Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1867-08-15

by deeds as by Words their equality with us, be-
! selves aud them than To our state and her best
interests to aid in their education, elevation and
enjoyment of all the rights which follow their
new condition.
Gov. Patton, of Alabama, says:
1t seems to me that II Is the true feeling of the
Southern people To contribute their best iniiu-
| ence in fpyor Of an early organization of their
monts of the recent reconstruction act. Com
gress claims the right to oeontrol this whole ques-
I ton. IN my humble judgment IL is unwise to
contend longer against its power, or to struggle
further against its repeatedly expressed VIII
The freedmen are now to vote the first time
/ we should cherish against them no ill-ieeling.
II, Ihe elective franchise y conferred uponthem;
\ No effort should be made to control their votes
except such as may tend to enable them to vote
protect them against mischieVous Influences to
which, from their want of intelligence, they
may poSs IDLY be subjected Above all things we
should discourage everything which may tend
to generate antagonism between white and coll
! ored voters. y ..' . '.f,.
!. In Mississippi, Albert G. Brown, a
| former Democratic United States Sena-
! tor, and a rebel, says: f.j
! To those who think II most becoming men in
my situation tokeep quiet am free TO say, that
! is very much my own opinion"
prris,a Il say as little az possible. - ''
! The negro is a fixture in this country. He IL
| and he is not going to be driven out lam frank
IN saving II they, every one of them, could be
! packed ma balloon, carried over the water, and
! elnptied into Africa, would not have. II done,
unless, indeed, IL were already arranged that the
| DRl!Oon should return by The way OF Germany,
| Ireland, scotland, &C., and bring us u return
cargo OF White ,a6orgrs l the psgrq is to stay
! Is the duty of the Intelligent white man toward
him? Why to educate him, admit him, when
and rs rapidly possible .prepafc him for a safe
ana ana rat rational endowment of that equality before
@ tne law which, AS free man, he has right to
claim, ana winch we cannot long refuse give.
The Mississippi Index says:
There are some laws on our statute books re-
! specting negroes that are of no practical use,
and win have to be done away with some tay
The sooner we dispense with thcm tile BETTER
But i'm the matter of ofeiucating the negro we can
accomplish more toward convincing the people
Of the North that we have been misropresented
and slandered than by Legislative action, let
us take the work OF education out of the hands
OF the Yankees among us. We can do this by
encouraging the establishment of negro schools
and placing them in the charge of men and wo-
men whom we know to be competent and trust
worthy.
In Louisiana, General Longstreet, one
OF the most distinguished of the rebel
Generals, says:
The striking feature, and the one that our peo-
pie SHOULD keep in view, is, that we are u con.
quered people. Recognizing this fact fairly and
squarely, there is but one course left for wise
men to pursue-accept the terms that are offer.
cd us by the conquerors. There can be no dis.
conditions offered by tGeir conaueroTs. Nor ris i
that any occasion for n feeling of humiliation
say a creditable fight, but we have lost. Let us
come forward, then, and accept the ends involv
ed in the struggle. I
Our people earnestly desire that the constitu
tional Government shall be re-established, ant
the only means to accomplish this is to comply
with the requirements OF the recent Congress
sional Legislation.
The military bill and amendments are peace
offerings. We should accept them as such, ant
place ourselves upon them as the starting poin
from which to meet future political issues a.
Like other Southern men, 1 naturally sough
alliance with the Democratic party, merely be
cause it was opposed to the Republican party
But, as far as can Judge, there Is nothing tan
gible about it, except the issues that were stakeC
hold Of except prejudice, which cannot be work
ed INTO good for any one, 1t Is proper and rgh
good may be done.
Quotations like these from prominent
Southern Democratic politicians, from
rebel soldiers, and from influential rebe
newspapers, might be multiplied indef
nitely. Enough have been given to show
how completely and how exactly the Re
construction acts have met the evil to bt
remedied in the South. My friend, Mr.
; Hassaurek, in his admirable speech a
Columbus, did not estimate too highly
, the fruits OF these measures. Said he:
I
sired cure. The pOol contraband IL no longe
the prosecuted outaw whom incurahle rebels
might kick and XIII with impunity; hut he II
once became "our colored tcllOw-cltizcn, " il
whose wcil-b'ing his former master takes tin
llveti'st interest. Thu9, by bringing the negr
, under the Nn.rcam system, We haye compelled
= ut, '.,nn 'ipidfun. He 'ns ceased 10 hP pnriall
F. i;HIa #n .o, .ett pe hps been Lrrnsrprlned int
: 70 .UnN being. Invested with the great nation
ri tfii. .butr ~ sdlfprDtrrUun, and the re-estah
''a"ayut 81 peace and order. and security, tn
:"N F5l 'i "H,'u' .SaId raG', and the restora
i''n pi ~, Sputnrr.tSL9I"s. ON the basis OF 10y
issE nAt ,gutt iurtt'e 10 AL, will DE the hupp
e.. .''.; %: Ills asloufah tg metomuI phnss, prO
icy rr1nains IN power Ia carry it ont.
. The Nedce De,nortT!rX genecaIl
!, ihrriito1 .the Nogth, 0pilu5us this meas
are. IN Ohio thry oppose, it especial.
oc'aUsr jtcommitt tl,e people o, the n;,
= son "a Favor ~ nIanhOOf suffrage. The.
= tell us that if ii is wise ana jusl - intya.
Q The ballot to colorad men hi the Distric
: o. CpiUmbrn, IN the HerrifOries, and ii
5 the rebel States, ~ is Also just ani wis
: that they should nave it in Ohio and il
the other States OF the North.
, THE RIGHT OF SUFFRAGE UNDER EQUA
, AND IMPARTIAL LAWS.
5 Union men do not question this reason
ing, but if it is urged as an objection
4 the plan of Congress, we reply: Ther
0 are now within the limits of the Unite
: States about tive millions of colOred pee
r pie. They are not aliens or strangers
9 They are here not by the choice of them
II selves or of their ancestors. They ar
/, here by the misfortune of their father
Il and the crime ofours. Their labor, pr
a vations and sufferings, unpaid and unrt
g Quilted, have cleared and redeemed on,
g third of the inhabited territory of tn
n Union. Their toll has added to the rt
q sources and wealth of the nation untOl
! millions. Whether we prefer it or no
9 they are our countrymen, and will r,
# main so forever.
They are more than countrymen-the
G are citizens. Free colored people wei
: citizens of the colonies. The Constitl
=; ton of the United States, formed by OF
/ fathers, created no disabilities on accoul
I, of color. BY the acts of our fathers an
a of ourselves, they bear equally the bu
Is dens and are required to discharge til
X highest duties of citizens. They are con
ii PEELED to pay taxes and to bear arms
1t They fought side by side with their viii
'e countrymen in the great struggle for il
: dependence, and in the recent war for I'll
y Union. In the revolutionary conte
I" colored men bore an honorable part, frol
the Boston massacre, in 1770, to the su
le render of CORVALLIS, in 1881. Bancro
lr says: "Their names may be read on ii
\. ,,anainn rolls nf tha anuntpy aida w Sif