Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1867-12-12

probation and preparation To give
IL unfortunately 90 new class,
wholly unprcparcd by previous habits
and opportunities to perform the trust
which il demands, is TO degrade 10,
and finally destroy its power for IL
may be safely assumed that no politi-
cal truth is better established than
that such indiscriminatc and all en-
bracing extension of popular suffrage
must end at last in its overthrow aud
destruction.
repeat the expression OF my will
lingnoss to join in any plan within
the scope Of our constitutional author
ily which promises TO better the con
dition of the negroes in the South, by
encouraging them in industry, enlight-
ening their minds, improving their
morals and giving protection TO all
their Just rights as freemen. But the
transfer Of our political inheritance to
them, would, in my opinion, be an
abandonment of a duty which we owe
aiiko 10 the memory of our fathers
and the rights of our children.
The plan of putting the Southern
States wholly, and the General Gov
ernment partially, into the hands OF
negroes, is proposed at a time pecu-
liarly unpropitious. The foundations
Of society have been broken up by
civil war Industry must DO reorgan-
lied, Justice re-established, public cred
it maintained, and order brought out
of confusion To accom- plish these
ends would require all the wisdom
and virtue of the great men who
| formed our institutions originally. j
confidently believe that their descend
ants will be equal to the arduous task
before them; but it is worse than
madness to expect that negroes will
perform il lorus. Certainly we ought
not 10 ask their assistance until we
despair OF our own competency. The
great difference between the two races
in physical, mental and moral charac.
toristics will prevent an amalgama.
tion or fusion OF them together in one
homogeneous mass. If the inferior
obtains the aseendeney over the other
il will govern with reference only to
its own interesls-for il will recognize
no common interest-and create such
a tyranny ms this Continent has never
yet witnessed. Already the negroes
are Influenced by promise Of confsca-
ton and plunder; they are taught to
regard as an enemy every white man
who has any respect for the rights ol
his own race. If this continues il
must become worse and worse, until
all order will be subvertcd, all indus
try cease, and the fertile fields of the
South grow up into a wilderness. Oi
all the dangers which our nation has
fyet encountered, none are equal "a
those which must result from the sue
cess Of the effort now making to Afri
canize the half of our country
! would no: put considerations o.
money in competition aith Justice and
right, but the expenses incident tC
reconstruction under the system adopt
ed by Congress aggravate what | re
gard rs the intrinsic wrong Of the
measure itself 1t has cost uncountec
millions already, and If persisted il
will add largely TO the weight of tax
alton already too oppressive to b,
borne without just complaint, anc
may finally reduce the treasury of the
nation 20 condition of bankruptcy
Wemust not delude ourselves. IL vii
require a strong standing army, anC
probably more than two hundred mil
lions Of dollars per annum to maintain
the supremacy Of negro governments
after they are established. Tho sun
thus thrown away would If properly
used, form sinking fund large enough
10 pay the whole national debt in less
than fifteen years. 1t is vain TO hope
that negroes will maintain their as
tendency themselves. Without mill
tary power they are wholly incapable
Of holding in subjeetion the white
people Of the South. | submit to the
judgment Of Congress whether the
public credit may not be iniuriously
affected by a system of measures like
this With our debt, and the vast
private interests which are complica
ted with il, we cannot be too cautious
Of u policy which might by possibility
impair the confidence of the world in
our government That confidence can
only be retained by carefully incalcu.
lating the principles of justice and
honor on the popular mind, and by
the most scrupulous fidelity to all our
engagements ofevery sort. ANY seri.
Gus breach Of the organic law, per.
sisted in for n considerable time, can.
not but create fears for the stability
Of our institutions. Habitual viola
ton OF prescribed rules, which we
bind ourselves to observe, must de.
moralize tho people Our only stand.
ard Of civil duty being set at naught,
the sheet anchor OF our political
morality is lost, the public conscience
swings from its moorings, and yields
to every impulse of passion and inter
est. If we repudiate the Constitution
No will not be expected to care much
for mere pecuniary obligations.
The violation OF such pledge ms
we made on the 22d of July, 1861,
will assuredly diminish the market
value of our promises besides, if we
now acknowledge that the national
debt was created, not to hold the
States in the Union, as the taxpayers
were led to suppose, but to expel them
from il and hand them over to be gov.
erned by negroes, the moral duty to