Indiana American. [volume] (Brookville, Ind.) 1865-1872, 1868-03-06

ton proclamations subsequently, issued
were fashioned; the same oath being re-
quired in each as condition precedent to
the exercise of the elective franchise The
rebelious people of North Carolina, South
Carolina. Alabama, Mississippi Flori-
da aud Texas, in rcconstructing3!nier the
feEe<l9re<isl p,si to6k pesiy
foufh.
These facts, now passed into history,
are reproduced to show that SO far as
swearing faithfully to support freedom as
against slavery is concerned, the people of
these States did acquiesce in the results oi
the war.
But to make his declaration good. Mr..
Hendricks must be prepared to.sbow not
only that they thus sworc, but that they
also in good faith kept their oath.
In supplying the evidence on tbs point,
il will not be expected that within the
limits of single speech all the proofs oil
entire acquieseuce will be adduced as TO
all the seeded States. Instead of attempt
ing this, some scraps from the history OF
Johnsonian reconstruction in single
State will be submitted as sample of the
whole.
Let Mississippi be the model State Sc.
lected, and let the evidence be Drawn from
her legislative enoctments passed IN 1865,
before the meeting oil Congress ia Decem
Der OF that year.
The resuscitated rebel Legislature Of
Mississippi met in October, 1865 aud was
in session during that month, the month
Of November, aud few OF the first days
OF December Of the same yepr.
1t was composed Of men who had just
sworn faithfully to support The abolition
OF slavery, and no wicked Radical Con-
gress had as Jet done aught to provoke
them TO do otherwise than as sheir own
judgments would dictate.
What, then, under these favorable cir.
cumsiances. did they do?
BY law they compelled all colored poo.
pie to have homes, aud by the same law
rendered 1t impossible that they should
have homes by making them incompetent
to even rent or lease (much les TO own.
lands or tenemeuis, save in an iucorpora-
ted town Or city, and there they could
only rent under the control aud with the
permission Of the corporate authorities.
The object of this legislation was palpable;
IL was TO drive the emaicipated <layes TO
seek homes, as tenants sbytsufsrauce. in
their old quarters on the plantations OF
their former masters.
by the same act, the freedmen, and all
other colored persons were also required
to have some lawful employment in order
to legalize their existence in tho sovereign
reconstructed State of Mississippi. How,
then, could lawful employment be acquired
or obtained2
| answer That colored person could
only have lawful employment in one OF
two ways, viz: first, by being licensed to
/ live and 10 labor by the police authorities
of the locality in which he might live, the
prize Of license being fixed by the local
authorities, aud varying from one to Eve
dollars, and being revokablo at the pleas
ure OF those who issue il. Second, by
contracting in writing TO serve some white
man for period of more than one month
and by that contract reducing himself TO O
worse condition than slavery itself. The
contract, necessary to egalize Tho coored
mans existence, was by law declared 20 bc
an entire contract aud If the cmployc quit.
ted the service Of his master, Without good
cause, before the expiration Of his term oil
service, ho forfeited all wages then due
aud was liable besides to bo arrested by
any officer or citizen aud carried back it
his master; and for making tho arrest and
delivery, such officer or citizen was entitled
TO five dollars reward, and ten cents q mile
FROM the place Of arrest 20 theplaco of de
livery, all this to bo paid by tho mastcr
aud deducted out of the future earning,
Of the fugitive. And lest there should b,
aoy future 10 execute this fugitive slave
law, il was inade tho duty Of every civi
officer 10 mako the arrest aud delivery
Of the fugitive.
But these Johnsopizcd rebels we'll knew
that II would be vain thing to enact lha
y eolorod man could not legally exist IL
the State of Mississippi save as the stipu
lated temporary slave Of somc white man
unless there were proper penalties preAsrib
cd against the terrible cffingv rUrASsstn
lawful employment. This omission wa
supplied by the vagrant law OF Mississippi
approved By Gov. B G.. Humphreys, late
General in the Confederate service, on th'
cath day Of November, 1865, and still ap
proved by Mr. Hendricks aud bis party
as may be inferred by tho declaration tha
these people entirely acquicscod in1he re
sults OF the war,
BY this yagrant act, all colorcdnorons
male aud female, over the agc of cighteel
years.who shouldon the second Monday o
January 1866, or thereafter, be found with
out lawful employment or business, wer
declared 10 DO yagfants, and on conviction
thereof were TO DO fined not oxeoedinl
ffty dollars, aud imprisoned, at tho die
cretion of the Court, not exceeding To-
days, and il tho Ono was not paid With
five days after conviction. Ii was made Oh
duty Of tho Sheriff TO hire out the o)nyc
TO any person who would for the ehortos
} period pay said dno aud all costs.
| Look for one moment at tho beauties {
Al. ~ -. 4 Al