'll antagouism to them. Let the
President be judged fairly, We insist; and il
his assailants claim to stand upon the record
of their speeches, their declarations. let him
be judged by his. So far in the history ofthc
Freedmen's Bureau, he has been seen watch
ing its worklngs-in conjunction with General
Howard, its able head-with deep interest
and has withheld from its support and couuto-
nance nothing which could be required to give
it efficiency. No more hostile to it than Gen
eral Grant, who suggested that it should have
more of the military character attached to it,
in order to its presumed more effective work
ing, what warrant have the radical leaders for
their wholesale abuse of The Federal Exec.
utire, in this regard and what folly have they
been guilty Of in doing what they could 10
render him inimical to the whole matter?
The truth is, the radical leaders have almost
from the beginning Of their intercourse with
Andrew johnson, done what they could io
breed distrust and discussions betwxt them
selves and him. AtaImost every step they have
manifested a want of faith in his purposes,
such as no well meaning man and statesman
would feel inclined to tolerate. With record
for true patriotism won in places where most
of them would not have venturcd their lives,
it is too late now for them to attack him upon
the grounds they have seen fit to assume; ana
The people as whole will adjudge the cas-,
thus, when they come definitely 10 pronounrc
upon it.
Let it be noted that the President has shogu
in his kindly interviews with all-black aud
white-a genuine courtesy never surpassed by
the late lamented Mr.. Lincoln HIMSELF than
he has manifested 4 deep interest in the wei
fare Of those thrown upon his care by the
events of the war; that he has listened patient
ly to every suggestion, and done what lie could
to repair the evils and suferings caused by the
great struggle, Favored above all others in
the amount Of information received as TO
every portion of the country, and able Ger
tainly to judge by his antccedents and expert
ence what the South, especially, most needs
what presumption has it been to attempt H.
force him to conclusions against his better
Judgment, when committing a possible error.
he was to suffer for it rather than those who
would substitute their judgments for his own
The President, so far from being open To
the savage condemnation aud fierce inuendncs
he has Of late undergone, deserves credit
rather for his forbearancc under uuexampled
provocations; and systematically and confirm
ally worried and dictated to up TO the time
when respectfully presenting his views, these
were received only with contempt and studied
insults, it was time that in some way all this
should be rebuked; that the iunto throned at
Washington should know with whom they had
to deal.
Let us call particular attention to 81 single |
passage in the much abused Veto Message. |
and see if ii does not Justify to the full the views
we have advanced. The President says:
Il feel not only entitled, but bound to rs |
sumo that, with the Federal Courts restored
in the several States, and in the full exercise |
'of their functions, the rights and interests OF
''al classes Of the people will, with the aid Of |
1.-The military, in case Of resistance to the law,
'be essentially protected against unconsttu-
''tional infringement and violation Should |
''this expectation unhappily fail, which ! do |
mot anticipate, then the Executive is already |
EARNED with the powers conferred by Act Of |
" March, 1865, establishing the Freedmcns |
Bureau
Does that-let us ask-appear like eumitv |
to the Bureau, per Sc; or to ii in that form, BY |
him deemed sufficient for all present practical |
purposes Does he not propose, distinctly, in |
set terms, to protect the Freedmen, where it |
may be found they need protection; and is ii |
not plain enough now, as it has been in the |
past, that with the military at his disposal, he |
already has power sufficient? With the fact |
evident that the labor of the Freedmen is in |
brisk demand, that the competition for it is |
so great in the cotton districts of the South. |
thatthey can command almost their own terms, |
1T has become evident that the whole legis, !
iatlon by Congress to make these people pau
pers and miserable dependents in perpetuty. |
is not what they need; and if the views of the |
President have been changed on these points |
from what they were three months ago, what |
IS 1t but allowing himself to be guided by an |
improved experience. instead Of constituting |
himself the blind deyotee to party purposes.
We believe that the President will YET prove
himself the best friend the colored man has; |
the ablest and the most iudIcious when helm is !
most needed. Understanding bis wants far |
better than those who are so ready to arraion |
every other mans judgment if not in accord |
with their own; mere theorists where he is !
thoroughly practical, we are sure he will vet |
shame that fierce philanthropy which must |
proselyte before it can relieve. Let those who
love their country, who wish it reconstructed |
in its entire length and BREADTH consider all
this, and not condemn too hastily the Presi
dent until he has shown that he really deserves
condemnation.
THE EASTERN SHORE CONNECTION
WITH BALTIMORE.
By reference to our local columns, it will be
seen that the movement on the part of our
merchants to bring about closer connection
Of Baltimore with the Eastern Shore has been