The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1867-06-08
Freedom" at the South.


column of old fashioned abolition slang-whang
about Stree Speech and ''free press" in re-
Spouse to our structures last week on the radi-
cal political missionary business among the
negroes at the south. Says the Republican:
The Trader charges that these Southern ''mis-
scenarios" preach to the negroes "tle most agra
ran DOCTRINES are fostering among the negroes
prejudices and hatred. and raising passions OF the
most baleful and destructive character, are tell
ing them that the large estates of their late mas
tiers are all to be confscated, y and that they can
''divide these estates among themselves driving
off the present white owners and occupants"
Now of all this no man knows better than our
neghbor that there is not w9rd OF truth.
On the contrary, the TRADER knows that
there is good deal of truth in 'all this" or
it would not have said so. For instance, not
to go into the proofs IN erteaso, for we could
give many columns from southern papers of
tfe highest reputation, here is speech which
we find in that staunch radical republican
paper the New York Erenisg Post, reported
by correspondent as having been made at a
public meeting in Talapoosa, Alabama, by
deputy U. S. Marshal Knight. Said this bold
Sir Knight:
II am acting under the orders ofGeneral Pope
and 1t is made my duty to see that the civil
rights bill is regularly enforced Tin hemeantime
reading portions of the bill and General Pope's
order. This is law, and has been the law.
know you DO not like it, but. God d--n you, help
yourselves. Yci are traitors, and am going to
physic you awhile; you can reconstruct under
the Sherman bill, but God d-n you, you can let
it alone if you wish Turning towards the col.
Ored men present, he said, Your former masters
had their overseers to drive and whip your naked
backs, at the same time each having for himself
five or six concubines, but now it is your day,
and your former masters property shall he con-
fscated, and they shall lose many dollars az
each of you have had stripes on your back"
The Republican, says we oppose this sort Of
teaching at the south, because we 'hate free
speech and free press, for the reason that
they have ruined his the democratic) party"
1t is curious how habit clings to a man. Six
or ten years ago, when the sbOlitionists were
making the wekin ring with their din about
rec speech and free press because they were &C.
casioanaly treated with bootleathcr for attemp-
ting to incite instructions among the slaves at
the south, this sort of talk was quite effective.
But that an ''old line" abolitionist like the
editor of the Republican should, after the ex
perience of the last six years, have the shreds
of his old zone idea' still hanging about his
brain, is a curious psychological fact. Ger
tainly to the intelligent leaders of the modern
edition of the old abolition party the radicals
Of the day-the party of a 'great moral idea"
--"engaged in the interests OF God and human
ity"-the mention of free speech and free press
can bring nothing but the deepest mantlings
of confusion and shame. Over three hundred
papers suppressed in less than two years in the
free north--public speakers without number
arrested and imprisoned by military force for
utterances no sane man over pretended were
reasonable but week or two ago press
in Richmond warned" for daring to criticisc
the speech of one Jeremiah Cabaith, ,llias
Wilson; and public lecture suppressed be-
cause the lecturer might say something disa
greeable to the dominant party; newspapers
now daily suppressed at the south for the.
openly and shamelessly avOwed and only
reason that they refuse to lend hand to the
infamous job of radicalising the south-an
editor supporting such party talk of free
speech The history of the party for the last
six years is an unbroken Series of outrages
against free speech and Il free press.
The editor of the Republican is halt decade
behind the times. Even the official organs Of
his party-the Republican National Commit
tee-in their very last address to the country,
scout the idea Of free press or free speech at
the south except that press and speech shall
be for the promotion Of radicalism. Says that
address, abiding to the terms upon which the
south can be re-admitted to their privileges"
Including free speech and free press under
the constitution:
But there must be cooperation of the races,
and there must be cooperation upon the princi-
ciplcs which prevail III the north, and TO which
the republican party is fully committed.
1t is the most shameless and infamous avow-
al ever put on record by any party in any age
or country. Napoleon would be hurled from
his throne in day if he put out such mani
testo-telllng the people of France their.. exer-
else OF tine right suffrage depended on their
voting as he directed. There is an indecency
so gross-an intamy so profound in this whole
business of dragooning the south into tame
submission to radical destructiveness, that it
no longer eXctes mere ndignation-it disgusts
and sickens.
---- Eaa
Chief ,yuiticc Chase of the Supreme Cour.