The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1867-08-26
' MOI 10

more is necessary?
J. The present condition of things as to yhe lands
is what renders tolerable the other great sacrifices
! that have been consented to. There wase tacit
arrangement-so felt and understood, that no
farther sacrifices would be required, and hsnce
the owner Of the lands and the freedmen hive
been quietly working together, each struR glhg
along to make the best out of their new relation.
Confscation, directly or indirectly, would be fell
as violent outrage and would drive to despera-
ton those who had but their lands left to them.
these are extremities in which life loses its value,
and death would be accepted the most fortunate
to drive on in that direction, simply be-
| cause we may have the power Surely not at
time when general effort is making in
every direction, to place comfortable homes
work for one. Just here, around us the planters
are renting out their lands more and more, as the
truth gradually dawns upon their minds that the
| freedman can make more for himself and them,
year will show the progress Of this idea still far
| ther-and the time will come, when the planter
will be glad to surrender all his broad acres to the
| sinewy arms of his tenants, reserying to himself,
only such portion as may be within reach OF his
which all things are now tending; and it will be
happy time for OIL when the planter and the freed
| man who once lived with him upon other terms,
can again cultivate the same soil, under new re-
| lations, which are entirely acceptable to both.
In addition to this, Congress is making the
effort to open all the public lands In the South to
| the occupation OF the freedmen, upon free and
easy terms, 80 that no one can want home OF his
| cwn who is ambitious enough to desire one. There
| are millions Of acres that can be brought under
| the control Of Congress, which an effort is now
making to dedicate to the purpose OF providing
homes for the homeless; and IN this sentiment,
every one, probably both in the North and in the
South concur. The desire is, that the freedmen
should be aided, in this praiseworthy, object,
and the public mind is now earnestly bent
in that direction. Should they refuse to wait
the development of these plans now IN opera
ton tor their good, and snatch at lands be-
longing to others, because they may suppose they
have the power the general sentiment now in their
favor would be chilled, If not destroyed, and power
would be met by power as secession was. 80 much
as to the imp9cy OF attempting awning ghnrt IN tae %
be called. All these considerations will receive
their due weight, and delegates assembled there:
if their heads should not come up to the standard
size laid down by Professor Agassiz, and gravely
commented upon by others, will at least be able 10
comprehend these great principles Of Right and
Wrong, which will prompt them to reject from
their Constitution any thing which seizes pres
ent advantage at the sacrifice Of everlasting truth
and justice.
In the second place, it is now well settled by tho
great Republican party, that such policy will not
be permitted. Congress has not adopted 1t, nor
will it do 80, at MIR. Stevens bidding The seces-
sonists did very wrong to burn up his iron works,
LOT CQ6y DaVo HOW uldue ~ uoSCoooly iOL w
get paid tor them, in some way or other, and
whilst he pleads for coniscation Of Southern
lands. he does not forget to say that one OF the
best uses to be made Of them would be to reim-
burse what he had lost. HIS PhllanthroPy, there
fore, is just equally divided between the home for
the freedman, and compensation for his iron
works. In this enterprise, he stands solitary and
alone, whilst the public mind everywhere ls, that
confiscation is but the dream OF the visionary, or
the out-croppngs of malignity which is peculiar
to a solitary statesman. On this point, is an ex-
tract from paper published at Washington, and
apparently with the authority Of an exponent OF the
Republican party. 1t is called the Great Republic
millions us Of the South an aggregate area Of over
two hundred millions Of acres The half OF it, If
arabic, would give Homestead OF eighty acres
each to 900 heads of families, and homes and
shelter to 6,2500OO persons, computing the faml-
difficult to frame Legislative proposition more
benefcent and far reaching or more worthy OF the
earnest and early action of Congress. The condi-
ton OF the South to-day pleads for it as present
and pressing necessity. Popular feeling IN that
the hope of confscation. In some way it
must be quieted. The colored people Of
the South, especially, are absolutely hum
cry for land, and this feeling is credtabe to their
sagacity. Confscaton OF tho fee OF rebel lands as
BILE and most advantageous; but the time for 1t |
has gone by All intelligent men now agree to |
this. But the bill Of Mr.. Julian, without inter- |
fering with private vested rights, would supply |
for thern; would promote the most rapid Develop
ment Of the great agricultural resources OF the |
South, and 20 far to restore permanent peace to |
that section and to the whole country We arc |
sorry, therefore, that the Congress, at its July |
session, was not ready to enact this or some kim
dred measure, in addition to the Act amendatory |
OF the Reconstruction Bill"
Besides this, Congress has not yet voted to the |
immense armies it had in the field, any of the
public lands as gift-and the duty to do 80, was
ing for others, who had done much less for the
couLtry. But it has done something better-it |
has given the Heaven born privilege OF freedom to
ALL and has secured them the protection OF the
laws for their industry, and has placed all the ad-
vantages Of fortune within their reach, to be ac-
try and perseverance. This is what it has given,
and is afl that will be asked by the Convention.
The freedmen and the whites are not strangers
to each other; they desire to live together, in
and they know how to make some allowances for
each Others Deficiencies. They are prepared, by
old acquaintance, to jog along the road OF life
pleasantly together, il foreign lntuepces do not
Inlame desires that conflict with their new rela-
TONS We intend to accept the aid OF the Republi-
can party in rebuilding the Union upon the Con-
gressional programme, and We intend to work
with them earnestly and hopefully. The Conven-
tion about to be called has that single purpose,
and it ought to be called, for it is the only portal
Let it meet, and let its delegates proudly yindi-
cate themselves from the slanderous as2ersions |
that they meet to rob the planters, instead OF be-
ing co-workers in that beautiful programme, |
which, whilst it restores the integrity OF the Gov
ernment, secures to every Citizen without distnc-
ton Of race or color, equal privileges before the
law. Very respectfully, T. W. DUDLEI.