Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1868-01-03


they are leaders, and because each and
every one of them has reasonably vio-
lated an oath Of allegiance TO the United
States government taken while serving
in a place of honorable public trust
To say therefore that these are disfran-
chised by an arbitrary rule which ap-
plies equally to the mass Of Southern
rebels is to say that the mass have been
influential leaders and Periured trsitorss
that the mass have been Office holders
and educated, wealthy, intelligent men.
This is so absurd that it needs no argu-
ment. The whole number disfranchis-
ed in the entire South is very sma II
scarcely exceeding fifty thousand, and
if the masses are intelligent and educa-
ted, il is difficult to see how the disfran-
chisement of say 81, 900 out OF a voting
population exceeding one million cuts
Of all the intelligence, experience, and
so forth.
It is an unfortunate fact that the edu-
Gated and intelligent in the South are a
somewhat limited class, but it is fortu-
nateIy true that this class extends
disfranchlsed. These last, prior to the
war were, it is true, the ruling class.
Estimated by the number Of ''niggers''
they owned they were great men,
Looking over their broad acres, throng-
ed with human chattels, they affected
to regard either a Northern Yankee"
or a n9n-slaveholdfng Southern white
with supercilious contempt. There was
nothing so eivilizing as the coff1e and
whipping post, nothing so righteous as
raising babies for the markef And
these types Of civilization and Chris
tianity were studiously impressed upon
the minds of the masses. An aristoc-
racy of Shareholders was thus built up
and public sentiment at the same time
educated to sustain it. The press was
muzzIed and Northern ideas of free
labor were emphasically ta1booed. The
oligarchs of the lash controlled not only
the bodies but the minds ofmen. They
ensIaved the sinews of the black and
the intellect of the white. Society was
trained to lean upon these few individ-
uals whose colossal fortunes, wrung
from the toiling poor, gave them leisure
for travel, study, dissipation and poll
tics. In due time they organized a gi-
gantic treason and with one mad plunge
carried with them into its current the
masses whom they had hoodwinked
deceived and misguided. They took
advantage of the influence they had
gained, the ignorance they had caused
the prejudice and hate they had instill-
ed to unite the people of the South in q
war upon their country and their gov
ernment. DeIusively believing they
we're going to fight for their hearth
stones (and not for the sIaYeholder) the
people Of the South blindIy followed
these wicked guides as they had been
/ accustomed to do. They followed aud
were led to war, to death, to bankrupt
cy, to ruin, and if ability to utterly de
stroy a people for most selfish
wicked and reasonable purposes dem
onstrates governing capacity, thes'
Southern leaders certainly have it,
Their education, intelligence and wealth
came near playing the mischief with as
/ but we cannot see that this make
it necessary for these men, though
never so intelligent, to be em
pIoyed in rebuilding the ruin they have
/ caused. They have shown more capac
ity for tearing down than building up
for creating chaos and confusion thai
order and law. What the countr,
more especially needs now is simpl
honesty and loyalty, whether educate,
or not, and upon these we would rela,
the foundations of the Republic. w
have had too much educated treason
we viii run less risk in trusting Ioya
Ignorance.
Whatever may be the- proper polio.
to pursue after all the insurgent State
are restored to their normal relations
4 we believe that pending reconstruction
it was wise to dIsfranehise the Rebe
leaders. Tt is teaching the southerl
people just the lesson they most need
| Iearn-the lesson of selfdependenct
i The need to be convinced by necessft
that the wealthy men who owned tn
negroes are not the only men in thei
midst who have governing capacity
They need to have their attention di
| Yerted from these professional leader
to discover the fact that there are 9th
ers among them who have ability an
/ education, and if they may be alIOwe
the opportunity, can show a capacit
for public affairs. How many such an
rising to notice every day in the Sout
who were never heard of before an
probably never would have been hear
of had the oId-time leaders not been dis
abied from leading and been permitUe
to retain their sway over the minds {
the people. Every day brings into NJ
tice men of intellect aDd culture VIII
have hitherto been kept in the shad
but are now called forth by the e4
gencies of reconstruction and exhib
that tact, statesmanship and patriotism
which show that the Southern peopl
have lost nothing but have rather gair
ed by the Acknowledgement of the sece;
sion leaders and politicians. Compe
| led to lean upon themselves the S0uther
! people are daily gaining conidenC
in the principle of self-government an
discovering the folly Of that social syl
tenn which confines the blessing of edJ
cation and wealth to few and dispose
of political honors by an aristocratie
not hereditary. claim. In other wore
they are learning the lesson OF seIf-dl
i Ipendence, a lesson which the secessio
1 leaders never would have permitte
them to learn had it been in their pow
er to prevent it. Congress has wisel
removed that power at least until Il
/ political systems of the South shall I
reorganized, and the leading rebels ma
! as well make up their minds to conteI
themselves meanwhile with the "bac
seat7 which has been assigned them.