The national Republican., 1867-05-01


Major Conrad occupied the ohait and Lieu.
tOnant William Young acted ss Secretary.
The following, reported by the Committee on
Colonization, was received and laid on the table
for one week: .....I -N., -.... lIrr'
wLsHnaros, D. c., April 70, 1897.
Tohe President oCths soldiers and Sailors Unfo'!
srR: The undersigned were appointed at our
meeting Of April 8 1857, committee to whom
was referred the following resolution: ..',.
'Resoived, That the Chair be, and he Is hereby,
directed TO appoint COMMITTEES Of three, whose
duty u shall be to prepare plan TO be laid be.
fore Congress for the colonization Of the Union
soldiers and sailors In the rebel states"
This resolution was introduced April l, 1867,
and laid on the table for one week. Al our
meeting Of April 8, 1867, Il consequently came
up % unfinished business. II was ordered that
IL be referred TO q committee Of three, and the
undersigued were duly appointed that com
mittee.
Your committee, therefore, Is not to prepare
the plan contemplated In the resolution, but to
report upon tho adoption or rejection Of the res
olutioni not how this colonization scheme shall
be carried out, but whether II is proper for the
Union to take any further steps In this matter.
Your committee 10 Of opinion that the present
inquiry, namely, whether the Union shall take
any further steps In this question, 10 altogether
Superauous, because the subject has been dis.
cussed at several meetings already, and was
unanimously endorsed BY the Union. But as
tho Union has seen proper to entrust 70 your
committee this fundamental inquiry, We will
consider II without reference to the previous
action Of tho Union.
Your COMMITTEES Is Of unanimous opinion that
the resolution should be adopted; that . com.
mittee should be appointed TO drsft . we'll.
dlgested plan for the practical execution Of tho
colonization contemplated, to be laid before
Congress as soon as It meets; that this should be
Aax Ill tknnk a.. L..
plan Is not Of easy accomplishment, and will
take considerable time, while II Is important to
have as prompt action as possible.
There are many reasons which could be offered
In favor Of colonization, but your committee can
only glance at few of them.
Most Of the late rebel States possess large
| quantities Of unoccupied land, containing soil
unsurpassed in fertility and located In q section
blessed with climate that IL favorable to health
and longevity; while at the same time 1t Is Of
easy access by means Of railroads and steam.
boats There are no long and weRrisome jour
| neys across plains, exposed to the barbarous at.
taoks Of the Indians, to be made to reach these
inviting places. There Is no doubt that the
Southern States would have long ago out.stripped
the Northern and Western States In all the ele.
ments of prosperity, II II had not been for the
institution Of slavery, which was so unfavorable
to free labor and freedom generally, and thereby
induced tho pioneer to 60 to some other section,
with not the same facilities but with institutions
dedicated to freedom.
Now that slavery has been removed, and that
the problem Of reconstruction can be considered
practically as solved, and now thst there is ade-
quatc protection to life and property in those
sections, through the instrumentaiity Of the mil.
itary reconstruction bill It Is expected that the
millions Of acres in the South, which are yet In
a primitive state of nature, will be occupiod BY
settlers and cultivated, thereby beneating them.
selves as we'll as the country.
These lands are subject to entry under the
homestead law that 10, bona fds settlers can So
cure, by occupation and the payment Of fee o
ten dollars, perpetual possession, without paying
for the land
The Southern States need loyal men-mer
from the North and West men Of energy and In
dustryi men who have been brought up undei
the humaniEing and liberaliEing ind auenees Of tn,
North. Tho South Is composed, at present, o.
the loyal blacks, 4 few loyal whites, and many
disloyal whites the most educated and refined
are generally the most disloyal, while the loya
there are generally without education. If
therefore, we could infuse into this mass a larg,
accession from the loyal and intelligent North
the work Of reconstruction would be more por
fectly done.
We know from experience what II Is to depend
on employment by the Government for support
We know how precarious such employment her
In Washington Is, especially for the soldier. W,
know how this Union has had TO struggle to 30
cure the employment Of soldiers, and we know
also with what little success We have been 70
wArded for our efforts. We know that to be thu
dependent Is slowly undermining our manhood
Would Il therefore not be better to look arount
for something else-something that will soour,
Independence as well as competence? Certainly
and this will do 1t. Let US encourage the ooloni
zatiou Of soldiers and sailors In the rebel States
and let US ask Congress to aid US in this goo,
work; but let US do something toward carrying
out this great object, whether Congross will al,
US or not.
In recommending the Union to take up th
work Of colonization, We do not wish to be under
stood that the Union is to give up its efforts /
obtain employment for soldiers here. These ei
forts, although oftener unsuccessful than other
wise, shall be continued so long as there Is com
rads out Of employment. But this win not pre-
won't, at the same time, colonization to be al
tempted as something better than dependent
' preoarious, and poorly. paid employment here
as something that will secure independence, CON
potency, home, while at the same time contrit
utng to the welfare Of our country by developin
its agricultural resources, and binding bithsrt
alienated section closely to the East, the North
and the West.
Our cities are ovorcrowded, which makes labo
cheap. That Is the reason why 1t Is so dificul
to obtain employment, and, whom obtained, Q
precarious and poorly paid On the other hand
the large tracts Of land South and West are lyin
idle for want OF this very labor that Is In exec,
In the cities. II we could eject a removal G
this surplus labor from the city to the South an
West, We would equaliIe labor and benefit o.
olasses.
, As this Is n work Of great magnitude, and as
refers to the common welfare Of our country,
is eminently proper to ask Congress for aid. Bt
we must present to Congress a well-digestet
d practical plan for the execution Of this grea
/, work The resolution under consideration Great,
q committee of three, whose duty 1t is to prepal
. such a plan.
8 We therefore recommend the adoption Of II
. resolution. We also recommend the followin
n amendment; A committee Of nino instead Of thrt
be appointed, to be charged with the duty calle
l. for In the original resolution also, to open an
= carry on q correspondence with associations
s soldiers and sailors throughout the country an
i others in relation to this subject, and to perfor
n such other duties In furtherance Of the coloniE
, tion herein contemplated as they may dee
proper, or be directed by the Union to perform
8 Respectfully submitted,
s WILLIAM SoVs0,
y g. W. WELLS
u Lieut. Young introduced the following rcsol
70 tiOn, which was adopted;
= Whereas ]. b. ROEee, sergeant. alarms Of Il
. Soldiers and Sailors Union, has been absent
N seven successive meetings: therefore,
a. Resolved, That the office of sergeant alarms b
and tho same is hereby, declared vacant.
Resolved, That tho Union proceed to the mol
ID ination and election of sergsant.at. t.arms.
m Mr.. John Lynch was accordingly chosen 81
:, geant alarms.