The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-03-30

rivers. and toiled by night through unknown
countries, only to reach its boundaries. Yet
the race is deficient in the spirit of revolt. Had
il not been, slavery would long ago have
ended in an irresistible insurrecton OF slaves
Even when the war gave Che negroes their
opportunity, they refused IT, Rejoicing at
every Union victory, trembling at every Rebel
sucoess thew patientlvawaited the result, and
those who fought did so only in the ranks OF
our army. trusting for reward to the Govern
ment thew defended. In this spirit the
negroes have scted since their emancipation,
waiting for such Justice as white men should
choose to WELD. The North has tardlly gwen
them Justice in the shape of equality, citizen
shin. the power of self-protection, the ballot.
How this power will be used, is already the
great political question. That it will not be
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
received into the hands of the men who, until
yesterday, denounced impartial suffrage as
crime.
Reconstruction means, in the opinion OF
Wade Hampton Gf we reduce to strict deiini-
ton his address ut Columbia, ). CD, that the
Rebel States have been conquered and that,
just or unjust, the DEGREES of the conqueror
must be obeyed. 1t means that slavery is for
ever abolished, nor, in his belief, would the
South have it re-established. 1t means that
the leading Rebels, of whom he is one, have
been distranchised. 1t means that ''as
the negro was faithful as slave,
as q free man we should treat him
as friend" that the negroes and the
whites are equally Southern men, that the
welfare of the two races is inseparabe; that
whatever fate awaits the former STAKEHOLDER
awaits the former 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. 81 want you to 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 satisfactory
to the loyal States. The resolutions adopted
by their Charleston meeting, March y, leave
no doubt Of their principles. They give cor
dial and entire sanction to the action of Con-
gress and to the principles Of the Republican
party; they pledge their honor, fortunes, and
lives to the service OF the republic, and to the
payment of the debt contracted to suppress
rebellion; they thank the army which at once
preserved the nation and won their freedOm
they demand of South Carolina common
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 per-
petuity of all the rights they have recently
obtained; they pledge themselves not to sup
port any candidate who will not advocate the
principles of the Republican party, and declare
that they profess these principles with malice
towards none and charity to all. Doctrines
less noble have been titly written in letters of
gold. These are the declarations of people
who not only know what freedom means, but
Inv NUb bat II iS crroOta6 nc f,air riubt hNr
whom it was refused on the broad ground of
their natural unworthiness.
We take Wade Hampton as the representa-
tive of the well-disposed eX-Rebels who are
sincerely desirous 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 of what they are
destined to become. There is a radical differ
ence in the convictions of these two, to be
adjusted by no compromise. 1t is the differ
ence of men who at heart believe that the
Rebellion was right, and that the negro should
not vote and those who know that the Re-
belliOn was wrong, and that the negro should
vote. Practically it is aquestiOn of voting. 1t
is whether the negroes shall go over to Wade
Hampton or whether he shall so to the negroes.
March 10, he gives the ultimatum of the
Southern whites-'thus far we can go tOplease
you come over the rest of the way to us.'
March %, the negroes gave their answer
''Malice toward none, charity to all, but-we
vote with the Republican party" "If any
man advises you to leave that party" said one
of their speakers, "whose principles are so
clearly those of justice and right, depend upon
it that man is your enemy. If he is your
friend, let him act with you. By every prin-
ciple of gratitude, by every desire of security
it behooves you to act with the Republican
! party" And these words were answered with
cheers, and have been echoed at every meet
ing of colored men since held-at Savannah at
Jacksonville, at Norfolk.
Reconstruction, in the opinion of Wade
Hampton, should mean the restoration of his
class to power by the submission of negro
voters to its leadership. The negroes under
stand that it makes them the keepers of their
own rights, and they intend to trust not the
class which opposed, but the party which
established justice for their race.