New-York tribune., 1867-03-29
PFcOySTP UCTION ACCORDING TO WADE
U1,fpTON and THE NEGROES.

than any other people, perhaps they fulfill the
command Forgive your enemies do good 10
CHOSE who despitefuily use you" With the sol
itary exception of Nat. Turner'S insurrecton, III
all the long years of Slavery they made no COM
bined effort to achieve their freedom
Fear, want of organization, ignorance OF their
own power, were no doubt the cher causes oi
their patient endurance of the yoke; and those
who were kindly treated were not disposed 10
aid the yague designs of others, or III seeking
uncertain good to risk unknown evils. For
this submission to their lot they were de-
clared fit to be slaves; but they
never accepted the logic that con-
demned them. individuals protested, though
the people were silent; tens of thousands
braveC hunger, persecution, the perils of flight,
death. to be free; looking to the North as the
land of deliverance, they hid in swamps, swan
rivers and toed by night through unknown
countries. only TO reach its boundaries. Yet the
race is deficient in the spirit of revolt Had it not
been, Slavery would long ago have ended in an
irresistible insuircctiOn of slaves. Even when the
war gave the negroes their opportunity, they
refused it. Rejoicing at every Union victory,
trembling at every Rebel success, they patiently
only in the ranks of our army, trusting for re-
ward 10 the Government they defended In
this spirit the negroes have acted since their
emancipation, waiting for such justice
as white men should choose to yield
The North has tardily given them partial
Justice in the shape of equality, citizenship
the power of sclf-protcction, the ballot. How
this power will bc used is already the great po-
litical question. That it will not he used In
the spirit of revenge we are convinced; but we
are equally sure that the negroes will not
transfer the weapon they have so recently re-
cciycd into the hands of the men who until
Yesterday, denounced impartial suffrage as a
curse.
Reconstruction means, in the opinion of Wade
Hampton Of we reduce TO strict definition ms
a,ldrrSs at Columbia, s.. O., that the Rebel
States have been conquered, and that, just or
unjust. the dccrccs of the conquerOr must be
obcved. II means that Slavery is forever abQl-
ished. nor, in his belief, would the South
have it recstablished. 1t means that the
leading Rebels of whom he is one.
have been disfranchised II means that
Gas the negro was faithful as n slave,
"as a free man we should treat him rs
"fIicnd - that the negroes and the whites are
equally Southern men; that the welfare of the
two races is inseparablc; that whatever fate
awaits the former STAKEHOLDER awaits the for
mcr slave: that the true friends of the negro
are their former masters, and that not till they
deceive him should he turn TO the North. g
"want YOU 10 feel that you are Southern
"men, with all your hopes, your feelings, and
"your interests identified with the South"
Reconstruction, as the negroes understand it,
means something very different from this
and their definition is more specific than that
of Wade Hampton, and far more sat
isfactory to the loyal States The rcsolu-
tions adopted by their Charleston meeting,
March %, leave no doubt of their principles.
They give cordial and entire sanction to the
action of Congress- and to the principles of the
Republican party; they pledge their honor,
fortunes, and lives to the service of the Re-
public, and to the payment of the debt
contracted to suppress rebellion they
thank the army which at once pre-
served the nation and won their free
dom they demand of South Carolina COM
mon schools, open to all, without distinction of
color; they ask of the Legislature laws which
shall destroy the system of land monopoly under
which they cannot hope to prosper; they insist
on every possible guarantee for the perpetuty
of all the rights they have recently obtained;
they pledge themselves not to support any can
ddate who will not advocate the principles of
the Republican party and declare that they
profess these principles with malice toward
none, and charity to all. Doctrines less noble
have been fifty written in letters of gold.
These are the declarations of people who not
-lnA hut rl,at
power it is granted as their right by whom it
was refused on the broad ground of their natu
raj unwOrthiness
We take Wade Hampton as the representa-
tive of the well-disposed cx-Rebels who are
sincerely deslrOus of the welfare of the freed
men, but wish to control their action; we take
the Charleston meeting as the representative
of the freedmen throughout the South, and not
only of what they are, but what of they
are destined to become. There is a
radical difference in the convictions of these
two. to be adjusted by no compromise. 1t is
the difference of men who at heart believe
that the Rebellion was right, and that the negro
should not vote, and those who know that the
Rebellion was wrong, and that the negro should
vote. Practically, it is q question OF voting. III
is whether the negroes shall go over to Wade
Hampton, or whether he shall go to the negroes.
March 10, he gave them the ultimatum OF the
Southern whites" thus far we can go to please
"you; come over the rest of the way to u.s."
March %, the negroes gave their answer
"Nalice toward none charity to all, but-we vote
with the Republican party "If anym advises
"you TO leave that party" said one OF their
sneakers, "whQse urincinles arc 30 clearly