Indiana American. [volume] (Brookville, Ind.) 1865-1872, 1867-06-28

selves terrible punishments. They are our
countrymen, are TO be with us and Of us
and, though they continue TO say and Dc
weak and foolish things, we can afford In
the hour Of our complete triumphs--nol
only Of arms, but ideas-to labor for their
good, though our abors may be received
with reproaches rather than grateful thanks
Time will modify the feelings of even
persons poisoned with the virus Of sla
very.
The passage Of the Military Reconstruc
ton Act, and tho act amendatory OF il
have had the most wonderful effects
Life and liberty were never so safe In
those States, for all the people, as now.
The Southern people, accustomed to power
are not insensible to lis influences But
the enfra nchisement Of the freedmen has
produced the most wonderful results
The rebel leaders, hoping TO control tho
votes Of the freedmen, have been most
lavish in professions OF friendship tc
the negro. As that hope begins to grow
dim-ior II Is every day becoming manifest
that the mass Of the negroes will vote tho
Republican ticket, and support the policy
Of equality of the rights-these Southern
leaders arc beginning TO talk about war
OF races. and to hint that the plantation
negroes will be menaccd into voting ns
their employers direct. ltis hnmiliating
to sec that somo persons claiming yet 70
be Republicans are making themselves 70.
diculous by repeating the Idle talk about
war Of races, iftho six hundred thousand
negroes in the rebel States have Indepen.
dcnec enough to vote for equality OF
rights, and privileges, and education.
shall certainly be disappointed il at least
ninety per cent, Of the negroes Of the rob
el States do not vote together for tho Ro.
publican party, which, TO them, is the party
Of patriotism, liberty, justice, humanity
and education.
am confident that there arc now more
than six hundred thousand Republican
voters In the rebel States; and that before
November next there will be moro than
three.quarters Of million. They are
poor, without Papers or other means Of
enlightenment aud organization. They
are IN pressing need Of help; and the
friends of equal rights, Of united and
free nation, should give aid to them. They
are hungering and thirsiing for speakers;
aud III one hundred Of our ablest speakers
would 60 into those States, they would
iind listening crowds for weeks to come.
Never had men a nobler field Of labor than
have tho friends Of union aud liberty.
Our friends are begging, imploriug for
documents, presses. workers, speakers. In
telligent patriotism sees1hat is vital TO the
future oflhe rebel Stn1s. and to the
country. that they shouh pass into the
control Of patriotic, liberty-loying justice
giving, progressive men.
TO take the States up out Of their sec.
iional position, and put them in unity and
active sympathy with the political, religious
educational, aud business interests of the
nation, is surely patriotic, and Christian
work, for which good men may pray and
labor. That rebel presses and politicians
and their sympathizing friends. should
rebukc all efforts of the people of the rebel
States to put their States in complete
unity with the country aud deem all efforts
to aid them obtrusive interference in their
local affairs, will surprise no one who has
not forgotten their pretensions in the past
to control and direct, to put up aud put down
But it is matter Of surprise that the con
ductors Of public journals claiming TO be
more or less in sympathy with the Repub
lican organization, should give aid and
comfort to Rebel presses and politicians,
by discouraging the efforts Of the friends
Of the Country to place those States among
the most advanced aud liberal States. /
can not forget the earnest appeals Of Mr..
Weed aud Mr. Raymond in 1864 and 1865
speakers in New York.
I would remind Mr.. Weed and Mr.
Raymond that our friends in the rebel
States are quite as earnest now for speak
crs as they were then: and | would sug.
gcst TO them that tits vastly more impor-
tant to the future Of the country than
those States should now pass into the con-
troll Of Union-loving Liberty. glowing men
than il was that New York should then vote
the Republican ticket. IL the work and
speaking performed in either of those years
in New York could be had ia the rebel
States during the next four months, eight
at least Of those States would elect Govern
ors and Legislators, and send Senators and
Representatives TO Congress, fully commit
ted to the policy oftbe equality Of the rights
and privileges Of the citizens Of the United
States. The conclusion which I have
come, after one months inquiry and OBJ
servation, is that the real friends Of "libcr-
ty and Union unaided, will carry several
members to Congress; that, aided as they
should be, thsy will place nearly all Of
those for years 10 come Ia the hands Of pro-
gressive men.