Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1867-04-19
The Transition Period.

! The legislation necessary to enable the
recent rcbcllious states to get back into the
union has taken place and is now the law
f the land. 1t is not at all likely that any
different conditions will be imposed nor
that any essential notifications of the law
will take place. What has been done at
| ter two years of discussion, in the halls of
legislation. on the busting and in the press
must stand rs the settled and fixed will OF
the loyal majority of the nation. The evil
dence is, also. that the loyal people at the
South think the conditions are too lcnient;
nevertheless, whether this is so or the con-
trary, nothing very different will be passed
by the present congress, and that body has
lease of life until new president sue
ceeds the present one. In the meantime,
the question of the political status Of the
South is beginning to be agitated. What
position will the colored people assume, or
take? Governor Orr, says 1.-THE real inter.
est OF this class is identical with that OF
their white neighbor.." This was always
true. But in all future contests for power
and place, in all the political contests in
these recussant states, it seems to us that
the co.ored people will vote that way and
for that party that promises the most
for them. They are not to be controlled by
their late masters, unless they become
more radical. and more inclined to yield
old prejudices to the inevitable logic Of cur
rent events than others. Again we do not
see rs the issue OF old parties and of ether
days will be the ones that now will be up
permost. What will the people Of the
South of any color have TODD with the past:
+ Pie Democratic party with its platitudes
white men ruling this nation and state
rights, is among the past. We have fought
this, with powder and ball to an ISSUE
The surrender Of Lee and his army, with
the collapse of the rebellion in every State.
and the assumption of full authority over
every inch of land within the old Union.
has settled all that. The colored man in
spite of repeated platitudes to the contrary.
is entitled by the laws Of the land to all
the political rights of white men.
These rights he will exercise whether
we like it or not. What next: Will he
act in harmony with the great party that
has been instrumental in securing to him
these rights: 10 understand this, it will
be necessary to know what are to be the
issues of the future. So far as national
questions are concerned he may not have
much interest for all his immediate inter-
ests may ceutre in the issues raised in the
state where he resides. The Boston Al
reyttssr we'll says:
The question which. we believe. is most
frequently raised among republicans by
what is now going on in the South. is the
question whether the freedmen will vote
with '.us." But what does voting with
us" mean: What are the issues on which
the people Of the North are to be divided
against those Of the South: We believe
that if our friends would take the pains to
state their fears distinctly in words. they
would find them evaporating in the very
act of giving them utterance. Are we
afraid that the negroes will vote with their |
masters to reduce themselves back into
slaveny-to deprive themselves Of the right
of giving testimony or holding land:-to |
forbid the establishment of schools or the
freedom Of religious assemblies? The act
of Congress which conferred the suffrage
upon them. by its own force wiped out all
the remnants of the institution of slavery |
and put an end to the 'irrepressible con-
hict" Of whole generation. The issues
upon which We have been Il Citing are to
be issues no longer. The party divisions
which grew out of this conflict will soon