The Waynesburg Republican. [volume] (Waynesburg, Pa.) 1867-18??, 1867-12-11


, ly innocent; many were loyal
to the last; many were incapable
, ofany legal oflense, a large portion OF
l persons, even capable of bearing arms
were forced into the rebellion against
their will, and of those who are guilty
with their own consent, degrees oil
f guilt are as various as the shades OF
} their character and temper. Butthes
= acts Of Congress conlound them alto
} gctherin vengeance upon classes, sects
and parties, or upon whole communi-
ties, for oilcnse committed by portion
, of them against the governments to
f which they owed obedience, was COM
) mon in the barbarous ages ofthe world
but christianity and civilization have
made such progress, that recourse to a
punishment 50 cruel and unjust would
/ meet with condemnation of all unpre-
: iudiced and right minded men. Puni-
: tive justice Of this age, especially of
= this country, does not consist in strip
ping whole States Of their CELEBRITIES,
: aud reducingall their people, without
d stinclion, to the condition of slavery.
1t deals separately with each indiyidu-
al confines itself to forms of law, and
vindicates its own purity by an impair
tial examinations of every case be-
fore competent judicial tribunal. If
this does not satisfy all, let us console
ourselves by reiiecting that free Con-
stitution, triumphant in war, and un-
broken in peace, is worth far more
to us and our children, than gratifca-
ton Of any present feeling. | am
aware that it is assumed that this sys-
tenn ofgovernment for the Southern
States is not to be perpetual. II is
true this military government is to be
only provisional, but it is through
this temporary evil that greater evil
is to be made perpetual. lfguaranties
OF the Constitution can be broken
provisionallyto to secure temporary pur-
pose, and in part only of country, we
can destroy them every where, and for
all time. Arbitrary measures often
change, but they generally change for
worse. 1t is the cause Of dcspotism
that has no hating place. Intcrmit-
ted exercise of power brings 10 sense
security to its subjects, for they can
never know what more they will be
called to endure when its red right
hand is armed to plague them again !;
nor is it possible to conjecture how or
why power unrestmincd by law may
seek its next victims in States that are
still or may be ons!aved at any moment
for if the Constitution does not pro-
tcct all, it protects none it is mana
festly and avowcdly the object of these
laws to confer upon negroes the privi-
legc Of voting, and to disfranchse such
a number of white citizens as will give
the former clear thaiority at all cleo
tions in the Southern States. This to
the minds of some persons is so impor-
tant that the violation of the Constitu-
ton is justified as a means of bringing
it about. Morality is always false
when it excuses "A wrong, because it
proposes to accomplish a desirable end.
We are not permitted to do evil that
good may come. But in this clsc the
end itsclfis evil as well as means off
subjugation Of the States to negro de-
nomination, which would be worse
than the military dcspotism under
which they are now suffering. 1t was
believed beforehand that the people
would endure any amount of military
oppression torany length of time rather
than degrade themselves by subjcction
to the negro race therefore they have
been left without choice. Negro
suffrage was established by an act of
Congress, and military officers were
commandcd to supcrintcnd the process
of clothing the negro race with the
political privileges to form white men.
The b!ac'lsin the South are entitled to
be well governed, and to have thc pro-
lection of just laws for all their ri ghts
of person and property. If it were
practicable at this time to give them a
government exclusively for their own
under which they might manage their
own affairs in their own way, it would
become a grave question whether we
ought to do so or whether common hu-
manitv would not require us to save
them from themselves but under the
circumstances, this is only a spocula-
tive point. 1t is not proposed merely
that they shall govern themselves, but |
that they shall rule the white race,
make and administer State laws, elect
Presidents and members of Congress
and shape to greater or less extent the
offilturc destiny of the whole country.
Would such a trust fpower be sa.cin
such hands. Peculiar qualities which
should characterize any who are fit to
decide upon the management of fpublic
affairs for great State, that have sell
dom been combined. It's the glory
of the white man to know that they
have had these qualities in suffi-
cient m .asurcs to build upon this con-
tinent a great political fabric and to
preserve its stability ormore than nine
ty years, while inevery part ofthc world
all similar experiment have filled,
but if anything can be proved by these
known facts, if'all reasoning upon the
evidence is not Abandoned, itmust beac-
knowledgetl that in the progress of ma
tions, negroes have shown lesscapacity
for self-govcrnment than any other
race of people. No Independent gov
ernment ofany form have ever been
successful in their hands. On the con-
trarv wherever thew have been left To