The Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1863-1886, 1867-12-12


duous task before them. But il is
worse than madness " expect that
negroes will pcrform it for ma
Certainly we ought not to ask their
assistance until we despair Of our
own competency.
The great difference between the
two races in physical, mental aud
moral characteristics will prevent
amalgamation or fusion Of them 10 /.
gcther in one homogeneous mass
Ifthe inferior obtains the ascend.
ency over the other, IL will govern
with reference only to its own in.
tereSt, and create such tyranny
as this continent has never wit.
messed. ,F-'
Already the negroes are inhuen-
eed by promises Uf eonfscation and
plumber. They are Taught to regard
as an enemy every white man who
has any respect for the rights Of his
own race. II this continues, it
must become worse aud worse un-
til all order will he subyerted, all
industry cease. and the fertile fields
Of the South grow up ialo a will
derness. OfalI the dangers which
our nation has yet encountered,
none are equal to those which lnnst
result from the success OF the effort
now making to Atricanize half our
country. tI l.. ess
| would not put considerations oi
money in competition with Justice
and RIGHT, but the expenses incl
dent 10 reconstruction under the
. system adopted by Congress, ag,
gravate what | regard as the in
trinsic wrong Of the measure itself
Ithas cost uncounted millions al
ready. and if persisted in will add
largely 10 the weight of taxation
already too oppressive to be borne
without just complaint, and may
finally reduce the Treasury of the
nation to a condition of bankrupt
cy. Wemust not delude ourselves.
1t will require a strong standing
army, and probably more than
| 5000 ,00O,0 900 per annum 10 main.
tain the supremacy of the negro
governments after they are estab.
Iished. The sum thus thrown away
would, if properly used, form a
sinking fund large enough to pay
the whole national debt in less
than fifteen years.
1t is vain TO hope that negroes
will maintain their ascendency
themselves. Without military pow
er they are wholly incapable OF hold
ing in subsection tho white people
OF the South.
Financial and other Considerations.
/ submit TO the judgment of Con-
gress whether the public credit
may not be injuriously affected by
a system of measures like this
With our debt and vast private in.
terests which are complicated with
| il, we cannot be too cautious OF
policy which might, by possibility,
impair the confidence OF the world
in our government. That conf
dence can only be sustained by
carefully inculcating the princi.
Piles OF justice and honor on the
popular mind, and by most scrupu.
lous fdelityto all our engagements
of every sort.
Any serious breach of organic
law, persisted in fora considerable
time, cannot but create fears for the
stability of our institutions. Ha-
bitual violation of prescribed rules
which we bind ourselves to observe,
must demoralze our people. Our
only standard Of civil duty being
set ut naught, the sheet-anchor OF
our political morality is lost; pub
lie conscience swings from its
moorings, and yields to every i'm
pulse, passion and interest. 1t we
, repudiate the Constitution, we will
not be expected tn care much for
mere pocuniary obligations.
Tho violation Of such a pledge as
{ we made on the 22d of July, 1861,
! will assuredly diminish the market
) value of our other promises. Be-
sides, if We now acknowledge that
the national debt was created not 10
hold the States in the Union, rs the
taxpayers were led 10 suppose, but to
expel them from it and hand them
over to be governed by negroes,
tho moral duty to pay it may seem
much less clear.
; l say it may seem so, for do
not admit that 1t, or any other ar
gument in favor of rcpudiation,
can be entertained as sound; but
its influence on some classes of
,, minds may well be apprehended.
The financial honor OF great com.
mercial nation, largely indebted,
t and with a republican form OF
;; government, administered by
t agents OF the popular choice, is u
thing of delicate texture, and the
l destruction Of it would be followed
r by such unspeakable calamity, that
5 every truo patriot must desire to
avoid whatever might expose II to
the slightest danger.
! The great interests of the coun
: try require immediate relief from
, these enactments. Business in the
$ South is paralyzed by a sense Of
a general insecurity, by terror Of
g confscation and dread Of negro su.
! premacy. Southern trade, from
t which the North would have de-
+ rived so great a profit under agov.
n ernment OF law, Still languishes,
: and can never be revived until il
0 ceases to be fettered by arbitrary
s power, which makes all its opera
tions unsafe.
M s..k.., tko ,.,oh 80 &,