New-York tribune., 1868-09-08

Of subsistence and become paupeS deeusI mo- on hp Ip
motivs.. would therefore prompt the whites oa os
protection Tho important fact that the two are
under existing circumstances, necessary 10 eheh Other
d1y h os oscDg PeSeTed Il to M 1p the passions
of negroes the relations Ot the two races would soon
adjust themselves basis OF mutual Kindness and ad
vantage 1t Is true the people OF the South together
with the people Of the North and West are Tor obvious
place the political power Of the country in the hands OF
the negro But this opposition springs from no feel
present the negroos neither the intelligence nor
other qualifications which arc necessary TO make them
saio repositories Of political power"
Comments by The Tribune.
That those whom Gen. Lee regards as the
Southern people are hostile to the negroes"
in his sense of the term, we do not believe.
They are not hostile to their dogs nor their
horses why, then, should they be to their
negroesf They are simply hostlle-as Gen.
Lees letter shows-to regarding and treating
them as human beings, with the rights pertaining
to Humanity-that is ALL They not 4" Sonth-
"ern people" in Gen. Lees estimation. but
properly serfs, vassals, cOnvcniences OF those
people. with whose welfare the North has no
riglltful concern, We think differently.
Self-interest,r Gen. Lee thinks, "eyen II
thoro were no higher motives, would prompt
the Whites of the South TO extend to the
negroes caro- and protection" SO we think
il should But self.interest should have
prompted the Whites to emancipate the Blacks
long ago but those Whites did not see it
and Gen. Lee was as blind as the rest. Sell
interest should have prompted those Whites
10 recognize Emancipation rs endowing their ex-
slaves with the Civil Rights OF Mankind-such
rights (at least as tho South has always ac-
corded to aliens residing on her soil
vet no single State as reconstructed on White
basis by Andrew Johnson, accorded such rights
and, when Congress was moved to supply the
deficiency, those whom Gen. Lee calls the
Southern people" denounced the act, and ap-
plauded the veto 10y which Johnson Intellectually
sought to nullify il.
Just look, now. at synopsis Of the acts
passed in 1866 by Andrew Johnson's and
Gen Lees "Southern people to degrade and
opprcss their Black fellow citizens:
North Carolina enacted that cOored persons
shoud be incompetent witnesses in courts OF
Justice except in cases to which a colorcd per-
son was party The ravishing OF White
by Black WHO made a capital oiiense, While
that Of a Black by White was not. Another
law provided for the apprcnticing Of certain
Blacks to Whites, giving preference to the
old masters of those Blacks. All contracts in
volving more than $40 wheretO a colored per-
son was a party were declared void unless re-
duced to writing and witnessed by White.
| A marriage between White and colored
person was declared void, with $500 penalty for
whoever should solemnize the same.
Mississippi enacted stringent Apprentice
ship system for "all freedmen, free negroes
" and mulattoes under the age of eighteen who
are orphans, or whose parents have not the
means or who refuse to provide for and sup
"port said Minors The rights to punish by
corporal chastisemcnt and to "puisue and re-
capture said apprentice" were expressly guar
anteed. Elm all cases where the age of the
"person to be apprenticed cannot be ascer-
tanned by record testimony, the judge of tho
"county court shall fix the age'-so that
Blacks fifty years old could bc apprenticed
with great facility. Next followed
"Vagrant Act" providing that "all freed
"men free negroes, and mulattOes, orer
eighteen years of age" who should appear 10
have "no lawful employment or business"
might be hauled up and fined $50; and, if I'M
able TO pay this, he should be "hired out" TO
any person who will, for the shortest period
of service, pay saidi fine or forfeiture, and ak
costs.
Section of this act provides that, "jf any
freedman, free negro, OF mulatto, shall fail OF
"refuse to pay any tax levied on him, such
failure shall be prima Jaoie evidence of va
"grancy," whereupon be shall be put through
course of sprouts as aforesaid
Next followed "An act to confer Civil Rights
ION freedmen and for other purposes which
provided that no colored person should be
allowed "to lease any lands OF tenendents ex-
"cept in incorporated towns OF cities, f-rand
there only under stringent regulations. No
colored person should be allowed to give testi-
moDy, except in cases to which some colored
person was a party. Every colored person
must have lawful home or employment. with
written evidence thereof; if living in q city OF
village, he must have license to do job-work,
revOcable at the pleasure of the authorities.
Thenfollowedpenaltie tiesforenticngo perSuading
q freedman or colored person to desert his en-