The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1867-12-07


team only become to our political aud soeinI svs
TEN a safe conductor of healthy popular sentiment
whep Kept free from demoralizing influences con-
trolIed through fraud and usurpation by designin,
men, anarchy and despotis,n must inev;tohfr 81
low In the hands of the patriotic and worthy onr
Government will be preserved upon the nrincinIc.
oi ,he Constitution inherited from our fathers II
,oows, therefore, that in admitting TO the ballot
Dox new class of voters not aualiiied for Tho ax
ercse OF the elective franchise that we weaken our
system OF Government, instead of ADDING To ira
suensth ana durability. yield to 70 one IN nv
attachment TO that rule of general suffrage winch
distinguished our policy as a nation but there il
nnit wisely observed hitherto which makes the
oallot privilege and trust, and which REQUIRES of
so'e Glasses time suitable for probation and pre-
paratlon. To give it unfortunately to anew class
whoiiy unprepared by previous habits and oppor
tunities to perform the trust which it demands "a
10 degrade IT and finally destroy its power For
II maybe safely assumed that no political truth il
better established than that such indiscriminata
and all embracing extension of popuIar SUFFRAGE
must end at last in its overthrow and destruction
repeat the expression of my willingness to oln in
anything within the scope of our constitutional
authority which promises to better the condition
OF the negroes IN the South by encourarin,, them
IN industry, enlightenment, the improvement of
their morals, and giving protection to their Just
rights as freedmen; but to transfer our political
inheritance to them would in my opinion be am
abandonment of duty which we owe alike to the
memory of our fathers and the rights of our
children.
ana the Federal Government partially into the
hands OF the negroes, is proposed at a time pecu.
| harry unpropitious. The foundations of society
nave been broken up by civil war; industry must
DC recognized. justice re-established the public
credit maintained, and order brought out of con-
| iusion TO accomplish these ends would require
| all the wisdom and virtue of the great men who
founded our institutions originally confidently
believe that their descendants will be eaual to the
arduous task before them. but it is worse then mad
ness to expect that the negroes will perform il for
u.s. Certainly we ought not to ask their assistance
until we despair OF our own competency. The great
difference between the two races in physical men.
tai, and moral characteristics will prevent an
amalgamation and fusion Of them together In one
homogeneous mass. IT the inferior obtains the
ascendency over the other, it will govern with re.
ference entirely to its own interes-for it will re-
cognlze no common interest-and create such q
tyranny as this continent has never yet witnessed
Already the negroes are influenced by promises of
contscation and plumber. They are taught to re.
gard as an enemy every white man who has anv
respect for the rights of his race Il this con.
tinues, 1t must become worse and worse, until all
order will be subverted, all industry cease, and the
fertile fields of the South grow up INTO Glider
ness. or all the changes which our nation has vet
encountered, none are equal to these which must
result from the success of the effort to Afrcanize
half OF our country.
COSTS OF RECONSTRUCTION.
would not put considerations Of money in con.
petition with justice and right. but the expenses
incident to reconstruction under the system adop-
ted by Congress- aggravate what | regard as the
intrinsic wrong of the measure itself 1t has cost
uncounted millions already. and if persisted IN
will add largely to the weight Of taxation already
too oppressive to be borne without just complaint
and may finally reduce the Treasury of the nation
to condition OF bankruptcy. We must not delude
ourselves; 1t will require strong standing army,
and probably more than sa0,ooOOoo per annum, to
MAINTAIN the supremacy of negro governments
after they are established. The sum thus thrown
away would: if properly used, form sinking fund
large enough to pay the whole National debt in less
than fifteen years. II is vain to hop. that the
negroes will maintain their asceHdency themselves
without the military power. They are wholly in
capable Of holding in subsection. the white people
OF the South. submit to the judgment of Congress
whether the public credit may not he injuriously
affected by system of measures like Ibis.
With our debt, and vsst private interest which
ere complicated with IT, We cannot by too cautious
Of policy which might by possibility impair the
confidence Of the world in our Government. That
confidence can only be retained BY carefully ncul-
eating the principles Of justice and honor on the
popular mind. and by the most scrupuous fidelity
to all our engagements of every sort. Any serious
breach Of organic Law, persisted in for considers
BILE time, cannot but create fears for the stability
of our institutions Habitual violation of prescrib
ed rules which we bind ourselves to observe must
demorslixs the people. Our only standard of civil
duty beng set at nsuyht the sheet.anchsr Of our
political morality IS lost. and the public conscience
awnings from its mOorings, and WELD to everv i'm
pulse Of passion and interests 1.-Two repudiate the
Constitution we will not be expected to care much
for mere pecunary obligations. The violation Of
such pledge M We made on the ead Of July. 1861.
will assuPredy diminish the market value of our
other promises. Besides, it We new acknowledge
that the National debt was created not to hold
States IN the Union, ~ taxpayers led to sup
pose. but to expel them from il. and hand them
over to be governed by negroes the moral duty to
pay it may seem much less clear say it may
seem So for do not admit thst this. or any other
argument in favor Of repudiation can b. entertained
~ sound but its Influence some classes Of minds
may we'll BE- spprehended The financial honor of
great commercial nation largely indebted, and
With republican form Of government admins
tered by agents Of popular choice thing Of such
delicate texture, and the destruction oft would be
followed by such an unspeakabie calamity that
every true patriot must desire to avoid whatever
might expose it to the slightest danger. The great
interests Of the country require immediate relief
from these enactments. Business in tho South is,
paralyzed By sense Of general insecurity; by the
terror OF contiscation. and the dread OF negro
premacy. The Southern trade. from which the
North would have derived 50 great profit under
government Of law, still languishes and can
never be revived until il ceases be fcttered by
the arbitrary power which makes all its operations
unsafe. That rich country-the richest in natural
resources the world ever saws worse than lost if
it be not placed under the protectan of free
Constitution. Instead OF being, as it ought to be-
source of wealth and power, It will become an
intolerant burden upon the rest of the nation.
rus RECENT RLgcrloNs
Another reason for retracing our steps will doubt.
less be seen by Congress in the late manifestations
ofpublic opinion upon this subject. We live IN a
country where the popular Will always enforces
obedience to itself sooner or later. 1t is vain TO
think Of opposing 1t with ANYTHING short of legal
authority backed by overwhelming force. 1t can
not have escaped your attention that from the day
on which Congress fairly and formerly presented
the proposition to govern the Southern States by
military force, with Wow 70 the ultimate es-
t,I1 i'll, nt